So I was hesitant about picking this up (not sure why, as I have always loved Far Cry games) but bit the bullet and preloaded on PS4 a couple of days ago. I'm so glad I did. Honestly, I can't remember the last time I was so immersed in a game environment. I only played for a couple of hours last night but hats off to Ubisoft, IMO they seriously nailed it.
Several times during my play session I found myself just standing and looking, listening to the wind in the trees, and taking it all in (having a decent pair of headphones is recommended!). The atmosphere when night falls is pretty damn amazing as well.
I know the story has been criticized in reviews, but to be honest I have never really connected with previous Far Cry protagonists. In this game (at least so far) I feel like I connect to Takkar on a basic human survival level.
I know I've only played for a couple of hours, but signs are good. I really hope this does OK for Ubisoft, and I wish more big studios would take risks like this.