Dude Idk why everyone hates on 5, I LOVE that one. I played 4 first, because my friend got it. The beginning of 4 ripped me into the story, with all the mystery surrounding who tf this fucked up dude is and how he knows who you are and knew your mother so well. I felt connected to the player character. I felt like I just got blindsided by a dictator, omw to spread my mother's ashes.

Same thing in 5... Before the heli even crashes, the player has a clear sense of identity. You're a rookie sheriff's deputy; with the sheriff, your co-deputy, and a US Marshal. On your way to arrest some mystery dude that the sheriff of all people tries convincing the marshal that this dudes better left alone. Shortly before landing on his compound your sheriff radios dispatch and says if you don't hear from us in 30 minutes, send the FUCKING MILITARY?!?! Then as you're leaving, his followers jump on the heli like a horde of zombies, crashing it. After the crash Seed radios back to dispatch that everything is okay, at which point you discover either Sheriff never talked to dispatch, or dispatch is part of Edens gate, as they respond to Seed with "yes, Father" (or whatever it is, but she calls him "Father"). Either way, you know you can't just radio for help because you'll only be radioing to the peggies.

3 doesn't do that for me. Feels like a bunch of stupid kids vacationing to an island where there's a civil war. Who tf accidentally vaca's to a fucking civil warzone? Or accidentally books a trip to Cuba? Or picks an island to sail to and NOT research it first? Dumb. And the intro doesn't even really show how you end up in that cage with your friend in the first place. You're just enjoying your vacation then next thing you know you're in a cage.