Whilst it's perhaps not uncommon to peruse the internet for trailers anticipating new game releases; it's also not really at the top of our daily to-do lists. Imagine our surprise when we stumbled across Henry Director, Martin De Thurah's new short film 'The Baptism'; sat right up until the end of the 2min short; only to find out that it's a live action trailer for UbiSoft's 'Far Cry 5' instalment which was released in March this year.

'Far Cry' is a gaming franchise created by UbiSoft. The first person shooter franchise has since seen a remarkable following with the game being available on various gaming platforms, including Playstation and Xbox. The 'Far Cry' games do not have any significant shared narrative elements, but instead share a theme of placing the player in a wilderness environment where they must help fight against one or more despots that control the region, as well as surviving against wild animals that roam the open spaces. Up until now the franchise has seen a successful reign with it's popular 4 instalments thus-far. As mentioned earlier, the highly anticipated Far Cry 5 was released in March this year.  

The game is set in modern-day Montana in the fictional Hope County. The player takes on the role of a sheriff's deputy who becomes entangled in a violent conflict between a doomsday cult called Eden's Gate led by "The Father" Joseph Seed and his siblings, and the resisting residents of Hope County who have seen their friends and family taken or killed by the cult. 

Whilst we're a bit slow on the uptake, we came across 'The Baptism' which was released as a trailer for the game in February. Upon watching it, we initially had no idea that is was a promo for the game, as the video's title merely disclosed the name of the film and director.  5 seconds in and it felt like the opening title sequence to a very dark TV-series. The film strongly echoed that of  HBO's 'True Detective' season one, or the dark cinematic undertone of  AMC's 'Preacher'. Not to mention the enigmatic soundtrack which complements the chilling visuals ever so perfectly. 

Enter award winning director Martin De Thurah. De Thurah has bagged numerous awards for short films, music videos and TVCs alike. Along with DDB Paris, De Thurah provide us with a compelling glimpse into the world of cult control, fear and intimidation which is the rural America stage for this new instalment of the popular game. The short also won a D&AD wooden pencil for film advertising crafts.

In the film, they introduce us to Joseph Seed, a pinnacle antagonist in the game. More than just a pastor, he is probably in our top 10 list of chilling villains depicted on-screen. With heavyweight Directors like Martin De Thurah, directing video game promo films, all we can say is; it's a refreshing look into what film is yet to become. 

No spoilers. You have to watch it for yourself. All I can say is, don't blame us if those little hairs on the back of your neck stand up.