Far Cry 6 is overtly similar to so many Far Cry games that have come before.
Expect to capture an endless amount of outposts
and collect an endless amount of materials to upgrade your character
in an endless amount of ways.
Although such repetition sounds like strong criticism, and it definitely can work against the game,
Far Cry 6 is so focused, self-aware, and self-assured
that it manages to ultimately overcome not only its own faults,
but really the faults that have become so prevalent in the series.
Despite this being what feels like the millionth Far Cry game,
it’s still a gripping struggle to liberate the land of Yara from a horrifying fascist.
The tone of Far Cry 6 manages to greatly succeed in a way that Far Cry 5 just didn't.
The preachy monologues of the cult leaders in Far Cry 5 had an almost unbearable
"I'm 16 and this is deep" air about them.
While Far Cry 6 dives headfirst into very real and relevant subject matter,
it doesn't lose itself along the way.
The story is grounded by characters who manage to strike an impeccable balance
between relatable and absurd.
A perfect example of this is Juan Cortez, a long-time guerilla fighter
who happens to be a genius inventor as well as an alcoholic.
He always comes with a smirk, a bad pun, or a rambly old-man story,
lightening the mood in a heartwarming way.
So many of the major characters in Far Cry 6 can be praised in a similar way.
The game is structured so that it highlights these characters well,
focusing on small groups in what are essentially individual chapters for each of them.
As a result, everyone gets sufficient room to breathe.
It's also quite refreshing to have a trans character, Paolo,
as a featured part of the narrative.
While his identity is a struggle for him, it's handled in a way
that feels natural for the story the game is trying to tell.
Being a marginalized person in any society is a constant battle, but
that battle is only intensified under the overbearing thumb of a dictator.
Thankfully, the game doesn't make Paolo's trans identity his only notable quality,
instead treating him as a believable person
with his own convictions.
A defining trait of the Far Cry series is its memorable villains,
but even with that legacy in mind,
Anton Castillo manages to be such a deliciously captivating presence.
Full credit goes to a brilliant performance by Giancarlo Esposito.
You hang on every word simply due to his raw energy, making
an already fascinating character an unforgettable one.
Anton is someone who treats people as a means to an end,
literally referring to himself as a lion and others as sheep.
Anton's son, Diego, also really helps humanize his father
and in many ways is just as captivating.
Far Cry 6 also places a strong emphasis on the player’s character, Dani.
Rather than just being an empty vessel for others to spew their ideologies into,
Dani has so much agency and charm.
She pushes back and challenges others, she’s sweet and caring,
and also knows how to have a good time.
The choice to make Dani so active allows the revolution that the story is centered around
to feel dynamic and alive.
Dani is not a tool for others,
but instead acts on what she believes in.
One major criticism regarding the story is that it feels too drawn out.
The major beats are excellent, and emotional moments still resonate, but
sometimes it just takes too long to get there.
Far Cry 6 could cut down on its essential story missions
and it would probably be a better game for it.
Undoubtedly contributing to the occasional sluggishness
is an over reliance on the same cut-and-paste formula
that plagues many Ubisoft open world games.
Expect to kill so many guards in so many similar looking bases that you lose count almost immediately.
Perhaps this would be less painfully noticeable if Far Cry 6 didn't have absolutely braindead AI.
Instead of feeling like even miniscule threats,
enemies are often virtual dummy targets begging to be shot.
You can equip a rifle obtained in the very beginning of the game with a silencer
and use it for the duration because of how ridiculously effective it is.
In order to alert an enemy, you practically have to run straight into them.
Stealth is such a powerful option.
The problem is made all the more frustrating by the fact that Far Cry 6 only has two vague difficulty options,
"story" and "action".
Yet somehow, in spite of such damning criticism,
the game's saving grace is that the developers seem to be aware of how moronic the rank and file enemies are
and effectively design around that limitation.
While there are plenty of times when you can run into an enemy fortification and capture it
with about as much effort as a sneeze,
there are also plenty of times when a mission or activity has some kind of twist
that either makes it more tactical or at the very least more entertaining.
