Video Games

Far Cry 6 review

October 9, 2021

951

Far Cry 6

In August, I had a chance to go hands-on with a near final build of Far Cry 6—see video below. Now, a little over a month later and Far Cry 6 is here! When Far Cry 6 was announced earlier this year, I was excited to play it. After my hands-on in August, I was even more excited for the game’s launch. And now that I’ve played and completed the game, I can’t wait to tell you all about it.

Far Cry 6 Details

Platform(s): Xbox Series X|S, PS5, Xbox One, PS4, PC, Amazon Luna and Stadia
Reviewed on: Stadia and PS5
Developer(s): Ubisoft Toronto
Publisher: Ubisoft
Genre: First-person shooter
Modes: Single-player, multiplayer
ESRB Rating: M (Mature 17+)

Modern-day guerrilla revolution

Far Cry 6 plunges you into the heart of a modern day guerrilla revolution taking place in Yara. Frozen in time for more than 50 years, this isolated Caribbean island is now controlled by a ruthless dictator and self-proclaimed leader of the true Yarans—Anton Castillo. You play as Dani Rojas, a young military drop out, who is playable as male or female.

Dani’s only desire is to flee the island. However, after a series of unexpected events, Dani gets swept up in the guerrilla movement. Called Libertad, this movement is set to shape the future of Yara.

I found the story in Far Cry 6 to be one of the best in the series yet. It’s hard not to find similarities between Yara and Anton Castillo with Cuba and Fidel Castro. And while I initially thought that might wear thin, it doesn’t.

Rebuild paradise

As you progress through the game, Anton Castillo’s vision and how he means to deliver on his promise to rebuild paradise becomes more and more clear. His master plan is based on one idea, Viviro. Derived from biohacked tobacco leaves, Viviro is a unique and powerful cancer treatment. As a result, this is a treatment that Castillo aims to wield as a bargaining chip on the global stage.

Each region in Yara plays a distinct role in Viviro’s production and suffers from forced labour, crippling pollution, land appropriation and military brutality. As a result, resources are scarce and access to technology is limited. Guerilla’s have to fight and adapt with what they have at their disposal against Anton’s army.

Becoming a resolver guerrilla relies on 3 things: arsenal, finding better gear, and your rank.

Far Cry 6

Character arsenal

First, your arsenal is at the heart of your abilities. You manage your offensive abilities through the choices you make at the workbenches scattered around Yara. From armour piercing rounds that penetrate helmets, to crafted suppressors to remain undetected, perfecting your arsenal is the key to your success in Far Cry 6.

Finding better gear

Finding better gear is also critical to your success in the game. From helmets to shoes, you find gear by exploring the world, completing missions or by buying them in a black market. Each piece of gear comes with offensive or defensive abilities. For example, if you want to be a sniper, you need to find the right gloves and headgear to steady your aim.

Guerrilla rank

Winning a guerrilla war in a divided country requires patience, empathy, and problem solving skills. For example, by completing missions you will be promoted to higher ranks, giving you access to better gear and weapons. However, as you get stronger, so does Anton. He deploys more and more reinforcements to keep his grip on the island.

Everything impacts gameplay

As a citizen, turned guerrilla fighter, your abilities come from the weapons and items you carry. As a result, Dani is constructed around arsenal and gear as opposed to physical traits and aptitude. This allows for more customization than any previous game in the series. From each piece of gear you wear to the customizations of your weapons or your vehicle, everything impacts gameplay.

Animal companions

Far Cry 6 features animal companions, or amigos, that you will encounter who will befriend you and help you on your journey. There are a total of 7 throughout the game and all have different requirements to unlock them. However, Guapo and Chorizo are my favourites.

Guapo is a man-eating crocodile and is the first of the animal companions you’ll meet early on in the game. He’s fairly straight forward, point to an enemy and send him in to tear them to shreds.

There’s an adorable wiener dog named Chorizo, who is probably the most popular out of all the animal companions. He has a makeshift wheelchair for his back legs and is great if you want to play stealthy. Chorizo’s main ability is distracting enemies and allows you to surprise your enemy.

Co-op play

Far Cry 6 features co-op play, which unlocks about an hour or so into the game. From there on, the game is fully playable in co-op with a friend or through public matchmaking. A great feature of co-op play is the ability for both players to keep their character progression.

On Stadia, Far Cry 6 features Stream Connect. This feature allows you to keep a real-time view of your partner’s location and actions. It’s super useful for coordinating attacks and with a quick glance you can see what your teammate is doing and if they need help.

Far Cry 6 contains a well-written and fantastic story along with rewarding action

Far Cry 6 doesn’t stray too far from the tried and true formula that has made the series popular, and that is ok. Ubisoft has put a lot of work into this game and it shows, Far Cry 6 is bigger and better than previous games in the series. I was so invested in the game’s story that it had me on the edge of my seat from one scene to the next.

The ability to play the entire game, except for the first hour, with a friend added to my overall enjoyment of the game. On Stadia, playing along with a friend using Stream Connect is fantastic. It makes coordinating attacks and tasks easier to accomplish as you can see exactly what they see at all times.

Overall, I really enjoyed my time in Yara. If you are a fan of the Far Cry series, Far Cry 6 is a must buy!

+ Large and gorgeous open-world
+ Well-written and fantastic story
+ Amigos
+ Rewarding action
+ Stream Connect on Stadia

– Gameplay doesn’t stray too far from the tried and true Far Cry formula
– Some missions are repetitive