One of the aspects that shines the most in the saga Far cry, beyond what it offers in gameplay and action, is its villain. During the 17 years so far of the franchise, each Far cry has offered us a terrifying villain, who can intimidate anyone and in many cases accompanied by a phenomenal voice acting, such as Michael Mando’s unforgettable Vaas Montenegro in Far cry 3, or the great Joseph Seed by Greg Bryk and Pagan Min by Troy Baker in Far cry 5 and Far Cry 4, respectively.
This time it is Giancarlo Esposito’s turn to shine, one of the Most sought-after and well-known actors on television in the last decade, especially in terms of villains. Esposito has spent almost a decade giving life to the silent and cruel Gustavo Fring in Breaking bad and Better call saul, plus Moff Gideon in The Mandalorian. An actor like that couldn’t possibly be wrong.
And indeed, Giancarlo Esposito’s Antón Castillo is a terrifying villain, an authoritarian, cruel and bloodthirsty dictator with an extremely serious and mocking personality, worthy of the saga Far cry. The villain of Far Cry 6 it’s cool, but the story around it isn’t perfect. In fact, it feels so caricatured in many ways that it manages to resemble, for better or for worse, the action movies of the 80s, the most explosive and clichéd of the time.
Of course, for some this is the greatest attraction of the saga Far cry, and if we enjoy it in fictional versions of exotic Asian countries (Far Cry 4), or from American regions full of white supremacists part of a cult (Far cry 5), it would be hypocritical of me to say that I did not enjoy this almost meaningless action in Far Cry 6, only because it takes place in a fictional version of a Latin American country. Because it develops into something that seems to be too close to home.
G / O Media may get a commission
Not at all. Of course I have enjoyed my more than two dozen hours in Far Cry 6, but that doesn’t mean you don’t have complaints.
But let’s talk about the gameplay, the best of Far Cry 6
Although I have my complaints regarding the plot and the momentary attempt at seriousness that the game sometimes has, I have no complaints with the gameplay of Far Cry 6. Ubisoft has done what it does best with this title, once again demonstrating why the Far cry has been so successful for years: in Far Cry 6 we have a huge map, too huge. The so-called island of Yara is full of things to do both in the game’s main campaign and in side missions and just exploring. The map design is so rich, so full of details clearly inspired by Cuba and different tropical nations, and simply so beautiful, that exploring it is satisfying. Finding animals, conquering enemy bases or simply riding from one place to another is not a problem.
And in action the game is outstanding. The action as a FPS game is still as varied as the saga has us used to, and even more, thanks to the inclusion of new exotic weapons (there is a weapon that shoots music CDs, for some reason), the possibility of modifying them and the arrival of the “Supreme”, backpacks with different types of weapons that serve as a “Super” attack in the game, the ultimate attack by filling a loading bar that allows you to control waves of enemies or shoot down helicopters and destroy tanks easily, for example.
In general, in Far Cry 6 We must help Yara to be free, being part of a revolution like Dani Rojas, a (or a) protagonist who is undoubtedly one of the most interesting that the saga has offered, with personality, an interesting story and a voice acting that allows that we meet with the character. Not only Antón Castillo is one of the best villains in the saga so far (I would easily give him a second place in the franchise, only surpassed, and by very little, by Vaas Montenegro, or perhaps it is my nostalgia for that villain that speaks) , but Dani Rojas is also one of the best protagonists in the history of Far cry. He is less of an empty character with almost no face and more of a human being starring in a battle that at first he is not convinced he should participate.
In addition to Dani, we will meet other secondary characters that are part of this revolution called “Libertad”, many of them also based on typical clichés that we see in movies about Latin Americans, but at the same time, many of them are charismatic and even funny.
The elephant in the room
The story of Far Cry 6 takes place on the tropical island of Yara, a fictional nation clearly inspired by Cuba. Dani Rojas (a male or female protagonist) is trying to escape this nation and seek refuge in Miami, away from the authoritarian dictator Antón Castillo, who is exploiting his people, basically treating them like slaves and enriching himself even more at his expense. The streets, cars and coasts of Yara scream the Caribbean Sea, and Cuba, especially Cuba. Inspiration is evident, and is part of that caricature that I already told you about at the beginning of this analysis.
My problem, or rather my complaint with the game, is one that I also had with Far cry 5. A game cannot try to be too serious in its plot, when at the same time it is too unreal, absurd and relies on extreme action in the style of the 80s, in the style of movies like Commando by Arnold Schwarzenegger or many others. There can be a balance between the two, sure, but when the balance tips too much both ways at the same time, it is normal for it to crash a bit.
In conclusion, Far Cr 6 is a video game that wants to entertain first of all, and that goal is completely achieved. Complaints at the narrative level can be put aside if we take the game for what it is: an interactive action movie full of clichés, in which we can destroy everything under a supposed fight for freedom, saying the word “guerrilla” countless times. accompanied by a small puppy or a crocodile that attacks whoever we order. Far cry it works best when the series doesn’t take itself so seriously and puts the action in the foreground, with a shocking villain as its primary focus. There is the charm of Far Cry 6, in repeating and above all improving a formula that fans already know.