Individual guards may be a negligible threat, but things get a lot more complicated
when you're dealing with a horde of foot soldiers on top of enemies in tanks and helicopters.
These additional barriers require giving some thought to your loadout.
Vehicles can be quite difficult to take down if you don't have the proper tools equipped.
It's far from the only thing you have to be mindful of.
Some enemies are weak to one type of bullet while others are weak to another.
Animals yield valuable materials, but those materials have a good chance of being ruined
if you use bullets instead of arrows.
Yet equipping a bow means taking up a valuable inventory slot
to deal with a somewhat uncommon occurrence.
These decisions are not exactly complex when considered on their own, but
together, add just enough wrinkles to spice up the moment to moment gameplay
while also maintaining the smooth yet chaotic flow Far Cry is so clearly striving for.
It's easy to imagine the chaos is only amplified during co-op, but
unfortunately, we weren't able to match with another player during the review process.
Speaking of chaotic, your arsenal is wonderfully over the top.
The series thrives on making its battles as insane as its villains,
and it's a hallmark this entry gleefully embraces to great effect.
Brand new are super weapons known as supremos
that can really only be described as glorious.
The first one rains down rockets to obliterate everything in its path.
Although supremos have the visceral benefit of simply being powerful,
each of them also manages to serve a distinct and useful purpose.
One supremo will self-revive you after getting killed,
potentially allowing you to clutch out a fight that otherwise would have been lost.
So many of the supremos are worth having,
to the point that it's easy to wish you could equip more than one at any given time.
They also provide plenty of incentive to get out there to search for the precious materials
that allow you to build these powerful weapons.
Actually, Far Cry 6 does a fantastic job of incentivizing exploration
well beyond the desire to build new supremos.
Opening a chest may yield a rare material, a new weapon that can be modified,
a piece of armor that comes with its own perks,
or even just a cool looking gun charm or car decoration.
There’s so much to find that aimlessly wandering around can yield bountiful rewards.
More importantly, exploration is satisfying beyond the prize at the end.
It's incredibly easy to head off to a particular destination
only to get distracted by a chest that appears on the mini-map.
Rather than allowing you to just mindlessly open the chest,
Far Cry 6 makes getting to it such an enjoyable activity on its own.
You may have to leap across rooftops, trying to chart a path to wherever the treasure is hidden,
or find a way to parachute down to a particular spot.
Some chests even require what are essentially special keys before they can be opened.
Adding to the thrill of exploration is just how gorgeous the island of Yara is as a whole.
Whether it's sailing across the clear blue ocean, galloping on a horse through a lush forest,
or scaling a steep mountain with your grappling hook, there’s a tremendous amount of variety,
and Yara is a believable and lively setting.
The only downside is that despite running top-of-the-line hardware on PC,
the framerate regularly and noticeably dips, even on medium settings.
Something that keeps Far Cry 6 engaging
is that it does seem to go out of its way to be creative and fun whenever it can.
You don't just have regular gun-toting companions.
Instead you can command a crocodile with a golden tooth named Guapo
who viciously chomps on enemies.
Or, better yet, the most adorable companion, a tiny wheelchair-assisted dog named Chorizo.
One of the mini-games is cockfighting, where you play what is essentially Street Fighter
but with roosters, complete with bright blue health bars and super moves.
There are many examples, but the point is that it goes to great lengths to add small
but ridiculous touches meant to elicit a smile or chuckle,
and these minor additions really help separate it
from many other comparable games.
It all adds up to make Far Cry 6 a game that is obviously flawed
and obviously similar to other Far Cry games before it, but has such a strong spirit
that it ends up being memorable regardless.
Far Cry 6 is a compelling reminder that video games can be so silly
and that sometimes that's exactly what they need to be in order to be effectively cathartic.
Yet in spite of that silliness, the game actually isn’t shy about having something to say.
Here is a game that is many, many things all at once,
but it also seems to understand itself so well.
Final score: 8 out of 10.
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