Far Cry 6 Review – Guerillas in the mist

A good Far Cry game, whether it’s set in the stone age or in the post-apocalypse, needs to check a few boxes to make certain that its distinctive formula has been retained. But there’s a fine line between making certain that series staples have been retained and formulaic action, one that Far Cry 6 has tripped over, as this latest entry in Ubisoft’s long-running open-world adventure series feels more like unnecessary busywork instead of a leap forward.

That’s not to say that there isn’t a great game underneath the hood, but the new ideas that Far Cry 6 has to offer feels half-baked and in desperate need of a tune-up to be fully realized. With a new sandbox to explore in the form of Yara, a thinly-disguised version of Cuba that’s still stuck in 1967, Far Cry 6 ventures deeper into RPG territory than ever before. Far Cry: New Dawn played with this idea by introducing different tiers of enemies and weapons, while Far Cry 6 takes that idea and dives into waist-deep gear customization waters.

The idea is solid: If you’re in an area where you’re outgunned, outnumbered, and out-leveled, gear is supposed to give you the edge in a fight, and there’s no shortage of the stuff in Yara. Much of Far Cry 6 will be spent side-tracking through jungles and towns to grab more loot, of which there appears to be almost endless variety. Armor for your Guerilla is divided into five categories, while the island has enough guns hidden on it to kickstart a fresh invasion of France.

The problem here is that the loot rarely feels worth going after. Once you’ve gotten a rifle and modified it with soft rounds to take out the rank and file enemies, you’ll seldom be pushed to swap up your weapon inventory in a game that stresses that you need to bring the right tool to the job. Far Cry 6 emphasises this point with a variety of enemies that are vulnerable to particular types of ammo, but as long as you’re packing three different types of rounds and you’re able to nail some headshots, there’s very little to worry about.

Resolver weapons though, are an infinitely more fascinating arsenal of death-dealers that you’ll pick up during your adventure. These guns have been MacGuyvered together from scrap parts and fighting spirit, and they’re not too dissimilar from Destiny 2’s Exotic weapons with their wildly effective offense. From a modified nailgun that’s perfect for close-range stealth murder to the pure anarchy of launching a pirated Macarena album straight into a soldier’s face, Resolver weapons are stupidly fun even if each one is largely designed for highly specific situations.

You can definitely feel the rebel spirit in each of these imaginative guns, and that idea is amplified with the Supremo that your guerilla will don in their journey. A backpack that can be modified with several buffs and used to store gadgets, Supremos can also unleash an ultimate attack once a charge has been built up. Fly into a blind rage and hack your way through enemies, unleash a barrage of heat-seeking missiles at a pesky chopper, or become a mobile medical clinic in co-op, the choice is yours.

And make no mistake, these are good ideas but ones that need more curation. The theme of having specific builds for specific scenarios instead of Far Cry’s skill-based upgrade path is a fascinating deviation from the norm, but the execution leaves something to be desired. There’s simply too much going on here, and trimming some fat off the meat would help Far Cry 6 realise its vision better.

One thing the game cannot be faulted on though is Yara itself. Just like the Far Cry games before it, this sandbox is gorgeous, scenic, and bustling with activity. It’s not as hilariously broken as Far Cry 5 was when it first launched, and you’ll seldom have to worry about an NPC being mauled by a rogue jaguar while they’re giving you a briefing. There’s no shortage of activities here either, as Yara is filled with the diversions that you’d expect in a Far Cry game at this point: Military bases to take over, treasure hunts to explore, rebel racing, and a Tekken-inspired cockfighting game to bet your pesos on.

Other new activities include Bandido Operations where your newly-acquired guerilla comrades can raid enemy outposts for resources, military targets to attack, and a ton of destruction to wreak on Yara. Oh, and the brilliant amigos who can help augment your strategy in battle because nothing puts the fear of several gods into a heavily-armed soldier like a homicidal crocodile on the warpath. There’s also a suicidal rooster and Chorizo, easily the best doggo in 2021 for his fearless ability to distract enemies with his undeniable cuteness.

What is missing from the Far Cry 6 equation though, is a story that you’d want to see to the end. Far Cry 3-5 were particularly great examples of infusing the land around you with the corruptive influence of its villainous cover stars, with Far Cry 5’s Joseph Seed and his flock of religious zealots being a terrifying force to reckon with. Anton Castillo and his regime though? That it factor just isn’t there, as even with Breaking Bad’s Giancarlo Esposito delivering a reliably brilliant performance, Castillo’s menace is barely there and takes a baffling turn with plot twists that make no sense in the finale of Far Cry 6.

It doesn’t help that the rest of Far Cry 6’s story feels like it was designed by committee, as the protagonist of Dani fits the stereotypical rebel hero bill: Young, angry, and looks good with a mohawk hairstyle. With Castillo barely present and a trimmed down rogues gallery that has very little to add to the story that tiptoes around US foreign policy, civil war, and el presidente locking up political dissidents.

Curiously, I’m cautiously optimistic for the future of Far Cry 6. Upcoming seasonal content that riffs on the past looks fascinating, several pop culture crossovers are on the horizon, and there’s a proper endgame to dig into that allows you to cause chaos with the activities that best define Far Cry 6. The war is never truly over, and after 30 hours with the game, I still feel like I’ve barely scratched the surface of Yara and its many hidden secrets.