Far cry 6 in the test-an action festival that doesn & APOs; t know what it wants

In Far Cry 6 you have to overthrow Antón Castillo, who wants to force his vision of the perfect Yara with brutal means.

When people think of Far Cry, they usually think of interesting villains, lots of action, and a lovely, quest-packed open world to explore. And that's exactly what Far Cry 6 offers, this time on the Caribbean Yara, based on the real Cuba. Right in the middle we are stuck as Dani Rojas (either male or female), orphan and ex-military. Our goal: As a member of the guerrilla group Libertad, stop the unscrupulous dictator Antón Castillo. This is basically fun, but degenerates into an unfocused shooter due to some nicks.

How did we test? We tested Far Cry 6 on PS5 on Action mode difficulty. In addition, we tried the co-op mode.

Allegations against Ubisoft: As part of this test, we would like to point out that Ubisoft has been heavily criticized for sexism, harassment and discrimination in the workplace since 2020. The company has been working on improvements since then, but Far Cry 6 was also created under these working conditions. We picked up the 2020 report and have been providing information about the major developments since then. You can read a comment from GamePro Editor-in-Chief Rae Grimm regarding our coverage of issues of this nature here.

A progression system that gets in its own way

In addition to its typical gameplay loop, Far Cry 6 relies on two things: tinkering with weapons and equipment and fighting against an overpowering army. With these two aspects, exploring, fighting and collecting should be enriched, but this only works to a limited extent.

The idea of ​​collecting resources like metal and gunpowder in the game world fits well with the Cuban Resolver mentality. This refers to a way of life in which the Cuban people try to make do with what they have because planning and mismanagement compel them to do so. The tinkering and repairs serve as inspiration for the system in this case.

We also have a test video for Far Cry 6, which you can check out here:

13:08Far Cry 6 Review - For every good idea, there's a bad...

Not only does this make looting and gathering feel more natural, it also makes sense in the context of the story. For example, we collect old plastic cans in the form of recycled material and can then use gunpowder to build an improvised silencer for our weapon. In addition, there are umpteen other modifications, or we use the resources in the guerrilla camps to upgrade facilities such as the fisherman's hut, which gives us advantages such as parts of the fishing gear.

However, the motivation doesn't last too long here. Especially with weapons and equipment, further collecting and modifying becomes less important as soon as we have the equipment that suits us. Experimentation is possible, but in the end we end up back with the strongest weapons and stick with one type of ammo since it hardly makes a noticeable difference. In the end, the process is always the same: spying on the opponents via smartphone and finding their weak points feels guerrilla-like, but holding on to the enemies a little longer with the same weapon is usually easier.

We use our smartphone to explore the situation. This is how we find opponents' weak points, positions of alarm systems and alternative routes.

The weak points can be well ignored, since enough firepower is usually sufficient. If in doubt, a targeted headshot helps.

Most of the time, though, we'll just steal an FND turret and use it loudly against them.

Too powerful too quickly: In the test, we found a unique pistol with “The Advocate” quite early in the game, which has unchangeable bonuses through modding and which accompanied us to the end, since we couldn’t find a better sidearm.

After we received our first Supremo, a kind of backpack with a rocket launcher, from guerrilla veteran and quest giver Juan, we hardly had any problems with enemy helicopters and tanks. This of course destroys the guerrilla-typical "David vs. Goliath" atmosphere. However, this also develops a feeling of power flow when we skillfully take care of the FND soldiers one after the other like a one-person army. At that point at the latest, the time-consuming stealth procedure will also become superfluous and we will simply march into enemy bases.

With the right weapon in hand, a sense of power quickly comes, which is fun. By the way, if this scene reminds you of Far Cry 3 - yes, Dani even comments on it.

We can no longer determine our skills, for example endurance or armor, as in previous parts of the series through a skill tree when leveling up, but have to adjust weapons and equipment accordingly in the menu. In theory, we can change weapons and equipment (top, shoes, etc.) freely in battle, but that's quite cumbersome - and especially later in the game it's no longer necessary.

