Far Cry 6 (PlayStation 5) Review

Dani hasn't the easiest path to freedom; his country has been carved up into distinct territories, each with its own faction leaders of the freedom fighters and the occupying forces. Dani has to trek across the island of Yara, recruiting each faction to his cause and overthrowing the enemies at each before heading to the capital to face the leader himself.

Far Cry has long focused on delivering a memorable villain for each numbered iteration. The manic and psychopathic Vaas of Far Cry 3. The softly spoken sadism of Pagan Min. The charismatic cult leader Joseph. Now joining this alumni is Antón Castillo, a despot that rules with an iron fist, but maintains a friendly persona of a leader elsewhere. It is fitting then for this character to be played by Gus Fring himself, Giancarlo Esposito.

The story itself is decent enough, with some memorable characters in the expansive cast, highlighted by some soliloquies from Castillo. It is an interesting premise to explore: if a warlord who the world government knew to be committing war crimes had the cure to cancer, would they step in? A particular high point is where a journalist interviews Castilo and throws the accusations in his face, only for him to point out the hypocrisy for America to comment on it consider their history and founding. "4 Million Americans worth 3.5 billion dollars. The number one asset in your county was people who look like me. What is that called?" "A history lesson?" "A head start." He goes on to comment on the prison industry and the world of sweatshops we currently inhabit. It is great to see some extra depth to a villain, it is just a shame it is not continued. Instead, Anton becomes a caricature of a bad guy dictator.

But, back to the guns, the exploration, the Far Cry. Now, there's one big criticism that is levied against each of Ubisoft's signature franchises, and one that can be claimed here too. That is that it's just the same game all over again. Little is done to differentiate each game from the last. The story and the environments are new, as are a handful of gameplay factors, but essentially it's doing the same thing. Capture the bases. Find the treasure chests, collect the various items for upgrades. It is a fair point, but the counterpoint is… some of the audience want exactly that. Some enjoy the sandbox mayhem, the simple escape to be able to wander the island for hours just picking off enemies with a sniper rifle, capturing the odd base, or even grabbing a tank and dishing out some explosive destruction.

That is not to say there is nothing new here to set this volume apart. Firstly, in a strange decision, the levelling up unlocks no new skills or abilities, instead just giving a few new purchasable items to buy at the main base, leaving the special abilities instead to be tied to these sorts of items. Dani can buy a series of jerry-built custom weapons known as Resolvers and backpacks known as Supremos. It honestly feels like a step backwards, there is nothing quite like a good skill tree to make the next level up exciting. Here, it does not even show what is to come, just "There's new stuff for you to buy."

The Supremos and Resolvers somewhat make up for it. Sold by a wonderful character, the legendary mercenary Juan Cortez. This foul-mouthed, alcohol-swigging, cigar-smoking badass not only delivers the first "Amigo" in the game to Dani (more on Amigo's later) but also teaches Dani the way of knocking together makeshift weapons. First up, Resolvers. Weapons made from whatever a guerilla can throw together. Modified nail guns, huge electrical cannons, machine guns modified with components from stereo systems. Juan also offers up a workbench to modify any regular weapons too, adding items like scopes, silencers, and custom munitions to improve the equipment.

To supplement the arsenal of ammunition, Supremos offer slots for additional equipment like molotovs, EMP grenades, smoke bombs, and the like. There is only a few unlocked upon the purchase of each Supremo, and it takes hunting down numerous various currencies like pieces of scrap and gasoline across the island to purchase upgrades. These pieces of equipment are decent additions to the arsenal, but they pale in comparison to the main use of the Supremo. Each Supremo has an ultimate move that can be unleashed after filling up a bar. The Exterimandor unleashes a barrage of missiles that lock onto enemies and are powerful enough to one-shot major enemies like tanks or helicopters. The Volta discharges a huge EMP pulse to take out any nearby electronics. The best of all though is the secret Supremo Triador which allows seeing through walls and marking of enemies. Even better, when paired up with the special Resolver La Varita, which can shoot through walls when Triador's Supremo is unleashed.

There is an extra method of taking on the Soldados in this version too, that being supported by an Amigo. This is not a fellow freedom fighting warrior in the traditional sense though. The first Amigo is Guapo, a Crocodile who can resurrect itself and likes taking the ankles off Soldados. Amigos accompanying Dani everywhere and can be directed to take on enemies with the click of the d-pad. Guapo is simple muscle, useful for scaring enemies and dealing some damage. Later Amigos have very specific uses. A disabled dachshund named Chorizo is able to distract enemies with his cuteness but is mostly used for finding rare items and tagging loot on the map. The Puma Oluso is a stealth player's dream, able to stalk prey and slip into shadow. So some new things to play with, and not just alone. There is online co-op available with friends or with matchmaking online. There are some special missions separate from the main campaign that can be undertaken alone or with friends too, and plenty of post-game content to keep this alive for a long time after the story hits its explosive finale.

On the presentation front Far Cry 6 is a true next-gen experience. Following a 48gig optional download of graphical upgrades that is. Even better, thanks to the power of the PS5, it's possible to fast travel around the map without the annoying extended loading screens that plagued previous entries. Speaking of problems with previous entries, while this is a stunning world to explore, it's one filled with another signature Ubisoft element: bugs. The usual that has become as familiar an element of the game as the appalling enemy AI. Getting stuck in terrain. Mission objectives not spawning. The land of Yara is beautiful but filled with an underlying corruption. Fitting for the game itself.