The gameplay focuses on combat and open world exploration; players battle enemy soldiers and dangerous wildlife using a wide array of weapons.

The game's competitive multiplayer was created by Red Storm Entertainment while the Shangri-La segments in the campaign were handled by Ubisoft Toronto.

It received mostly positive reviews, with critics praising the open-world design, visuals, soundtrack, and characters as well as new gameplay additions and the wealth of content.

Players assume control of Ajay Ghale, a Kyrati-American who is on a quest to spread his deceased mother's ashes in the fictional country of Kyrat.

[10] Parachutes, wingsuits, and grappling hooks are also featured in the game; these items help players swing across cliffs and quickly navigate the environment.

[11] Parts of the game take place in Shangri-La, a mystical dreamland where players battle demons as the Kyrati warrior Kalinag.

The map is progressively opened by liberating bell towers, freeing them from Pagan Min's influence and allowing the Golden Path to expand.

However, his mission is interrupted when the bus he is traveling on is attacked by the Royal Army and he is greeted by Pagan Min (Troy Baker), the country's eccentric and violent king.

Min apologizes, brutally kills a soldier for shooting the bus, and acts warmly toward Ajay before kidnapping him and his tour guide and taking them to a dinner party at Lieutenant Paul De Pleur's mansion.

In the twenty-odd years since Ishwari and Ajay fled Kyrat, the rebellion has stagnated, with the Golden Path now fighting for their very existence.

However, the Golden Path's newfound momentum is threatened by deep divisions between its commanders, Sabal, who favors traditional values, and Amita (Janina Gavankar), who argues for progress, which includes relying heavily on producing drugs for export.

She dies in her fighting arena, either with Ajay killing her, or with Noore committing suicide upon learning Pagan had her family executed years beforehand.

As the Golden Path secures Kyrat's southern provinces, Ajay is contacted by Willis Huntley (Alain Goulem), a CIA agent who offers intelligence for the rebels and pages from his father's diary in exchange for killing Yuma's lieutenants.

If Sabal is placed in charge, Kyrat becomes a patriarchal fundamentalist theocracy where all of Amita's supporters are executed, women are denied fundamental political rights, and Bhadra is anointed as a religious symbol for the country to rally around.

The sequel would be set on the same tropical island, would expand upon the protagonist's story, and would bring back characters, such as Far Cry 3's secondary antagonist, Vaas Montenegro.

[41] One of the game's most critically acclaimed characters is its major antagonist Pagan Min, a foreign interloper who usurps the rule of Kyrat by its royal family and names himself after the historical Burmese king within series lore.

[42][43] According to Baker, Ubisoft gave him a script for the audition but he chose not to follow it, and instead decided to threaten to cut off the face of an assistant using Min's tone.

It was originally designed to be a small open world but was later converted into a linear experience due to time constraints and huge creative differences between developers.

Red Storm Entertainment also considered players' feedback from the multiplayer aspect of Far Cry 3, and decided to include vehicles in the game.

Particular praise was directed towards the usage of traditional Nepalese instruments which, combined with electronic samples, suggested high octane action and mystical wondering.

[57] The game's cover art, which shows the light-skinned Pagan Min resting his hand on a dark-skinned person, caused controversy and accusation of racism.

Harmon thought that the hilly landscape of the game's world gave players a sense of exploration, and hence made traversal enjoyable.

[84] ShackNews reviewer Steven Wong liked that as the player travels from southern to northern territories, the music and soldiers change from Indian to Chinese.

Carter from Destructoid thought that the fortress and the outpost system provided players with a sense of accomplishment and success, and he considered having the freedom to use different ways to approach and complete missions one of the greatest parts of the game.

In addition, Carter applauded the game's driving mechanics and the auto-drive feature, which he considered a significant improvement for the series.

[82] GameSpot's reviewer calls the game's economy "excellent" and enjoys the fact that it forces you to upgrade your wallet, so it can hold more money, and to craft a bigger backpack.

[81] Justin McElroy of Polygon praised the introduction of the grappling hook and the vertical map design, which he thought had allowed players to develop a strategy before taking action.

[80] Dyer echoed a similar statement, and he thought that it had successfully captured the scale and freedom offered by both the game's co-op and campaign.

[82] JeuxVideo wrote about multiplayer in the game: "You will understand that exploring Kyrat is honestly funny for two, assuming we are not likely to get tired in the long run".

[45] Tan also noted that the game's open world design felt not only similar to Far Cry 3, but also other Ubisoft franchises like Assassin's Creed and Watch Dogs.