Far Cry 6 Vaas: Insanity Review – The Jung and the restless

Do you know what the definition of insanity is? It’s doing the same thing

Over

And over again

And expecting a different result every single time.

Now granted, Far Cry’s sandbox has been worth delving into for a few weekend’s worth of comfort food gaming, but even the most diehard fans of Ubisoft’s sandbox franchise have to admit that after several games, that formula was running thin by the time that Far Cry 6 had arrived. The latest game that put you in the combat boots of a two-fisted revolutionary looking to overthrow the latest madman to grace the cover art of the franchise wasn’t bad, but it was definitely a paint-by-numbers Far Cry experience.

But what is interesting about this particular Far Cry, is that its sandbox feels like the perfect vehicle to try out a few new ideas. Ubisoft’s got a terrific track record when it comes to expansion content, with Far Cry 5 even going so far as to throw players into a Martian adventure with season pass content. Following in those DLC footsteps is Insanity, the first part of a trilogy of new Far Cry 6 content that resurrects some of the most charming psychopaths to ever take top billing in the series and throws them into a more compact world that experiments with a different genre.

Far Cry 3’s Vaas Montenegro is the first villain that steps up to the plate, juggling his trademark homicidal charm within the challenging confines of a roguelike adventure…and it works. Against all the odds, the idea of spending a few hours of being caught in an endless loop of death and self-destructive habits while you attempt a perfect run through the fractured mindscape of Vaas’ psyche makes for a far more memorable experience than the main game that this DLC pulls the bulk of its assets from.

The formula is deliciously simple and addictive. Vaas starts out with a meagre pistol in his arsenal, and using Far Cry’s polished gameplay mechanics, he’ll need to hunt and murder his way through the fractured parts of his mind, collecting resources and power-ups while gradually increasing his ability to survive.

It’s a selection of ideas pulled straight from the roguelike playbook, but in the context of a Far Cry game, this blend of challenging scenarios and first-person action works surprisingly well. Ubisoft’s experimentation here has yielded fascinating results, and its all held together by superb level design that feels just right in the size department, interesting twists on its own gameplay formula, and Michael Mando’s performance as Vaas.

Almost a decade after Vaas felt his ribcage being tickled by cold steel at the hands of an American party-bro pushed too far, and Mando hasn’t lost a single ounce of his captivating charm as one of Far Cry’s greatest villains. A simmering volcano of charm, dark humor, and unrestrained violence, Vaas is as memorable as ever with his soft-spoken quips and hard-hitting takedowns as he explores his own tortured memories that provide a window into how he became the Rook islands’ patron saint of chaos.

Mileage may vary of course, but a successful run that relies on thoughtful execution of tactics and scouring the land for resources is an easy 60-minute jaunt, while delving deeper into more challenging runs adds to the overall running time. If you can survive the experience that is.