The Far Cry series has had an identity dilemma for a long time. Is it a gritty survival story or a wacky physics playground complete with pet bears and flamethrowers? The typical response has been "a little bit of both," which isn't necessarily a negative thing. Far Cry 6 doesn't buck that trend – the flamethrower isn't going anywhere – but it does manage to smooth over a lot of the bumps that have cropped up in previous games, and as a result becomes the best the series has been in years – but it also misses some steps, particularly with its updated inventory system, and this leads to some new issues.
Far Cry 6 traps you in a massive open world, this time on the fictional island nation of Yara, commanded by a charismatic psychopath. Even after all these games, the task of turning all the red dots on your map into blue ones is still fun, whether by quietly silencing every opposing guard or pursuing the less subtle path of firing bullets and Molotov cocktails at them until no one is left.
Yara is primarily based on Cuba, and it is ruled by fascistic dictator Anton Castillo, who is excellently represented by legendary TV bad guy Giancarlo Esposito; with this portrayal, he has easily taken over as my favourite Far Cry villain (with apologies to Mr. Mando). Without its real-world South and Central American inspirations, his government would be too absurdly awful to imagine at times. But it's his unwavering devotion to his vision of a "perfect" Yara, as well as Esposito's natural gravitas and the stoic charm he projects to his still-loyal subjects, that makes him a great foil to the chaotic diaspora of revolutionaries you're attempting to unite as you attempt to topple El Presidente and his lieutenants' regime.
Every one of Esposito's scenes is captivating.
The plot is very predictable, with all of the unexpected but unavoidable betrayals and terrible yet motivational character deaths you'd expect from a big-budget popcorn movie. It does a better job than any other Far Cry game in recent memory of balancing its more serious main story with the more absurd features of its freeform gunplay – though I think it leans a little too hard on the stereotype of "grizzled-yet-goofy" veteran fighters.
There are some fantastic character moments throughout the game, and the decision to restore Far Cry to third-person cutscenes is a nice one, especially if you play as Dani Rojas, the female version of the protagonist. That's thanks to actress Nisa Gunduz's sincere performance, which doesn't feel like she's second fiddle to the big–name star on the box art. The rest of the voice cast is also excellent, especially Shakira Barrera of Glow, whose distressed rancher–turned–rebel is arguably one of the best supporting characters you'll encounter. Similarly, relative newbie Xavier Lopez impresses in a few key scenes, and it's fantastic to see trans characters not only represented but also performed by a trans actor - though nuance is still a challenge for Far Cry.
I just can't say no to an electric buggy that hot-swaps into a paraglider.
FC6 takes a page from 2019's Far Cry: New Dawn, offering not just a boatload of real-world weapons but also a range of "Resolver Weapons" and Rides, which are named after the Cuban tradition of "making do with what you have." It's a concept that arose in the aftermath of the US embargoes in the 1960s. A portable EMP cannon, which is perfect for damaging tanks and helicopters, to a minigun constructed out of an old motorcycle engine that can be updated to shoot incendiary rounds, are just a few of the shabby killamajigs on display. There are a few other cars around the world that are similarly jury–rigged. They didn't have the weaponry or armour plating of your more customised vehicles, but their versatile designs made them vital for travelling across Yara's enormous terrain – moreover, an electric buggy that hot-swaps into a paraglider? I can't say no to that.
Supremos, which are basically Ultimate Abilities duct-taped to a rucksack with a pile of depleted uranium, round out your arsenal. Each one has a specific purpose, such as destroying enemy strongholds with a rocket barrage or turning soldiers against each other with a volley of poison bombs. When I didn't have one of the Amigo animal companions with me, I mostly switched between the rocket pack and one that gave me basically ghost vision – yeah, there's some supernatural stuff to find when you wander off the main story path – and took out enemies through walls, though others, like the self-reviving Medic pack, were equally useful.
This time around, switching up your weaponry is even more vital. Enemies now have unique resistances and vulnerabilities to certain types of ammo, and this, combined with the health bars that appear over their heads, had me worried early on that every firefight would devolve into a frustrating ammo sink against a bunch of unkillable bullet sponges, as it did in New Dawn. Thankfully, the health bars can be turned off in the options menu (the HUD is completely customisable, right down to the colour of the roads on your map), and it's nice to see that FC6 contains a useful set of accessibility features.
It took a few hours to collect enough weapons to feel "ready for anything," but the smart balancing of Far Cry 6's increasing power level versus my own meant that killing someone was rarely a chore. While that's a wonderful new concept, it's when you have to go from stealth to action on the fly that the largest alteration to the Far Cry formula shines and... falls hard.
The constant need to shuffle my inventory was a tedious interruption to otherwise enjoyable action.
In Far Cry 6, skills that were previously gained through RPG-style skill trees are now connected to armour and weapon and equip upgrades. It's fun to mix and match gadgets to create unique playstyle loadouts for each Supremo, and the large number of unlockable gadgets offers plenty of variety – from old favourites like proximity mines and C4 to newcomers like perception grenades, which automatically tag enemies for you (a huge time saver!). Even if some of the armour bonuses feel like they should be permanently accessible, moving perks and bonuses to mods and clothes fits very well with FC6's emphasis on crafting and customisation. It seems reasonable to associate things like quieter movement with soft-soled shoes or increased fire resistance with a Nomex jacket, but why do I need to wear a certain hat to accomplish a stealth takedown?
This would be great if there was a similar easy–to–swap loadout system for armour and weapons, but without it (or even just the ability to Favorite an item), the constant need to shuffle my inventory was at best a brief dip into a clunky UI and at worst (and much more often) a tedious interruption to what is otherwise a really fun game.
When playing with a companion, this became even more of a problem, as the single-player game's pause function is gone when playing in co-op mode. Having said that, working together to take out military installations or finish one of the Operations was a lot of fun. These one-off missions (which can also be performed solo) transport you to locales outside of the open-world map, similar to New Dawn's Expeditions (but they still purportedly take place someplace in Yara?). During the evaluation time, only two were available: one to the remains of a town recently devastated by a massive mudslide, and the other to a robot dinosaur amusement park that does not infringe on the copyright of any Steven Spielberg films. They're a fun side activity and a fantastic way to put your collaborative abilities to the test with a friend, but Far Cry 6 is at the top of its game when it comes to causing devastation on the countryside, whether you're playing with a friend or on your own.
THE VERDICT
Far Cry 6 is the most enjoyable game in the franchise in over a decade. Its cast gives good performances in an appealing plot, even if it is somewhat predictable and doesn't always land the bolder swings it attempts. And, despite some shaky new inventory mechanisms and a few odd design choices, its inventive weapons means that destroying an outpost, ransacking a convoy, or simply riding with a friend has never felt so good.
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