Far Cry 6 is the latest installment in the Far Cry series of games developed and published by Ubisoft. Far Cry 6 had a release date of October 6, 2021 and was released on Xbox Series S, Xbox series X, Xbox One, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Microsoft Windows PC, Amazon Luna, and Google Stadia.
A first-person shooter known for its over the top action and humor, the 6th installment is set on a fictional, Cuba-like Caribbean island named Yara, which is run by a villainous dictator in true Far Cry fashion. Giancarlo Esposito, brought in to star as the dictator, Anton Castillo, is easily the biggest star in series history and his performance makes the investment choice clear.
Gamers play as a character named Dani Rojas, a local Yaran orphan who takes up arms with the guerilla fighters after he crosses paths with the dictator Castillo. What follows is a familiar experience to seasoned Far Cry players, full of explosions, animal companions, collectibles, and machete assassinations. There are some changes made to the formula, and while there are only a few additions for this installment, there are still boatloads of destructive hijinks to be had.
Details are the Real Dictator
Far Cry 6 can be a bit of a mixed bag when it comes to the details. The audio is crisp, clear, and features supremely satisfying gun sound effects. Visually, the game is stunning with solid frame rates on Xbox series X showcasing the vibrant, Caribbean color palette accented by huge explosions, realistic animals, and breathtaking mountaintop views. However, weaving these details together can cause some kinks in the final presentation, like AI causing the maritime motorists to look anything but seaworthy and flashy “drop-in” fast traveling (which is supposed to kick off adventures with a bang by spawning you above your destination) creating a death loop rendering your game unplayable without co-op assistance (more on that below).
Unfortunately for Ubisoft, the stable portions of the game seem to be the portions that have existed in previous versions, while new features more often than not prove to be unstable or disappointing at best. Far Cry is no stranger to reusing assets from previous versions to streamline production of new games, but the 6th installment may be the straw that broke the camel’s back for consumers. For example, fishing is in no way different from the previous games, with Yaran barracuda wriggling with the same animation as when the player successfully catches a Montana Sturgeon. Animations, sounds, UI designs, and even entire minigames are reused from previous games which can make this edition seem like a really elaborate DLC at times.
When new features are encountered, they usually miss the mark, adding insult to injury for anyone worried the game might not be worth it. In previous Far Cry iterations, after enemy outposts or regions are cleared, the enemies are replaced with allied NPCs. In Far Cry 6, this has changed to have enemies constantly respawning, in most instances right behind the player’s back, which makes clearing outposts or bases a frustratingly futile experience. This complete lack of detail in implementation paired with poor execution of new features pushes Far Cry 6 further away from gamers being able to justify the full retail price tag.
New Feature or Just Newer?
Far Cry 6 closely resembles previous iterations of the series and that might not be a good thing at all times. As part of a series, it makes sense to carry over some features, game engines, or themes, but this edition may take the cake for repackaging a previous product and calling it completely new. As previously mentioned, Far Cry 6 is visually almost the same as Far Cry 5, all the way down to fonts and animations being recycled 1-for-1. When you take damage in the game, the healing process is shown with one of a handful of improvised medical treatments that are the same as Far Cry 5, with the exception of a single ode to Yara (read: Cuba) that has your character use a lit cigar to cauterize a wound. The idea that one differing or additional animation will make the entire feature of healing seem fresh and new is crazy, but clearly not something Ubisoft is worried about players noticing.
Similarly, Far Cry used to contain RPG elements like leveling up to gain perks or skills that allow additional methods to kill enemies, build up resistances, and collect additional resources. Far Cry 5 removed the level up portion and instead awarded these perks/skills when “challenges” were completed, which forced players to spend a lot of time doing activities they may not like to gain the skills necessary to beat the game. Ubisoft took this feedback to heart and removed any of the RPG elements that might have been misconstrued as a feature, to instead apply perks via gear and level unlocks now granting access only to new weapons at the store.
That’s not to say all features are repeated or ruined however. Far Cry 6 features a cockfighting minigame where you control one of two fighting roosters in a 3D capcom-like fighting style. The gameplay is pretty basic with three attacks, a dodge, and a special which is built up via attacking/dodging, but its fun and unique which gives it pretty good replay-ability. There are TVs in the three base camps you acquire through the story that seem to imply there will be additional content in the future….from previous games.
Faith in the Future
The game offers a chaotically fun adventure through a foreign land full of crass humor and bloody action. While it fails to break the mold of its series, it presents enough new story and environment to justify its standalone title status. In its current state, Far Cry 6 is pretty thin on both new content and replay-able content once the story is finished, but that will hopefully change quickly. Ubisoft has already announced plans for a lineup of DLCs, and although the first three significant releases are starring villains from previous titles, fans should still enjoy the nostalgia. Titled “Insanity,” “Control,” and “Collapse,” the three major paid DLC additions feature Far Cry 3’s Vaas, Far Cry 4’s Pagan Min, and Far Cry 5’s Joseph Seed respectively. They are set to be released every other month starting November 2021, with the gap months seeing the release of some free, exciting movie and TV DLCs. The free DLCs will bring in additional real-life talent, with the likes of Danny Trejo, Sylvester Stallone as Rambo, and any number of possible characters from Netflix’s Stranger Things. This is great news for folks that have completed the main story of the game who might be twiddling their thumbs after burning through collectibles.
Overall, Far Cry 6 is a good option if you’re looking to switch up your roster of current games. Although it has its flaws and foibles, there is still plenty to be enjoyed about a game with good audio and visuals, despite its familiarity. With the promise of both free and paid DLCs, there is hope that the game can be improved upon.
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