How a Planet of the Apes Far Cry Spin-Off Could Redefine Survival

I’ve been crawling through Ubisoft’s open worlds since I was a kid, and I’ve gotta say—Far Cry has a special place in my gaming heart. It’s not just the chaos of liberating outposts or the thrill of a well-placed takedown; it’s the way this series constantly reinvents itself while staying true to that sandbox soul. Recently, while replaying Far Cry Primal on a rainy 2026 afternoon, a wild idea hit me: why hasn’t anyone mashed up Far Cry with Planet of the Apes? I mean, heck, Ubisoft has already proven they can transplant that formula into almost any setting. Picture this: you’re a young ape, spear in hand, overlooking a ruined city choked by vines—humans are both prey and threat, and every dawn brings a new struggle for dominance. If that doesn’t get your pulse racing, I don’t know what will.

For years, the mainline Far Cry games have tossed us into hostile corners of the real world—think Kyrat, Montana, or Yara. But the spin-offs… oh, those are where the magic really happens. I still remember booting up Far Cry 3: Blood Dragon for the first time, that glorious neon-soaked fever dream that turned a military shooter into a retro-futuristic parody. It worked so beautifully that Ubisoft kept the madness going. In 2016, Far Cry Primal hurled us into the Stone Age, swapping guns for clubs and taming sabertooth cats—survival stripped to its rawest form. Then came Far Cry New Dawn, painting a vibrant yet brutal post-nuclear apocalypse. Sure, some folks grumbled about New Dawn’s story, but you can’t deny the core loop of scavenging, crafting, and taking down highwaymen was pure Far Cry. And let’s not forget the zombie DLCs, because why not spice things up with the undead?

Fast forward to 2023, and Ubisoft dropped Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora. Technically not a Far Cry title, but let’s be real—you feel the DNA in every rustling leaf and alien outpost. You’re a Na’vi running through a breathtaking sci-fi world, using primitive weapons and guerrilla tactics to reclaim your homeland from human invaders. It’s first-person, it’s open-world, and it’s driven by that same liberate-this-area-then-move-on rhythm we’ve all come to know. The game wasn’t a blockbuster, but it showed something crucial: the Far Cry formula thrives when plugged into a beloved franchise. So here’s my question to whoever’s listening at Ubisoft—if you can make Pandora feel like a Far Cry game, why not the Planet of the Apes?

The timing couldn’t be more perfect. After the release of Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes in 2024, the ape saga has never felt more alive. That film reignited my obsession with a universe that’s been gripping audiences since Charlton Heston first screamed at the Statue of Liberty back in 1968. The latest trilogy cemented apes as complex, emotional characters, and the worldbuilding—a planet where nature has reclaimed civilization—is a goldmine for a survival sandbox. In 2026, while everyone’s hyping futuristic shooters, a game that throws you into the fur of a young chimp just trying to survive would stand out like a flare in the night. I’d pay top dollar for that.

Here’s how I see it playing out. You’d start as a nameless ape, part of a small clan living in the shadow of a decaying human city. The tutorial? Learning to swing through broken skyscrapers and craft your first sharpened stick. You know the drill—hunt, gather, survive. But instead of a typical skill tree, you’d evolve. Maybe you unlock “ape strength” to rip doors off hinges or “empathy” to tame feral dogs (or even hostile humans). The Far Cry loop would feel right at home: scale a rusted tower to survey the land, then storm a human camp to free captured apes. Outposts become military bunkers or research labs, each crawling with armed humans and their ape-hating leader—who, let’s face it, would make a fantastic villain. And animals? Oh, you’d battle not just soldiers, but mutated wildlife born from ecological collapse. Far Cry Primal already gave us a taste of primitive combat and beast mastery; combining that with a sci-fi backdrop… man, I’m getting chills.

What really sells me is the world design. Ubisoft’s artists could craft a lush, haunting landscape where skyscrapers are draped in moss and highways have become rivers. You’d hear echoes of ape culture—drum beats in the distance, chants around a fire—as you traverse on horseback or, better yet, while riding a genetically altered bear. The story could tackle big questions: What does it mean to be dominant? Are humans the real monsters? Far Cry games often flirt with moral ambiguity, and a Planet of the Apes spin-off could go deep, maybe even letting you choose between alliances with rebel humans or your own kind. I’d lose entire weekends to that.

Ubisoft has proven, time and again, that they can blend the familiar with the bizarre. So while I’m here, controller in hand, daydreaming about my perfect game, I’m throwing this wish into the void. Don’t let the apes fade into movie memory—give me a world where I can climb, conquer, and scream at the moon. Heck, maybe I’ll even forgive you for Far Cry 6’s lack of surprises. Just… make it happen.