Video Game Review - Far Cry 6

Rob reviews Far Cry 6 on Xbox Series X...

Since its launch back in 2004, the Far Cry series has been the benchmark of open-world games for many gamers. Since then the series has continued to expand and introduce us to a plethora of interesting antagonists, silent protagonists, and lush lived-in locations. 

To look back at the series' history shows just how far it has come. Considering the original title was groundbreaking at the time, looking back it's pretty bare in comparison to what we now have. Both Far Cry 3 and Far Cry 4 were where the formula hit home. It's here where Ubisoft introduced us to the more flamboyant - and memorable antagonists - as well as fleshing out the game's sandbox with various side quests and outposts. With both Far Cry: Primal and Far Cry 5 staying true to this method, both games unfairly suffered as a result. 

However, while Far Cry 6 is more of the same, everything about it feels fresh and engaging. It's a fun romp through a very lived-in world that's full of crazy missions, and an even crazier cast. With Breaking Bad's own Giancarlo Esposito lending both his voice and likeness to the new series bad - Antón Castillo, Far Cry 6 aims to grab your attention before you've even installed it!

 

The game's plot remains largely the same from previous alliterations. You're a pawn in a much larger game of politics and liberation, set within a fictional dystopia. Far Cry 6 is centred around the islands of Yara - which takes inspiration from many South American countries. You take on the role of guerrilla fighter Dani Rojas as he (or her) takes on the forces of the island's dictatorship run by Antón Castillo. Aside from being a nasty bit of work, Castillo has also utilised Yara's vast supply of a cancer beating drug to make himself rich whilst the rest of the country suffers. As such Rojas and their pals decide to take control of the country back. However, for the most, it's Rojas waging a one-person war as everyone else seems to work in complete obscurity.

During this journey, you do meet a rather eclectic cast of misfits who all have to band together to secure Yara from Castillo's brutal regime. To do so these groups will send Rojas all over Yara to perform some pretty crazy missions that range from assassinations to stealing nuclear material. The story to Far Cry 6 is an odd assortment of a hard-hitting HBO styled drama that at points doesn't take itself too seriously. What I mean by this is that at one point your defacing billboards filled with local propaganda, and the next you defend a pair of rappers against a small army. Its story does come across as a little disjointed, but when it hits, it certainly packs a punch. And that's the other side of the coin, Far Cry 6 isn't afraid to dive into tales of slavery, immigration, and economic sanctions. Yara is certainly in one big mess, but aside from its obvious surface wounds - it's up to you to find this out. 

For the first hour, gameplay fits into the same style that we've seen before. The island you find yourself on first is pretty self-contained and tasks you with the same old missions that make up Far Cry's bread and butter. You'll be chasing down supply drops, and capturing various checkpoints along the way. It's here where you'll be shown the new gameplay mechanics such as various bullet types and weapon attachments. In true Far Cry style, these new attachments and bullets encourage you to experiment with various builds. However it's not implemented very well and once you've found what suits you best, there's never a need to mix it up. One thing I did like is that silencers don't turn you into a silent killing machine. The attachment is prone to overheat, which then turns your weapon into something other than silent.

While the majority of weapons remain fairly grounded, there are the more exotic ones too. The main of these is the backpack that Dani wears. This backpack can be modified in various ways for different effects. For example one allows you to fire an EMP blast that makes vehicles vulnerable to hijacking, while another fires 6-7 homing rockets at whatever is in front of you. Much like weapons, you're given plenty of variety in which to experiment, but once you’ve settled on one that suits your playstyle there's never any reason to change. 

Vehicles can also be customised by adding armour and weapons, as well as different colours, lights, and horns. In this aspect you're also encouraged to hijack plenty of the game's vehicles as each one you bring back not only adds it as a vehicle option, you'll also unlock customise options for your main ride. You're not alone on the journey either and Dani can be optionally joined by various animal companions. Each comes with its skills which will aid you in causing more destruction or allowing you to approach more stealthily. These companions can also be controlled via simple commands but more often than not they'll just do what they please - even if that means getting you killed in the process. 

When it comes to visuals, Far Cry 6 looks quite beautiful. The world of Yara is incredibly rich and alive with various settlements and towns. It's quite a diverse country that goes from mined beaches to sprawling farmland, and dusty mountain trails. This is all over shadowes by the gleaming red and white motif of Antón Castillo and his quite sizable army. Ubisoft has improved the open world by adding plenty of small detail that makes it feel very lived-in. Just travelling down the open road will see you approached by citizens on horseback and the occasional red-suited prisoner having to do labour whilst a guard watches their every move. Once you start to take over Yara, there will also be a much stronger military presence, which all adds to the general atmosphere. 

When it comes to a big open world, it's not going to be without issues. Whilst Far Cry 6 is mainly a positive experience there is the odd moment of texture pop-up and slight shifts in framerate.

Similarly, audio is also very well presented. Everything has a Latino feel with the likes of Camila Cabello and Ricky Martin in amongst the game's soundtrack. Character work is also spot on, with some fantastic voice-over work that's full of passion for the words being said. Naturally, you can't talk about character work without mentioning Giancarlo Esposito. The veteran actors work as Antón Castillo is great and his whole performance builds the character incredibly well. If anything Esposito's performance is a mix between both Gus Fring and Moff Gideon - two of the performers greatest roles. 

While the narrative may be a bit of a slow burn, Far Cry 6 it's full of everything that makes (and made) the series great. The vast open-world is full of small details that build the atmosphere of both Yara and its dictatorship. Whether you experience the game as a solo player or in co-op, there's plenty to see and do. While there are some performance issues - and the game isn't the best looking Series X title - that shouldn't put you off experiencing what Ubisoft has created. 

Viva La Revolution! 

Rating 8/10 

Far Cry 6 is out now and can be purchased via the Microsoft Store by clicking here. 

A code was kindly provided for this review.

Rob Lake - For more comic book and video game chat why not follow Geek Culture Reviews on Twitter and Facebook @GeekCultureRev