After spending close to 5 hours playing Far Cry 6, it becomes clear where Ubisoft hopes to expand on the game’s existing formula and also where it wants to shake things up. By and large, the experience in Far Cry 6 should be familiar to fans of the franchise, but this entry also pushes things forward in a way that feels natural for the next-gen.
The Far Cry 6 demo consisted of three gameplay sections: two that were connected to one another and a third that jumped the action forward a little bit. Ubisoft kicks things off by offering the very beginning of the game, where players will be able to choose between a male or female Dani Rojas. Shortly thereafter, players will sneak across the rooftops and through the sewers of Yara, a bustling Caribbean island that is under the thumb of Anton Castillo (Giancarlo Esposito).
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This sequence is a common trope for Ubisoft – to show off the more modernized environment and establish the game’s main villain. Presumably, Rojas will return to this area with an arsenal in tow, but for right now they are wholly unequipped to challenge Castillo. The game also doesn’t shy away from showing that Castillo is a ruthless antagonist fit of the Far Cry legacy either.
The Basics of Far Cry 6's Gameplay
After escaping from the Yaran capitol city, Dani makes their way to the starter island of Far Cry 6, Santuario. It’s here where players are introduced to this iteration’s brand of chaos, the new systems that fuel it, and some colorful characters along the way. Despite the new locale, Far Cry 6 should still feel familiar to any that have invested time in the series thus far. There are key locations scattered across the game map, mission givers to visit, and plenty of random encounters to witness should players choose to explore.
Gunplay in Far Cry 6 is as refined as it has ever been. Players can switch between two main weapons and a sidearm, while also using throwables (Molotov, grenades, throwing knives, etc.) to add a little spice to each gunfight. Stealth is still a viable approach when it comes to attacking an encampment, but when the bullets inevitably fly, Dani is well equipped for a fight.
But while the guns and the throwables are all pretty familiar for a Far Cry game, the Supremo is something wholly new. A sort of backpack of destruction, the Supremo is capable of performing a variety of roles. To start, Dani will be equipped with a Supremo that launches a barrage of missiles at a nearby target, laying waste to everything in a concentrated area. But eventually, the Supremo can swap into a few different options, like a mini-jetpack that gives Dani a “double jump” and can surround the area in fire, or a support style Supremo that lays down a healing aura on the ground.
Dani’s Supremo can best be compared to a “Super,” an ability that can only be activated once a meter is filled (either passively over time or more quickly by taking out enemies). It’s the key addition to Far Cry 6 that brings a new dynamic to the gameplay. In single player, the more damage-focused Supremo was very useful when taking out armored or higher-level enemies, but in co-op, the choice of a support Supremo felt just as viable.
Customization and RPG Elements in Far Cry
Although Far Cry 6 is still an open-world shooter, Ubisoft has incorporated some RPG elements into the mix as well. Customization has been sewn throughout the experience, giving players more agency in the narrative and in the equipment that Dani uses. Instead of a linear leveling system with standard upgrades, Far Cry 6 attaches perks and stats to each piece of gear that Dani wears. Whether it be a helmet, some shorts, or a pair of boots, each piece of gear has an associated benefit that supports a different playstyle.
Admittedly, the perks that were on offer didn’t drastically change gameplay but they were significant enough that some choices needed to be made. For example, players could favor a faster reload with their choice of gloves or a faster ADS speed. It’s also important to mention that Far Cry 6 has the standard Ubisoft transmog system whereby players can swap the visuals of any piece of gear to fit a specific style.
Gear customization extends to the weaponry that Dani uses, which can be crafted at several stations around the open world. Alongside the gear that serves as “loot,” Far Cry 6 also has plenty of resources that players can collect and put into the crafting system. It starts simple with the weapon, but then they can customize the sights, barrels, and attachments to further make a gun their own. Far Cry has featured some level of customization in the past, but it is the most comprehensive here. Players can even add on to their Supremo for some real fun.
While on Santuario Island, players are given a taste of the mission structure and introduced to a few of the key characters in Far Cry 6. Far Cry has flirted with player choice in the past, but here it feels like Dani is the most active in the story. Dialogue sequences offer up the occasional choice for Dani to interject, and the camera pulls away from the first person to show them talking with the other characters. The player character typically doesn’t have a lot of agency in the proceedings of a Far Cry game, but in FC6 there is a lot more going on.
Exploring the Main Island of El Este
After experiencing the “tutorial” of Santuario Island, Far Cry 6 players will eventually jump to El Este, the main area of the game. For the purposes of the demo, Ubisoft jumped things forward to El Este and kitted Dani out with a number of upgrades and gear options. With the new firepower at their fingertips, Dani is a lot more viable against stronger enemies, but the setup remained mostly the same. What was different, however, is the way Dani helps rally support among the Yarans.
Using the aforementioned resources, Dani can now build a number of structures at their “home base,” which, in turn, unlock upgrades. Unlike the gear and the weapon customization, though, the base upgrades seem to be structured in a way that players will choose their favorites to start, but eventually, they will have access to all of them. Still, it ties back into the idea that Dani is an active participant in building up the rebellion against Anton Castillo.
Castillo might be measured against a rogue’s gallery that has included Vaas, Pagan Min, and Joseph Seed, but with Giancarlo Esposito in the role, he feels like the most menacing antagonist the series has seen thus far. The demo only included small tases of Castillo’s role in the larger narrative, but there was enough to prove that he is a worthy adversary. With the new approach to cutscenes, the dialogue choices, and Anton breathing down Dani’s neck, it feels like Far Cry 6 is pushing the narrative framework of the series more than any other element.
Over the course of 5 numbered entries and half a dozen spin-offs, Far Cry has dialed in on its gunplay and mechanics, for better or worse. Far Cry 6 doesn’t seem like it is going to do much to convince detractors that this entry is worth jumping into, but those who have been along for and enjoy the ride will find a lot of exciting new elements to mix things up. Destruction is back on the menu and Far Cry 6 delivers in abundance.
Far Cry 6 releases October 7, 2021 for Amazon Luna, PC, PS4, PS5, Stadia, Xbox One, and Xbox Series S/X.
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