Among all the releases this year lies a big one, namely Far Cry 6. I will admit that getting to write about this before release is pretty fricking cool, but ultimately - does Ubisoft's latest foray into the series hold up well, and does the new mechanics bring worthy as well as unprecedented levels of fun to the mix? I'd be lying if I said that Far Cry 6 isn't anything special, cause it is. While the earlier titles have all been about a story that captivates you, intense & chaos-filled action in a large open world, and beautiful visuals; the sixth one aims to up the ante in many, many ways.
Platform: Xbox Series X (also tested on Xbox Series S & Xbox One).
Visuals & performance
Apparent right away, during the first cut-scene even, is the fact that Far Cry 6 is an incredibly good looking videogame, especially thanks to the new hardware found in Xbox Series X|S. Not only is the game running in a flawless 4K resolution at 60fps with jaw-droppingly stunning texture work on Xbox Series X, every other aspect has pretty much been elevated to marvelous heights as well. First of all, the game world is fricking huge. I mean HUGE, and the biggest one by far in the series. It's literally so big that I thought most of it wasn't actually part of the game, and was only there for show on the map. Boy was I wrong.
With a world as big as this, comes the question of quantity or quality...well, why not both, I'd say? No matter where I go, there seems to always be something that I can take part in - whether it's by destroying billboards, taking over outposts, talking to fellow guerillas, exploring & finding treasures, or just simply roaming around creating chaos in a...tractor? The possibilities in Far Cry 6 are endless. One of the better parts of the game is that every inch of it feels unique, and that all places have some sort of history to them, resulting in a very immersive experience.
While this build of the game did have some instability moments that even had me having to restart the game, that didn't stop the game from performing extremely well on the Xbox Series X in general, where the framerate stood still at 60fps, even during hectic moments. The audio design, though, is unfortunately...almost way too good to true; it's punchy, crisp sounding, authentic, involves some amazing VO work from actors such as Giancarlo Esposito, Erik Valdez, Jess Salgueiro as well as many more, and made me feel like I was truly there. I'm having troubles finding anything that's even remotely close to being negative about Far Cry 6.
Combine all this with 4K textures, almost photo-realistic visuals, super fast load times, a draw distance that'll make you notice Anton Castillo from a mile away, character models that make me question reality itself, and you have the most ultimate as well as best looking Far Cry game ever made. There's so much more, though! There were moments where I just stopped to appreciate the nearby surroundings and let me tell you, they were magical - ranging from lush tropical areas that are accompanied by waterfalls, exotic wildlife, pedestrians & vehicular traffic, to mountains, villages, big cities, beaches, landmarks and more!
It's just so, so good looking, and even though it's a cross-generation game, it still looks somewhat next generation, despite some very obviously rough looking effects such as fire & explosions. Everywhere I go exists countless opportunities for me to take mindblowingly beautiful screenshots. I'm just in awe of some of the visuals that can be seen in this game, my God.
Gameplay
Far Cry 6 uses the very same open world Far Cry formula that has been used for some time now, yet it's so different at the same time. General gameplay will consist of the regular tasks of capturing outposts, destroying propaganda, hunting animals, and taking part in treasure hunts, all while scavenging for useful loot, but it's the noticable differences that makes this one special - such as the game now sporting RPG mechanics. That's right, Far Cry 6 offers the ability to change each part of the character's attire to those that can be found throughout Yara, each with unique attributes/perks.
This is definitely the boldest change and really takes the game to another level. It's a lot of fun roaming around looking for new gear, whether it's gloves that protect me from fire, shoes that allow me to run faster after being beat down, or pants that just look great on me. There's also now more emphasis on getting to see my character during gameplay, which in turn introduces us to more third-person perspectives than before - being inside of a camp will be seen entirely in third-person, and the same goes for when using the Sombrero, a highly explosive device that is located on the character's back.
Which brings me to Juan's resolver weapons, a great new addition; ones that bring the heat (literally, mostly) in the form of homemade guns such as the brilliant Discos Locos that plays "Macarena" while violently firing CDs, and the Pyrotechno that fires fireworks, for example. One minor yet welcome difference is that many things are more accessible now, at any given moment: changing weapons won't require me to go anywhere, I can literally do it whenever I want to, and the need for altering my personal ride can be satisfied within that same menu as well. It may feel too easy to some, but it's really a game-changer.
It feels like a classic Far Cry game, but taken to extreme heights in terms of gameplay. It's of course still a first-person shooter, and it does this with excellence, packing more guns than ever before, such as assault rifles, pistols, DMRs, rocket launchers & shotguns, with a ton of customization options that enhances any firefight, while maintaining superb gunplay that just feels incredibly good. The game world is really large, and even though I'd almost argue that it's too colossal, the fact that nearly every part of it has something that I can partake in, is impressive.
Now, basically everything I do - be it demolishing trucks, capturing outposts, completing missions, or stealing supplies - rewards me with XP that in turn means ranking up, resulting in more guns. As far as vehicles go (boats, planes, helicopters & cars), the amount of them sits perfectly between too many & not too many, and even horses are featured this time around, making for a very varied trip to whatever destination lies ahead. Cockfights, races, missions, exploration, and so much more, makes for the most fun I've ever had in a Far Cry game by far.
Story
I won't really be going into the story much at all, to avoid spoilers, but I do have some things to mention. Anton Castillo, a ruthless dictator that brings nothing but chaos to the people of Yara, is what Far Cry 6 is at its core all about. He's "joined" by his son, Diego, a willing but afraid individual that may just be what Yara needs.
In comes Dani, the savior guerilla fighter, also protagonist. After going through unfortunate & tragic events early on in the game, Dani is at first eager to forget about everything and get to the US, but ends up joining a resistance group called Libertad, extending his stay at Yara to not only get revenge, but also to try and provide the people with hope by bringing justice to where it is needed. In all honesty, Far Cry 6 is a breath of fresh air - it excels at telling a story of cinematic perfection.
With cut-scenes that truly immerses you, spectacular performances by all the actors (especially Giancarlo), interesting & lovable characters that pop up from all over, and a story that goes on for a length that isn't all too long, it has seriously become one of my most memorable gaming experiences from Ubisoft yet. Each time a cut-scene played out, I put down my controller and just enjoyed each second of it. It's just really, really good.
All in all
Far Cry 6 is nothing short of being immensely great at basically everything it does. Visuals, performance, scale, action, gunplay, audio design, voice acting, top notch gameplay that consists of a TON of stuff to do, and much, much more. It's by far the biggest and most action-packed installment in the series by far, but also features a story that will be hard to ever forget, where Giancarlo Esposito but also the protagonist, shine with some truly awesome performances. Most importantly, though, it's SO much fun. I've enjoyed it very much during my playthrough and can't recommend it enough.
Far Cry 6 is available on the 7th of October both digitally and physically for Xbox One & Xbox Series X|S, priced at $60.
A review code was provided by Ubisoft for review purposes.
This review is written by Jesper Ingemansson and is based on his honest opinion about the game.