Far Cry 6

Far Cry 6 - A Formula of Revolution Without the Revolution

A Rebellion in Yara Is Beginning

Once A Guerilla, Always A Guerrilla

Far Cry 6 is the sixth installment in the Far Cry series and was both developed and published by Ubisoft. It's set on the fictional island of Yara, which takes heavy inspiration from Latin America, and Cuba in particular. The action-adventure first-person shooter launched on October 7th, 2021, and is available on PC (via the Ubisoft Store and Epic), PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X|S.

An Island Already Set In Flames

As usual, players are left to roam and liberate an open-world setting controlled by a madman. For Far Cry 6, this means the fascist dictator Anton Castillo. Players may play as a male or female protagonist but will go by the name Dani Rojas either way. The goal of the game is to infiltrate camps and outposts one by one, with stealth or full-on Rambo both being viable approaches.

Concept Rating: 3.5/5

Everything You Say, Do, Believe, Will Be Wrong

Ubisoft made a good choice returning to third-person cutscenes. The animation of Castillo is beautifully translated on-screen and helps cement him in your mind as a dangerous antagonist not to be trifled with.

The world itself is nothing short of gorgeous and is a stunning representation of the sights that South and Central America have to offer.

While the voice casting is top-notch, the dialogue leaves much to be desired. Far Cry 6 attempts to mimic bilingual speech but only manages to create caricatures and stereotypes. In a similar vein, a transgender character plays a role in the game, but Ubisoft has difficulty navigating the topic with nuance.

Graphics & Audio Rating: 3.5/5

Only One Thing Is Certain In This Life: Death.

Far Cry 6's story is predictable but still captivating. Unfortunately, its conclusion doesn't tie up all the loose ends that the narrative creates, and any minor baddies are forgettable. In classic Far Cry fashion, the stark and serious politics of the story are contrasted with the lighthearted and ridiculous free-play combat the rest of the game offers. Depending on your taste, this can help balance out the mood or completely undermine the point the story's trying to make.

New to the Far Cry franchise are Supremos, which are effectively Ultimate Abilities that become accessible to you via a backpack and some uranium. Enemies also have unique resistances and vulnerabilities to certain types of ammo, encouraging players to change their approach and gear. Players are guaranteed to come across difficult grunts that are above their level, but powering up to be able to face them avoids feeling like a grind.

Rather than the standard RPG-style skill trees, Far Cry 6 has put its emphasis on crafting and customizing gear. Perks to do with moving are attributed to clothing, for example. Players will have lots of joy experimenting with different loadouts to match each Supremo, along with the customization of all the weapons and gadgets the game has to offer.

The most irksome part of Far Cry 6 is its inventory management. Constantly having to rearrange your gear points to the unpolished state of the UI, and is incredibly tedious amidst high-adrenaline sequences of combat and action.

Gameplay Rating: 3.5/5

The Apple Doesn't Fall Too Far From The Tree

Far Cry 6 offers some of the most captivating and entertaining gameplay of the series, with a memorable villain to boot. Despite a predictable story and a clunky inventory UI, players can find the same entertainment of the franchise they've learned to expect.

Replay Value Rating: 3/5

TL;DR

Far Cry 6 doesn't wander far from its roots but still provides some easy entertainment for fans of the franchise.