Far Cry 6 Review: A Thrilling Trip to Yara With Some Familiar Foibles
Far Cry 6, releasing this week across the globe, is a strange beast. It’s a game that often feels like it’s treading familiar ground, echoing Ubisoft’s penchant for recycled ideas. But within those familiar mechanics, it manages to deliver some genuinely thrilling moments. Far Cry 6 is a game that blends the allure of a tropical paradise with exhilarating co-op gameplay and refreshing ideas, delivering moments of pure, unadulterated fun. However, amidst these enjoyable escapades, there’s a sense of repetitiveness that permeates the experience. It feels like padding, though certainly not as egregious as some of Ubisoft’s other franchises, like Assassin’s Creed. But what truly sets Far Cry 6 apart is its world: Yara, a fictional Caribbean island inspired heavily by Cuba, is the largest map ever seen in a Far Cry game.
Yara is ruled with an iron fist by Antón Castillo, played by the charismatic Giancarlo Esposito (Breaking Bad, The Mandalorian), who ascended to power on the promise of a “Make Yara Great Again” campaign. Castillo believes that sacrifices are necessary to achieve this goal, and his brutal regime, backed by the 300,000-strong Fuerzas Nacionales de Defensa (FND), dominates Yara’s land, skies, and waters. The protagonist, a former FND officer named Dani Rojas, playable as a woman (Nisa Gunduz) or a man (Sean Rey), initially desires nothing more than to escape Yara. However, after witnessing firsthand the horrors of Castillo’s rule, Dani joins the Libertad, a guerrilla movement fighting for Yara’s freedom. It’s time for a revolution.
This is where Far Cry 6 starts to break new ground. After co-developing Far Cry 5 with Ubisoft Montreal and acting as a support studio on previous entries, Ubisoft Toronto finally takes the lead on a Far Cry game. And for the first time since the franchise’s inception, the protagonist in Far Cry 6 has a face. Not only are they visible in cutscenes, but they also appear in third-person view within friendly camps. Given the effort put into designing a third-person view, it’s a shame that Ubisoft didn’t go all the way and let players toggle between first and third-person views during combat and driving.
Far Cry 6 Combat: A Blend of Stealth and Action
The ultimate goal in Far Cry 6 is to dethrone Castillo and his allies who control various parts of Yara. Along the way, you’ll forge alliances with three major factions who hold significant sway over the commoners of Yara. Far Cry 6 narrative director Navid Khavari has emphasized that this was a deliberate storytelling choice, reflecting the reality of a revolution where diverse factions have varying goals and methods.
When it comes to combat, Far Cry 6 gives you the freedom to choose your approach – embrace the quiet precision of stealth or unleash a full-blown assault. It’s refreshing that the game doesn’t force players into a specific playstyle. You can infiltrate mission areas in various ways: sneak in from beneath a fort via boat, zip line and swing from the sides, rappel and climb from a different front, or just drive straight through the front gates.
However, Far Cry 6 encourages players to scout from high ground before initiating an assault. Using your phone, you can tag enemies and gain an understanding of the battlefield. The inclusion of new enemy types, reflecting the structure of Castillo’s armed forces rather than the rogue factions of previous games, adds a welcome layer of complexity. Apart from the standard riflemen and snipers, there are FND officers with varying ranks who boost morale (read: stats), summon reinforcements, and even call in airstrikes. Medics can help injured soldiers and revive them, while engineers deploy turrets or trigger EMP blasts to disable vehicles. The FND also utilizes shields, animals, tanks, alarm systems, and trip wires, all of which you can identify and disable through scouting.
Far Cry 6 Weapons: A Multitude of Options
To deal with these diverse threats, Far Cry 6 provides you with a wide array of weapons, including both standard and special options. You can carry four weapons at once: a sidearm and three primary weapons. The latter can be chosen from rifles, snipers, shotguns, and Resolver weapons.
