Far Cry 6 Review

Far Cry 6 explodes onto next-gen platforms delivering a gorgeous sandbox of exploration, destruction and an inspired arsenal, my full review.

The Far Cry series has arrived on next-gen consoles with a “bang!” delivering a great story and over-the-top action the franchise is known for. Far Cry has always been a guilty gaming pleasure of mine, it’s crazy fun with larger-than-life characters and vast environments to explore. If you are a first timer to Far Cry or returning for an open world joyride, there’s plenty to explore. As a Far Cry veteran, I am happy to share my thoughts on the best entry in the series in over a decade.

Far Cry 6 details

Platforms: Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Google Stadia, Amazon Luna and PC Reviewed On: Xbox Series X Developer: Ubisoft Toronto Publisher: Ubisoft Genre: First person shooter Modes: Single-player, online multiplayer ESRB Rating: M (Mature 17+)

Story – An army of one

The story begins on the fictional island Yara which very closely resembles modern-day Cuba. The country is ruled with the iron fist by "El Presidente" Antón Castillo (Giancarlo Esposito) who is grooming his son Diego to one day become leader. You play as Dani Rojas a guerilla fighter who is thrust into the "Libertad" resistance working to topple Castillo’s regime. In line with more modern Ubisoft titles, you can pick the gender of your character. It has no impact on the story, just visual and auditory presentation of Dani:

I selected the female incarnation of Rojas, voice actor Nisa Gunduz does an incredible job with her portrayal. Through your journey with Rojas you continue to add allies to your guerilla forces, that are both animal and human. As you fight for freedom and reclaim more of the island, it leads up to a final confrontation with Castillo himself.

"I selected the female incarnation of Rojas, voice actor Nisa Gunduz does an incredible job with her portrayal."

Moving in different directions

The series has been tackling more serious social issues in the last few entries, like the dangers of fanatical religious ideology and tyrannical leaders. It’s great to see topics like this being broached in gaming, but some of these deeper messages get lost in the open-world chaos. Far Cry 6’s antagonist Anton Castillo has been brilliantly portrayed by Esposito helping to bridge the gap between the zaniness and deeper political messages. The game starts to broach some serious topics in its storytelling, but only scratches the surface of these issues. At times the characters and story felt they were moving in a more meaningful direction only to pivot before a real message was able to materialize.

"The game starts to broach some serious topics in its storytelling, but only scratches the surface of these issues."

Most players will undoubtedly pick up Far Cry 6 for the unbridled chaos, which it has in spades. It would be ideal to see some of these deeper messages impact characters and players in more meaningful ways.

Visual presentation – Beautiful destruction

Far Cry 6 is a massive, sprawling open world game that is oozing its own unique style. The art direction offers some bright environments that pop with colour, gone are the drab palettes from Far Cry 5. It’s been replaced with lush jungles, mountain ranges and vibrant ocean fronts. Yara is densely packed with lush, picturesque environments. This is no small feat, considering all the 4K textures, richly detailed objects, it’s an incredible range of ecosystem to explore.

"Yara is densely packed with lush, picturesque environments."

The entire experience is running on the Dunia engine, which has evolved with the series over the years. I found the visual variety staggering across the series of islands that make up Yara. The Far Cry series has entered the next-gen era with a stunningly realized setting. Ubisoft Toronto really optimized the power of the Xbox Series X, getting the game running at 4K at a solid 60 fps. The resolution ranges between 1872p to full 2160p range, but the Series X delivers the sharpest image quality of all next-gen consoles.

"The Far Cry series has entered the next-gen era with a stunningly realized setting."

I often spent time just taking in the scenery, secluded beaches and lush jungle offered a respite from the chaos. The lighting, foliage and detail in the sky boxes have all seen serious upgrades from previous iterations in the series. The game’s included photo mode will keep you busy for hours, especially if you are a shutterbug like me.

Gameplay – Guerrilla warfare at its finest

The gameplay is as wild and zany as it’s ever been in a Far Cry game. Players still have a lot of flexibility in how they approach combat objectives, going in guns blazing or taking a stealthier approach. I often found myself going into a majority of combat scenarios like an 80s style action hero, it was fun and satisfying.

The game also has light RPG elements, letting you upgrade your character and weapons as you level up. Enemies also become more fortified as you level up and progress through the game. I found the difficulty curve well managed; it didn’t randomly spike in frustrating ways but still presented fun challenges.

"I often found myself going into a majority of combat scenarios like an 80s style action hero, it was fun and satisfying."

There are a variety of “traditional weapons” in your arsenal like handguns, shotguns and automatic weapons. In the fine tradition of the Far Cry series there are also completely outlandish weapons. A prime example is the "Supremo" backpacks which can fire a barrage of missiles or act as a rocket boost to soar through the sky. There’s also the Discos Locos that fires CD as opponents while playing the 90s hit Macarena.

As much as I really enjoy using the expanded arsenal, the inventory management system is very bloated. Far Cry 6 is always pushing you toward using the “right weapon for the job” but I found the amount of options daunting. As a result, I opted for the same weapons which still were able to get the job done. Don’t get me wrong, I love having plenty of choice, but the amount of options here started to affect the pacing of the game.

"Far Cry 6 is always pushing you toward using the “right weapon for the job” but I found the amount of options daunting."

There isn’t a lack of ways to get around, whether it’s on foot or using traditional land vehicles, watercrafts, aircrafts and beyond. It’s great having all these options especially when trying to get around Yara's massive 88 square kilometre (34 sq miles) environment.

Final thoughts – An open world classic is reborn

Far Cry 6 is the best that the franchise has been in years, offering a more polished, engaging experience. The graphics and environments are stunningly beautiful and fun to explore. The story, albeit predictable, is overall quite enjoyable. All around the cast delivers excellent performances with Giancarlo Esposito stealing the show with his portrayal of Antón Castillo. There are elements that do detract from the overall high action experience such as the glut of tasks and bloated menu system. If you are looking for a game to bury yourself in for dozens upon dozens of hours Far Cry 6 answers the bell. Aside from pacing and inventory issues this is an experience that is a must play. Enjoy your time in Yara, I certainly did! Please give my best regards to Chorizo.

Far Cry 6 PROS

+ Beautiful visuals running at 4K, 60fps

+ Massive arsenal

+ Highly detailed open world

+ Best Far Cry villain yet with Antón Castillo

Far Cry 6 CONS

- Map size and tasks are very daunting

- Inventory and customization are overwhelming

- Many elements repeated from other games in the series

Gameplay: 8/10

Graphics: 8.5/10

Sound: 8/10

Replayability: 8.5/10

Overall Rating: 33/40 (83%)

A copy of the game was provided by the publisher for the purpose of this review.