As much as Ubisoft likes to stick to its set formulas, they do work when the setting is right. With Far Cry 3, the series found its groove – a living open world to explore, a skill tree that keeps players motivated, and a villain that everyone loves to hate. Since then, the series has seen a number of marked improvements and flavours, but the base gameplay has stayed the same. Does that mean Far Cry 6 offers more of the same? Yes, but there’s so much more that makes it one of the top games in the series so far.
Far Cry 6 places you in the exotic nation of Yara, where the biggest business is Viviro – an engineered tobacco that can cure cancer. But in typical Far Cry fashion, there’s a dictator – Anton Castillo, played by actor Giancarlo Esposito of Breaking Bad fame – who’s ruling over the island with a ruthless military at his disposal. If you’ve played any recent Far Cry game, you know exactly how your protagonist is, and how your game will progress. What has changed is that the series no longer takes itself so seriously and gets what the players want from the game.
Let’s take the Supremo for example. It’s basically an overpowered rocket launcher strapped to your back that recharges with every kill you get. Or the fact that the game gives you a pet crocodile right at the start to help you distract and takedown enemies, and which you can resurrect through petting. Nearly every aspect of it has an ‘in’ joke that never lets you take the game too seriously, even though it can get challenging at times.
You still have the option to play the game in stealth, which too has been a series staple. But with a flamethrower in one hand, customized gun in the other, a Supremo on the back, and pet croc Guapo by our side, we seldom felt the need to. However, blowing things up does make the enemies react more aggressively and brings in reinforcements. As you progress through the campaign, the weapons keep getting better and more unique, to the point where they’re meme-worthy – like the CD player gun that shoots out Macarena CDs. It’s plain, ridiculous fun, any way you play it.
The outposts in Far Cry 6 come in a variety of options, from big, hulking forts to simple road checkpoints. The game does enough to keep you motivated to turn the map into more blue (liberated) zones than the red (enemy) ones. The world itself felt more alive here. Conflict among NPCs is quite common when the rebel guerillas encounter Castillo’s forces. We often found instances of fights like these when traversing through Yara.
Of course, it isn’t a Far Cry game without a memorable villain and Anton Castillo delivers in spades. Giancarlo Esposito is an amazing actor and it carries off well in the game thanks to the brilliant animation and visual style that translate his traits well. The character does seem familiar because of the actor’s previous roles, but that also brings in a foreboding feeling that this guy is not to be taken lightly. His relationship with his rebellious son, Diego, adds a shade of desperation to his character – the kind you’ll see from a father who wants to build a legacy for his son. Anyone who’s been asking for an iconic villain in the series after Vaas in Far Cry 3 will not be disappointed.
Far Cry 6 is a good time, and even if you’re a bit jaded from the series, there’s a lot of new elements and a very self-aware humour that makes it nonetheless.
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