8Bit/Digi

Far Cry 5 is one of the most highly anticipated titles of the year and its release date is almost here. A few weeks prior, Inside Eden’s Gate was released to set the stage for the events of the game. Ubisoft has been doing this successfully for sometime and this one is no exception.

We know the argument, movies based on games will always be garbage (except for Castlevania). Ubisoft however seems to have been doing a good job at releasing short films that get fans ready for their major titles. Fans could agree that War Within the Cartel was a well crafted prequel that set the stage for Tom Clancy’s Ghost Recon: Wildlands. Inside Eden’s Gate now dose the same regarding Far Cry 5.

The film follows three vloggers who arrive to Hope County after receiving an email from a local who fear his sister has been duped into joining the Eden’s Gate cult. During their investigation, the group is captured by Jacob Seed and then “baptized” in a pool hallucinogens by Joseph Seed. The group needs to find a way to either escape or share their video and expose Eden’s Gate.

Inside Eden’s Gate plays out a lot like Red State (that 2011 horror film by Kevin Smith) only it actually knows what kind of film it is while also accepting its limitations. The film does and excellent job at building up the story for the actual game while also pacing the story at a rate that makes it easy to follow. Most of the cast (especially those playing the Seed family) do give a great performance in showing the wickedness of their character. One has to also appreciate the other main characters who make a short cameo in the film.

There will be a few moments when the story has issues while the films limitation are shown, most notably during the gun fight at the end. However those are its only flaws and they are not so serious to the point that it hinders its overall quality. Overall, this film more of an ad than a film but its done so well that you gotta appreciate its quality.

I will note that I hope these characters and their action will actually matter in Far Cry 5 actual story. Personally it would be shameful if the purpose of this film was just to showcase Eden’s Gate while the group were just “throw-away” characters.

Far Cry 5: Inside Eden’s Gate does an excellent job of building up the story for the main game. While movies based on games will continue to be mediocre at best, Ubisoft seems to be on a winning streak with their short films.

Final Score: 8/10

Disclaimer: I watched this film with a friend who has Amazon Prime. 

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