Is this available to buy now???

The Far Cry 4 demo at this year's E3 expo in Los Angeles presents us with a trio of options: "Stealth / Ride / Fly" reads the fortress conquest screen. It's no contest, really, as "Ride" means we get to mount an elephant, smash down a fortress door and cause havoc among enemies and objects.

Far Cry 4 merges visceral action with a vast open world and returns players to hostile terrain and the odd dream trip

This is probably the best that Far Cry has ever been. And that's saying something.

The scale of the environment is stunning to behold and interactive with; Consistent surprises mean it's impossible to ease into a predictable routine

Competitive multiplayer is functional and nothing more; Disappointing, Some missions are overly linear, at odds with expansiveness elsewhere

High in the Himalayas.

+ A great villain; + A large world with plenty to do; + Personable experience with great characters

- Slow first half; - Long treks

It's hard to believe that the Far Cry series started ten years ago with a tropical island and a story about mutants. As a series, it's travelled a long way since then, from the more serious overto

Fantastic characterisation; Visually incredible; Will make you feel guilty; and thus care; like no other game

Open-world exploration could be more enticing; Missed co-op opportunity; Map revealing towers are getting old now

It may not bring many new ideas to the table but this is a hugely enjoyable open world shooter, with the best co-op options in the genre.

Fantastic open world environment that's a pleasure to explore, especially with the great vehicles and fun weapons; Excellent co-op and interesting story branching

Very similar structure and features to Far Cry 3; None of the characters are sympathetic and some may cause offence; Hunting certainly will if you love animals

Diversity is one of Far Cry 4's strongest assets, and it overwhelms the mostly disappointing story with countless opportunities for free-form adventure and fun. Visual variety, tons of distinct side-quests, and a dense world with plenty of options always gave me something I wanted to do, and its...

Amazing; gorgeous world; Combat variety; Strong side-quests/economy; Versatile PvP combat

Some terrible characters

But there's a reason Ubisoft pared back Far Cry 4's story - it knew it was never going to be the main attraction. Far Cry 4 does all the things that its predecessor did and more - more weapons, more vehicles, more modes, more ground to cover - so if all you're looking for is a big old wide open...

Pagan Min is a nasty piece of work. He is the vain and arrogant despot that welcomes you to the fictional Himalayan nation of Kyrat with a depraved display of violence. Min is a horrific man, and you are meant to despise him--or at least, it would seem so until he ends his tirade by inviting you to...

A big world filled with ways to create your own excitement; Cooperative play opens up fun new options; Great economy keeps you moving and exploring

Awful story; awful characters; questionable themes; Constant nagging at odds with the freeform sandbox