Far Cry 6 Review

A videogame can be defined not just by its leading heroes but also its villains, and this couldn’t be any truer than for Ubisoft’s Far Cry series. Not only is this succession of first-person shooters known for its open-world gameplay, but also for shining the spotlight on its antagonists, giving them such strong personalities that make them more than simply endgame bosses to beat.

It wouldn’t be too far from the truth to say that Vaas Montenegro was a high point in the series, owing a lot to actor Michael Mando’s portrayal of the iconic villain. Fast forward to 9 years later and we have one of the biggest names the series has ever known in Giancarlo Esposito, or Antón Castillo as Yarans would know him by.

*Also check out our PC performance review over at our sister site, Gadget Pilipinas.

Viva Libertad!

Far Cry 6 sees a return to a more exotic location in the form of Yara, a fictional Caribbean Island ruled by the ruthless dictator Antón Castillo. Players will take control of Dani Rojas, a military-trained citizen who was forced by circumstances to join the guerilla, determined to free Yara from Castillo’s iron grip.

In what is probably a first for the series, the latest game has a big-name actor cast as the main villain, and while the concept of a ruthless dictator is nothing new, Esposito’s portrayal is perfect thanks to his blend of seriousness, confidence, and playfulness that gives his character a full-bodied personality.

Adding some spice to the Far Cry 6 story is the inclusion of Antón’s son, Diego, who is being groomed to take over the family business but is clearly distraught by his father’s merciless ways. It’s a dynamic and interesting facet of the story that pushes you forward to know more about how it all unfolds.

In Far Cry 6, each character is given a lot more personality, more so this time around with our protagonist. Dani is not just some faceless and voiceless head, but someone the player can connect with, as the character is fully voiced and visible during cutscenes. Dani also has witty remarks during conversations and also hums tunes along with the radio, making the character feel more alive compared to previous entries.

Joining Antón and Dani are a bunch of quirky characters like the crazy guerilla veteran Juan Cortez and the eccentric inventor Philly. Far Cry 6 has done well with making both enemy and ally personalities interesting pieces in the story, so much so that conversations and cutscenes are something worth looking forward to.

Lead the Resistance

Veterans of the series will know exactly what to expect from Far Cry 6. Over the years, the formula has stayed mostly the same, with only a few tweaks to certain systems here and there. Unlike Assassin’s Creed, which saw a massive overhaul starting with Origins, the Far Cry core loop has remained mostly intact.

Yara is vast, filled to the brim with side activities to conquer, strongholds to liberate, and fields to burn down. Divided into 3 main regions, each with a storyline to complete and a “boss” to eliminate similar to Far Cry 5, there is much to see and do in this Caribbean Island.

At the heart of Far Cry 6, adding to its already solid gunplay, is its customization system. You’ll be able to find various gear pieces to work with, each with its own perks and buffs that allow you to mix and match styles depending on your preferred benefit. Complete a set and you can enjoy additional bonuses down the line.

This extends all the way down to your firearms, giving you multiple ways to take out enemies. You can choose from different ammo types (Armor-piercing, blast, poison, etc) that provide different effects, muzzle, and scope attachments.

While this may sound great, it can sometimes lead to excessive micro-management, which isn’t particularly a good thing for shooters. There are times that you’ll come face to face with various types of enemies, each with their own weakness, that you’ll be tempted to enter the menu screen more times than you’d like to just to keep changing attachments.

Sometimes, all you want to do is shoot, so you can also choose to stick to a simple loadout. In our case, we love our stealth, and we never ever let go of our base MS16 S Rifle (a gun you get in the beginning) outfitted with a suppressor and armor-piercing rounds because we literally just snuck in and blew everyone’s brains out while staying undetected. It sounds very boring, but it only goes to show that there are ways to go about the game and Far Cry 6 gives you the freedom to choose your style of play.

New to Far Cry 6 are the Supremo Weapons, which give Dani a sort of “special move” that can wipe out the opposition in a jiffy. These abilities can range from devastating missile attacks to a blanket of poison, and when paired with Resolver weapons which are unique crafted weapons like the minigun-motor engine hybrid called El Pequeño, Dani quickly becomes a one-man (or woman) revolution.

These weapons are pretty game-changing, and you can work around them to build an arsenal that can compliment each other based on your mods and ammo types to wreak havoc against the opposition.