Inspired by Cuba’s “resolver” mentality of making do with whatever is available, Far Cry 6 features a unique selection of handcrafted guns: a flamethrower, a crossbow, a riot shield, a silent nail gun, and a poison gun that turns enemies against each other. On top of this, Far Cry 6 introduces “Supremos,” backpack-mounted gadgets that act as additional super weapons. These include guided missiles, an explosive ring, an EMP pulse generator, and a rage booster that transforms you into a miniature Hulk. The overall vibe is undeniably Just Cause-y, but Far Cry 6 pushes the zaniness even further.
When you activate Supremos, Far Cry 6 momentarily transitions to a third-person perspective to showcase the backpack’s functionality. This marks the only instance of third-person action during combat, and unfortunately, there’s no manual control over these Supremos. In one instance, when a plane was flying overhead, the backpack automatically locked onto the plane instead of the anti-aircraft installation I was aiming for.
The gunplay in Far Cry 6 is undeniably satisfying. While you begin with weaker weapons that initially make you feel like you’re not fully in control, you quickly unlock powerful rifles with better scopes and other modifications.
Far Cry 6 Vehicles and Amigos: Mayhem on Wheels and Furry Companions
Far Cry 6 offers a diverse array of vehicles to wreak havoc with, including tanks, helicopters, planes, cars, boats with turrets, and even horses. These can be used not only to navigate the map but also to engage in combat. However, you need to exercise caution with your vehicle choices. The FND has anti-aircraft installations scattered throughout Yara, and venturing into their range will inevitably lead to a fiery downfall. If you manage to jump out in time, you can deploy a parachute or wingsuit – the latter being particularly enjoyable – to safely land.
While you can destroy the anti-aircraft guns, wreaking havoc will increase your "heat" meter, ultimately leading to a "wanted" status that summons FND special forces. However, during my playtime, these special forces didn’t pose a significant threat or feel noticeably different from the standard enemy types. My Xbox stats clearly show that I took down a good number of special forces, but they didn’t leave a memorable mark.
To further bolster your mayhem, you can recruit animal companions known as "Amigos." The Fangs for Hire system returns in Far Cry 6, offering a menagerie of Amigo options, including an alligator, dogs, and even a rooster. They assist you in combat by attacking or distracting enemies, playing into both stealthy and aggressive playstyles. While Amigos are a fun addition, they don’t offer much in terms of practical assistance and feel more like marketing gimmicks than genuinely helpful companions.
Far Cry 6 Co-op: A Fun, But Not Flawless, Shared Experience
The inclusion of Amigos also brings up the issue of co-op, which, like previous entries, remains a cornerstone of Far Cry 6. It’s a shame that Ubisoft hasn’t extended this co-op feature to its other major franchises, like Assassin’s Creed and Watch Dogs, because every game is undeniably more enjoyable with friends.
Co-op allows for shared mission goals – I especially enjoyed taking down a pair of soldiers simultaneously with a friend – but it also provides a fun way to explore Yara together. You can share vehicles, with one person driving and the other controlling the turret, or even take to the skies in a helicopter, one pilot flying while the other manages the guns. The possibilities are endless, and Far Cry 6 even allows for a delightful Sholay-inspired moment in the sidecar of a motorbike.
Co-op also helps earn Moneda, a currency exclusive to co-op play and special operations. However, there are a few minor annoyances with the co-op experience. You can’t access a vehicle’s optional controls like radios or missiles, and there’s a limit to how far you can stray from your partner – unlike The Division 2, which allowed for greater freedom of movement. Unfortunately, cross-platform play is also absent, but thankfully, Far Cry 6 offers cross-generation support similar to Watch Dogs: Legion and The Division 2.
Far Cry 6 Missions and Side Activities: Hit and Miss Gameplay
The vastness of Far Cry 6’s map translates into a wealth of story missions. As mentioned earlier, some feel repetitive – travel to a location, eliminate everyone, and you’re done. The game’s leveling system also occasionally falls out of sync with the available missions. While initially feeling outpaced by the required level, your character eventually surpasses the level of available quests, leading to a sense of monotony. A The Division-style mechanic that ensured consistent level-appropriate quests would have been a valuable addition.
