Far Cry 6 Video Game Review (About In Description)
0Ubisoft's newest colorful explodathon is the best it's been in a long time.
The Far Cry series has long experienced something of an identity crisis. Is it a hard–boiled story of survival, or a goofy physics playground with pet bears and flamethrowers? The answer has usually been “a bit of both,” and that’s not necessarily a bad thing. Far Cry 6 doesn’t buck that trend – the flamethrower definitely hasn’t gone anywhere – but the latest installment does manage to smooth over a lot of the bumps that have cropped up in the past few games, and in doing so becomes the best the series has been in years – but it also misses some steps, especially with its updated inventory system, and that creates some new problems along the way.
Far Cry 6 once again sees you trapped in a huge open world controlled by a charismatic madman, this time on the fictional island nation of Yara. Even after this many games, the job of turning all the red dots on your map into blue ones is still a good time, whether by sneakily silencing every enemy guard or by going the less subtle route of throwing bullets and Molotovs at them until no one is left.
Primarily modeled after Cuba, Yara is ruled by fascistic dictator Anton Castillo, who’s expertly portrayed by notorious TV bad guy Giancarlo Esposito; with this performance, he has handily claimed the top spot on my list of favorite Far Cry villains (with apologies to Mr. Mando). His regime would be too preposterously evil to believe at times, if not for its real-world South and Central American inspirations. But it’s his unwavering devotion to his vision of a “perfect” Yara, along with Esposito’s natural gravitas and the stoic charm he projects to his still-loyal subjects, that make him a great foil to the chaotic diaspora of revolutionaries you’re working to unite as you attempt to topple the regime of El Presidente and his lieutenants.
Castillo's regime would be too preposterously evil to believe at times if not for its real-world inspirations.
Castillo’s underlings aren’t necessarily anyone to write home about, running the gamut from “psychotic navy Admiral” to “psychotic air force Captain” to “psychotic propaganda director.” They’re all played well, but even the more interesting inclusions of a North American pharma tycoon and Yara’s own friendly neighborhood mad scientist feel like familiar entries in the Big Book of Video Game Bad Guys – especially when compared to Esposito’s Castillo.
Every one of Esposito’s scenes is captivating, particularly during the exchanges with his son, Diego. He’s a boy trying to reconcile his understanding that the impact of our actions on others is more important than our own intentions with his father’s vehement belief that noble ends justify despicable means, which creates some powerful (if one-sided) tension throughout. It’s a shame that the very end of the story doesn’t provide a clearer resolution for all the plot threads it introduces – though Castillo remains a memorable antagonist until the bitter end. While a lot of the success of the character belongs to Esposito for his work on the role, the cinematic animation team deserves a commendation for translating the minute details in his performance onto digital character models.
Every one of Esposito’s scenes is captivating.
The story overall can be a fairly predictable affair, with all of the sudden-but-inevitable betrayals and tragic-yet-motivational character deaths you’d expect from a big-budget popcorn flick. It does manage to balance its more serious main story with the more ridiculous aspects of its freeform gunplay better than any Far Cry game in recent memory – though I think it also leans a little too heavily on the trope of “grizzled-yet-goofy” veteran fighters.
There are certainly some great character moments throughout, and the decision to return Far Cry to third-person cutscenes is a good one, especially if you choose the femme version of main character Dani Rojas. That’s thanks to an earnest performance by actress Nisa Gunduz, who in no way feels like she’s playing second fiddle to the big–name celebrity on the box art. The rest of the voice cast is solid, too – particularly Glow’s Shakira Barrera, who’s beleaguered rancher–turned–rebel is easily one of the best supporting characters you’ll run into. Similarly, relative newcomer Xavier Lopez shines in some powerful moments, and it’s great to see trans characters not only included but played by a trans actor – though nuance can still be a bit tricky for Far Cry.
FC6 clearly wants to be a more socially responsible game than its predecessors.
FC6 clearly wants to be a more socially responsible game than its predecessors and – to its credit – it does make an effort to tackle some social issues, even if the script might stumble a bit over the reality of some of those moments. But it still feels trapped between presenting an authentic representation of Latin American culture