An amigo in need is an amigo indeed

Dani isn’t alone in the fight to liberate Yara and in Far Cry 6, you’ve got a whole range of amigos more than willing to lend a helping hand… or paw.

From the aptly named Chorizo the sausage dog to a crazy chicken in Chicharron, these fangs for hire make life a little bit easier for Dani, each with their own special abilities that range from distracting enemies to straight-up ripping them apart. In particular, Chorizo is adorable, jumping over fences all while getting his wheels stuck on the way down just to chase Dani around.

In Far Cry 6, these amigos will tag along as you explore Yara, which holds many vital resources that are needed to craft weapon attachments, purchase more Supremos, and even a base-building mechanic known as Camp Facilities that provide you with some added assistance later on in the game.

There is much incentive to explore the world as some of the best perks and weapons in the game are locked behind resources that you can only find out in the field, like taking over military checkpoints and looting valuable caches. It’s a nice touch that most of these are optional since you can actually make do with your starter kit, but completionists will certainly find a lot to do and collect.

During the times you’re not fighting to save Yara in Far Cry 6, you can enjoy some leisurely activities like fishing and cockfighting, which takes on the guise of a fighting game ala Tekken (or Chekken?) that is entertaining enough to spend time one, complete with a super bar and some fierce fighting game versus screens.

The sights and sounds of the revolution

Yara is a visual gem, filled with lush greeneries and beaches that look immaculate even on previous-gen consoles, making it a big factor that keeps the game interesting. It goes without saying that the Far Cry 6 current-gen experience is the way to go, and despite the lack of ray tracing which is exclusive to PC’s, Yara is a sight to behold in 4K 60fps on the PS5 and Xbox Series. Frame drops, if any, are hardly noticeable, and loading times are fast enough to consider it a massive improvement over previous games.

Far Cry 6 pairs the visual spectacle with a soundtrack that is laced with guitar riffs and soulful percussive beats, embodying a genuinely Latin American vibe that gives the game a nice overall feel.

There are even a number of licensed tracks in Far Cry 6, one of which may sound very familiar for fans of a certain Netflix show that really put a smile on our faces.

Deja Vu

Ubisoft has tweaked the formula to a reasonable degree, but Far Cry 6 remains a familiar game. Newcomers will surely find a lot to see and do, but veterans will know what to expect. This is not a bad thing by any stretch of the imagination, since it mostly means a polished, playable, and relatively fun game where the one question that looms over their head is “how long into the game before it gets tiresome and repetitive?”

AI is clunky for the most part, with patterns that can be abused to your advantage. There are rare occasions that taking on enemies will actually be a challenge (e.g. alerting all enemies in the base and letting them call for backup) but you should be able to work your way through the game with proper planning and a lot of stealth.

NPC’s have also kept some bad habits from the previous games, sometimes wandering aimlessly or ramming a vehicle head-on into a tree, which is not a deal-breaker, but something that just happens too often to ignore.

Missions in Far Cry 6 are often from the same mold of recon-infiltrate-destroy, rinse and repeat. At some point during your playthrough, which will run about 30-35 hours give or take (we finished it in 35), 40+ if you plan to really comb through Yara, it could get a little tedious.

What We Liked:

• Vast open world teeming with activities
• Interesting cast of characters and story
• Extensive customization options
• Visually and technically sound
• Impressive soundtrack

What We Didn’t Like:

• Typical Far Cry formula
• Clunky AI
• Adaptive triggers for the PS5 could use some work

Verdict:

Despite its recycled mechanics and repetitive nature, there’s no doubt that Far Cry 6 is another solid outing from Ubisoft. The Island of Yara is visually stunning, a wide-open playground teeming with activities and secrets to uncover that is mostly fun and engaging.

As expected from Giancarlo Esposito’s casting, the story was worth following, more than usual. The addition of Diego provided a nice angle to the events of the game, and the overall solid voice acting by the rest of the cast brings it all together nicely.

Ultimately, if you’re looking for an overhaul to the series, you’re not going to find it in Far Cry 6. The game takes the tried and tested formula, makes some meaningful tweaks, and runs with it. It is still a Far Cry game to its core, which is maybe best described as a crazier and more outrageous take over the usual FPS titles.

Far Cry 6 will be available on October 7 for the PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series, and PC starting at $59.99.

*Far Cry 6 was reviewed on a PlayStation 4 and 5 with a review code provided by the publisher.