However, Far Cry 6 does include missions that spark genuine joy. An early mission, called Fire and Fury, is set to the rousing revolutionary anthem “Bella Ciao.” It’s a captivating experience, especially considering its lack of any overt references to Money Heist. Another mission feels straight out of a James Bond film, though it would have been even more impactful if it were set at night.
If you tire of the missions, Far Cry 6 offers a selection of side activities. You can pursue fishing, purchasing bait and reaping the rewards of your catch. Treasure hunts and big-game hunting also provide a change of pace. Time trial races, involving everything from horses to hovercraft, are also available, but they don’t hold much appeal and ultimately drew me back to the story missions.
For those who prefer a more peaceful experience, Far Cry 6 allows you to temporarily holster your weapon and explore Yara at a leisurely pace. You can eavesdrop on conversations between local Yarans and even FND soldiers, although the latter interaction is limited if you get too close. Holstering doesn’t guarantee peace, however, as you’ll still encounter trouble if you enter restricted areas, which are abundant in Yara.
Staying in the Ubi Groove: Familiar Mechanics and Technical Glitches
The co-op experience also features a few technical annoyances. Enemies occasionally exhibit disorienting teleportation, making accurate aiming difficult. The other player can also appear to be floating in the air when moving, and at friendly camps, clothing changes don’t always register properly, reverting back to the character’s default outfit. In one instance, my partner couldn’t see their gloves while I could. Interestingly, all of these issues manifested primarily for the co-op partner, never the host. It’s worth noting that Ubisoft has acknowledged a number of co-op issues, including latency problems, and has confirmed that they will be addressed with a day-one patch.
Graphically and performance-wise, Far Cry 6 delivered a consistently satisfying experience for me. It looked and ran smoothly on the Xbox One X, and unsurprisingly, performed even better on the Xbox Series X. Players on PC, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series S/X have the option to download a 20–37GB texture pack for enhanced visuals, which is an addition to the base game’s 40–60GB install requirement.
Beyond the technical aspects, Far Cry 6’s greatest weakness lies in its inherent Ubisoft-ness. The company, known for rehashing its formulas across franchises, has delivered yet another game that heavily relies on familiar mechanics. Like The Division 2 and others, checkpoints lead to loot-filled store rooms. The ability to upgrade home bases and unlock new functionality mirrors the gameplay of Assassin’s Creed Valhalla and its predecessors. Animal companions and the scouting mechanics evoke memories of Watch Dogs: Legion.
While Ubisoft Toronto introduces some new ideas to the franchise, none of them are truly innovative or groundbreaking. Far Cry 6 isn’t aiming for revolution; it’s content to stay within its groove, delivering a fun and immersive Latin American experience, an open world sandbox brimming with possibilities, and the tools to shape your adventure. And the ability to share this experience with a friend only enhances the fun.
Pros:
- Freedom to choose between stealth and direct combat
- Diverse mission approaches
- Satisfying gunplay
- Headshots are enjoyable
- Co-op is a blast
- Supremos and Resolver weapons offer unique gameplay options
- New enemy types add variety to the battlefield
- Gun holstering system allows for immersive exploration
- Wide array of vehicles to explore and utilize
Cons:
- Some instances of repetitive gameplay
- Frustrating enemy respawning in certain areas
- Special forces don’t pose a significant challenge
- Limited freedom of movement in co-op
- Side activities are underwhelming
- Could be more authentic in its representation of Cuba
- Amigos feel more like marketing gimmicks than helpful companions.
- The in-game store relies on real-money purchases
- No cross-platform play support
Rating (out of 10): 8
Far Cry 6 releases on October 7 for PC, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series S/X, Stadia, and Amazon Luna.
Pricing varies across platforms, with potential cost differences based on region and online marketplace.
Far Cry 6 is available on PC through a subscription to Ubisoft+, which costs €15 (approximately Rs. 1,300) per month.
With insights from Saad Rashid, particularly regarding the co-op experience.