Mods, on the other hand, can only be changed at the workbench. After all, we don't have to pay attention to our outfit when it comes to the values, since we can use a transmog system to overwrite our clothes with existing skins - that pleases fashion-conscious Danis.

The freeloader outfit is designed to give us additional resources when gathering. But there are also outfits for more endurance, armor and more.

An FND soldier rarely comes alone

Once we have equipped Dani appropriately, the opponents usually only make us sweat en masse - even in the more difficult action mode. The enemy horde is not only increased by the alarm via reinforcements, but also on the open road other soldiers are usually not far away or even respawn too quickly. So we liked to get stuck in long firefights with ever new waves of enemies, although we only wanted to free a hostage that was actually being held by only one soldier.

Not enough levels of difficulty: However, the AI ​​is not really that clever. Even at the higher level of difficulty, the FND soldiers like to run right in front of us, while we relax in the office on an oil rig, for example. True to the motto: Let the bone come to the dog. In addition to the easy "story mode" and the more demanding "action mode", other levels of difficulty would therefore be useful for more challenge.

And should we ever get into trouble, it is usually sufficient to heal ourselves manually or to wait for our health to automatically increase again. It is advisable to collect medicines in the game world, but should the supply be exhausted, Dani can also take care of himself after a certain cooldown. In order to bridge the time for healing, we can also use our animal companion as a distraction.

Animal Companions

Far Cry 6 relies exclusively on animal companions that are unlocked through missions. They differ in their usefulness and improvements and can even be visually customized.

Our chosen companion follows you every step of the way and delivers better AI than the soldiers. While we can assign attacks and positions to them manually, Battle Rooster Chicharrón, for example, has often killed enemies before they can stab us in the back. Good rooster – at least when he's not in the way.

Chicharrón is an aggressive rooster with a certain urge to show off.

Crocodile Guapo is also one of the aggressive conspecifics, but is slow.

The small dog Chorizo, on the other hand, is good for distracting opponents. He can also track nearby resources.

Boom Boom is a boomer from Far Cry 5. He not only attacks enemies, but also collects their resources for us.

Oluso is a panther that kills quickly and silently.

In addition to the five standard animal companions, there is also the dog K-9000 and the Panther Champagner, which are only available for a real-money surcharge via the Blood Dragon Pack or the VICE Pack.

Gunplay: From massive to unresponsive

After the gunplay in Far Cry 5 had to take a lot of criticism, Ubisoft has fine-tuned it. The result: The hit feedback feels better, especially due to the sound, but there is still room for improvement here. While assault rifles provide too little feedback, the hit with the improv weapon La Clavadora (a kind of crossbow) feels very powerful and satisfying, as we first throw the opponent a few meters away with massive arrows.

With this crossbow, a hit feels really powerful.

Plus point on the PS5: With the DualSense controller, we also feel the shots thanks to the haptic feedback. In addition, the adaptive triggers are supported, which are noticeable when firing weapons and controlling vehicles with resistance.

Once a guerrilla, always a guerrilla

If we have to give our handicraft mentor Juan something, it's his rule "once a guerrilla, always a guerrilla". Because apart from the approximately 20 hours of gameplay for the main story, we can count on countless more hours for treasure hunts, car races, collections such as fighting cocks, co-op, Bandidos missions and more. The latter works via boards in the camps, through which we send other guerrilla fighters* on missions and have to decide how to proceed based on probabilities, costs and rewards - which can also go wrong.

Far Cry 6 also offers a full range of secondary activities, even if they don't always make sense and are a bit confusing. The missions and tasks are still fun and never caused us to tire. Here you motivate more with the offered variety than with the rewards. However, the fact that diligent processing increases Dani's rank and means a strength advantage also means that the game quickly becomes too easy. The areas and enemies level up with our rank, but not enough to always remain a challenge.

In Bandidos Missions, we send other guerrilla fighters on missions and have to decide which leaders and orders are the best in order to ultimately succeed and reap rewards.

