Far Cry 5 represents a radical departure for the series, which will come to the rural United States after sojourns into the frontiers of tropical islands and the Himalayas. Since leaks about Far Cry 5 confirmed its fictional Montana setting, gamers have been left wondering exactly what that means for a series that has made its name on exploring the unknown and fending off all kinds of domestic and exotic adversaries. Needless to say, there probably won't be any elephants or tigers roaming the countryside in this instalment of Far Cry 5 - which means whatever players do find standing in their way will be something fresh and exciting.

Just how much of Far Cry 5 will aim for innovation, however? The series has made its name on the back of some enjoyable yet formulaic approaches to gameplay, and a major point of criticism for the otherwise excellent Far Cry 4 was that some felt it hadn't done enough to improve on Far Cry 3. Ubisoft appears to have paid very close attention to this common complaint, however, as the Far Cry 5 reveal trailer seems to indicate a game that will push the series further than it has ever gone before.

For those who are still skeptical, however, Game Rant has compiled a list of some lesser known features that have already been confirmed for Far Cry 5. Please note that, while they've already been corroborated by Ubisoft in various press releases or interviews, these features could ultimately change before Far Cry 5's early 2018 release date - although given how prominently they've been marketed already, that seems unlikely.

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5 Far Cry 5 Will Let You Choose the Protagonist's Gender and Race

Previously, Far Cry games have had protagonists that were locked in on specific identities - either Jason Brody, the Los Angeles-born hero of the Rook Islands, or Ajay Ghale, the Kyrati-American son of a rebel. Crucially, both of those characters were featured in stories that heavily depended on the protagonist's history to tie in the overall narrative, so it's no exaggeration to say that character customization is a huge addition to the Far Cry games.

In Far Cry 5, players will be given the ability to customize the protagonist's gender and race. The result will be a title that leans more heavily on Far Cry 5's NPCs and its villains to tell the story it wants to, but many have praised this move as a step forward for a series looking to be as inclusive as possible.

4 Players Can Also Modify Hair, Facial Appearance, and More

Ubisoft hasn't broken down the exact details of what players can expect from character customization, but the implication is that the system will feature choices between different hair styles and facial structures. These features might be considered pretty common by a number of gamers familiar with western action RPGs - games like Mass Effect: Andromeda and Fallout 4 spring to mind - but it would be a big step forward for Far Cry 5 in establishing itself as a juggernaut hybrid between the flexibility of those titles and the refined gameplay that fans have come to expect from Ubisoft's survival series.

3 Far Cry 5 Will Feature Four Main Villains

If there's one thing the Far Cry series has become known for in its recent main instalments, it's the presence of incredible, charismatic villains that drive the story forward. That's something that executive producer Dan Hay acknowledged to Game Rant in our exclusive Far Cry 5 interview, and Hay seemed keenly aware that fans now expect each Far Cry game to have serious star power in terms of antagonists.

Evidently, the team at Ubisoft decided that four villains would be better than one, and Far Cry 5 will feature four cult leaders with different personalities and motivations as the main antagonists. While the Father will still likely end up being the primary villain, it's a new look for a series that usually focuses on one or two antagonists at most - and it's a move that has a lot of gamers excited, thanks to the pedigree Ubisoft has demonstrated in crafting evil characters over the years.

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2 Far Cry 5's Weapons Will Have a Distinct Rural American Feel

Part of the appeal of games like Far Cry 5 are the way they transport gamers to the cultural moments they're located in. Ubisoft has, up until this point, done a remarkable job of providing weapons and gameplay systems that capture the feel of wherever a Far Cry is located, and that looks to continue in Far Cry 5. While major details about skills and weapons have yet to be revealed, in a presentation given by Dan Hay prior to our interview the executive producer showed off a very brief gameplay demonstration, which indicated players would be able to casually toss pitchforks at cultists in Montana. What a time to be alive (unless you're a cultist in Montana, we suppose).

1 Multiplayer Co-op Will Be Supported Through the Entire Campaign

We've saved the best for last, and for good reason - it's a huge revelation that is sure to make Far Cry 5 a must-have for gamers with a close friend or sibling in the same living space. Ubisoft recently revealed that Far Cry 5's entire campaign will allow players to use multiplayer co-op, meaning that gamers can team up and defeat Hope County's cult problem together.

The effect this feature will have on players' experiences with Far Cry 5 really can't be overstated, as multiplayer co-op is often one of the most discussed features of successful multiplayer games. The ability to experience an entire game with a friend is one that has been the backbone of gaming success stories like Halo and Gears of War, and it appears that Far Cry 5 will finally be headed down that road as well. This feature, coupled with the ability to customize the teams players will be taking with them to tackle each respective mission, will mean that Far Cry 5 will offer players a different experience that will change based on many of their decisions.

Those are just what we believe to be the most exciting features announced so far for Far Cry 5, but there will likely be more in the coming months as the structure of the game becomes more fleshed out. Is there anything we missed? Any information that you think is more important? Let us know in the comments below.

Far Cry 5 will release on February 27, 2018 for PS4, Xbox One, and PC.