@assassinasan
I didn’t even think I would have much to say about Far Cry 6 aside from how Ubisoft’s annual releases make the game feel nothing more than iterative. Instead, I came out of this game wanting to talk to someone about the story and it’s ending. Don’t get me wrong, this is just another Far Cry game with smoother than ever gunplay and traversal. It’s just been a while since the characters and story in a FC game left an impression…
The player will indeed be going to different outposts, clearing the threat, and taking it over. That always has been the gameplay loop in Far Cry games, and Far Cry 6 is no different. There is an improvement that shouldn’t be disregarded. The gunplay and movement are smoother than ever, adding a nice slide and ping system reminiscent of Apex Legends. There’s no denying the open world sandbox of choosing your destination, selecting any vehicle you want, and swapping among your preferred weapon can be comfort food for some and played out for others. Personally, it’s a bit played out.
If Far Cry isn’t going to evolve their formula to keep the series refreshing than I’m hoping it at least stops releasing annually so I can miss it. Ubisoft games in general seem to be holding onto this same formula through all of their projects (e.g Assassin’s Creed, Immortals Fenix Rising), and its making me not want to play any of their games. I’m guessing enough people like that redundancy for Ubisoft to keep turning out the same type of game.
Yet, here I am still charmed by Far Cry 6. I expected a gorgeous environment and detailed map, and like most Ubisoft games, it delivered. What I didn’t expect was there characters I cared about and story twists that dropped my jaw. You may be thinking Giancarlo Esposito carried this narrative, but I was impressed by the main character Dani Rojas and every ally she met through the revolution. I cared about more characters than I anticipated because the missions did a good job fleshing them out.
Even the side activities were fun. For example, helping a rooster with a Mohawk beat up soldiers and tag walls up with graffiti. There were even cock fight and dominoes mini games. These activities gave personality to the land of Yara.
My biggest complaint about Far Cry 6 aside from the redundant gameplay is the crafting and gear system felt useless. I typically stuck to the same weapons and gear because swapping it out didn’t feel too substantial and some of the weapons I looted felt more useful than anything I could craft. It was also annoying how many soldiers there were at all times, but I suppose that was purposeful to the narrative. The people of Yara are constantly terrorized by Castillo’s (GianCarlo Esposito) forces, and so was I.
Overall, there were many moments where the monotony of taking over outposts bored me but the strong narrative, smooth combat, and easy to use vehicles kept me going. Far Cry 6 had one of the stronger endings I’ve experienced in a game and I think its narrative is worthy of spoilercast discussions. 3.25/5 Tequilas.
-Dee Assassina