I must have played every Far Cry game, even though some have been better than others, but I always get drawn back. That’s mainly down to the huge open worlds they offer, great story lines and a multitude of things to do, including driving any type of vehicle you care to think of (well nearly), from flying around in planes, helicopters to the odd wingsuit. They also allow the more tranquil side of being able to hunt animals for their skins and collecting flowers for their pollen (okay, that part is a bit of an exaggeration). Far Cry 6 is no exception to this and feels oddly familiar at times. However, there are some extra additions, such as building your base, modding weapons and sending some of your guys into missions, similar to what you did in the Assassin’s Creed games.
There is so much you can do in Far Cry 6, and at times it can be a little overwhelming. You often need to plan before you set out or complete a task, which at first can slow things down a bit. Yes, you can go in all guns blazing, but if you plan things right, you can complete missions without ever being shot at or raising the alarm. And it’s planning like this that actually makes the game a joy to play.
The story this time around follows Dani Rojas, who is a guerrilla fighter out to overthrow dictator Anton Castillo. The country you are trying to overthrow is Yara, which is very reminiscent of real-world Cuba and its social revolution in the 1960s. Castillo uses his people for slave labor to produce a cancer wonder drug called Viviro. However, the dictator keeps all of the fortunes made from the drug for himself, leaving the country in poverty. Not only that, but the drug is made by using a poisonous chemical that is killing thousands of the workers who use it.
As usual with a Far Cry game, you get a villain who has psychotic tendencies, who in this case is played by Giancarlo Esposito from the Breaking Bad series. I have to say that he plays an amazing role in Far Cry 6, and the programmers have modeled his face and character brilliantly. You also get a fantastic cast of characters who all bring something to the story and sometimes demonstrate a strong emotional bond with each other. That’s not to say it’s all serious though as there are some funny moments in-between the war crimes committed by Castillo.
What does make Far Cry 6 different from its predecessors is that once you complete the game, there is a live-game engine that has the military retaking your bases that were liberated in the campaign. This is a first for the Far Cry franchise and will keep you returning to the game long after you have completed the main campaign.
Far Cry 6 will see you attack military checkpoints and bases, as well as completing side missions that allow you to gather additional forces to help take out Castillo’s lieutenants and regime. The open-world map is littered with additional tasks to do that will help you build an arsenal of fighting gear and weapons, some of which provide additional perks, such as resisting poison or gaining more crafting materials.
Part of the game mechanics will need you to scan enemies before fighting in order to see which type of weapon or bullet will be most effective in taking them out. Whilst this sounds interesting on paper, it does somewhat slow down the pace of the game as I mentioned earlier. This is a different way of playing compared to previous Far Cry games, which some may find rather tedious at times. Everything can be modded too, from guns, clothing, and ammunition. Some items with unique attributes can’t be modified, but find the same set, and you will be granted additional perks.
We have seen this in other games over the years, and it is strange at first to see these mechanics being used in a Far Cry game. There is so much you can do with your loadouts, but at some point you will find your favourite weapon combination and will probably stick with it. It really is just going to depend on your playstyle; you certainly will not be short on variation when it comes to your loadout.
Dani can also purchase Supremos, which are special backpacks that give him essentially an ultimate ability that charges up over time as you kill people. Pressing L1 and R1 when equipped with different Supremos will unleash either an arsenal of rockets, poisonous bombs, a self revival field, fire streams, etc., etc. You’ll need to find the materials in order to purchase them, and whilst they are handy when in a firefight, you don’t actually need them in order to get through the game.
I found a lot of the story missions engaging and fun to play. Setting fire to a base with your flamethrower was great fun, but I couldn’t help think that I had done this before in a great many games of this genre. Even this game’s feature of having a pet follow you has been done before in so many other game, though I haven’t seen a crocodile before, and it is great fun when it tears someone apart and drops a leg in front of you.
After only spending around 15 hours playing the game, there was still so much to do regarding the main story, as well as all of the side missions. This is on top of the weekly insurrection missions, treasure hunts, capturing vehicles to add to your arsenal and building your base. This game is huge, and the world within it really is glorious to behold. You can quite easily spend many hours not engaging in the story or fighting and instead just do some fishing or take part in rooster fights.
Graphically, I did expect more from the PS5 version, especially with it being a next generation console. Don’t get me wrong, the game looks lovely, just not ‘next generation’ lovely. This could quite easily be mistaken for a PS4 game, in my opinion. I did not see any ray tracing, though the water affects were nice, and the cutscenes look fantastic. It just doesn’t give that ‘wow’ feeling when playing the game,compared to some other games on the PS5.
Far Cry 6 is a fun game to play and has loads of content to keep you busy. Just be prepared to spend quite a bit of time in and out of your inventory and studying your map, as well as being distracted by the many side missions. It’s probably the best Far Cry game to date, it just needs a little more sparkle to lift it above the rest of the franchise.
Developer: Ubisoft
Publisher: Ubisoft
Platforms: Xbox Series X/S, PlayStation 4/5, Xbox One, Google Stadia, PC
Release Date: 6th October 2021
Gaming Respawn’s copy of Far Cry 6 was provided by the publisher.