When fishing, we not only gather resources, but also fulfill a mission of our therapist.

Through races like this we can unlock new vehicle parts like characters.

Koop rocks, but has a bitter aftertaste

As in other Far Cry parts, we can also explore Yara for two and, in addition to the special missions of the client Lola, we can also experience the whole story and other orders together. Fortunately, Ubisoft even improved the co-op mode a bit.

On the one hand, in Far Cry 6 we can also team up with other players, on the other hand, everyone now keeps the rewards, resources, equipment, currencies and experience points they have earned - regardless of whether they are hosts or guests. However, this equality does not go so far that the progress of the missions played is also taken over for the guest. So if you want to experience the entire campaign for two, you have to decide who will host each time.

In addition, there is only limited crossplay or cross-gen. This means that only players on PS4 and PS5 as well as on Xbox One and Xbox Series X/S can play together, but not across manufacturers. The PC is also out of this calculation. That's more than a pity, especially since the account link with Ubisoft Connect would certainly meet the requirement.

When we got too far apart in co-op, the game stepped in and teleported us to the co-op partner in the wagon.

In the co-op special operation Mesozoico we have to get PG-240X out of a dinosaur park together without it overheating or killing the opponents.

Also important: Fast travel does not work in co-op mode. So we always have to set out on a mission together. We must not move too far apart, otherwise the teleportation will intervene. In addition, the ranks of the areas or opponents of the host are adopted. However, our test showed that even a difference of 11 ranks does not have to mean a reason for frustration - thanks to decent weapons, good coordination and mutual healing.

What else there is to know about co-op can be found in this article:

More about co-op

Shallow and callous

Warning, disturbing content:

Warning: The following paragraph contains spoilers

As we entertainingly complete one mission after another, the intention behind it quickly fades into the background. Usually we only remember a “Viva la revolution!” of an NPC or suffering slaves because we here as guerrilla fighter Dani actually want to stop the oppression by dictator Antón Castillo.

Serious topics, but nothing behind it

It's no wonder that a Far Cry game doesn't ideally reconcile the serious topic with the exhilarating action - that was also the case in earlier parts of the series. In this case, however, it seems very out of place. The brutality that is obviously shown, for example in takedowns and experiments on people, is used more as a shocking stylistic device without providing the necessary confrontation with it or being emotionally believable. That would not only be appropriate to the subject matter, but would also give more weight to our motivation to stop Antón Castillo. Instead, for the "fun in between" we are treated to animal cruelty in the form of cockfights with Street Fighter mechanics, while we are in another moment should spare rabbits for a vegetarian feast. It is just as ironic that we are supposed to shoot a bunch of trained attack dogs, but then literally execute them together with the bloodthirsty rooster Chicharrón. You can of course do that as a development team, but a little more classification and comment would be appropriate.

In the Far Cry 6 world we can find roosters and fight with them, reminiscent of Street Fighter. We would have wished for a more critical classification here, especially since this "sport" is banned in many countries.

Would you like some swag?!

What also seems inappropriate are some of the characters. While we're still treated to fairly grounded missions with Legends of a Previous Revolution and the Monteros, El Este's coolness increases with the guerrilla group La Moral. And finally culminates in the young and hip troupe Máximas Matanzas. The youngsters also take up arms, but cornering Castillo with cheeky jokes and hip hip seems rather artificial, if not badly satirical. The slightly wacky demeanor of Philly, the Monteros' wacky tinkerer, on the other hand, is pleasant and a blessing in comparison.

Talia, Paolo and their friend Bicho want to help, but are too hip to do so.

Philly, on the other hand, we tend to buy his snappy jokes and close him

More emotions please

Where Far Cry 6 offers too much coolness, it lacks deep feelings. Thanks to the given protagonist with synchronization and third-person interludes, we finally experience more personality compared to Far Cry 5, even develop sympathy, but Dani and the rest of the troupe usually behave quite emotionlessly. They do exist, these emotional moments, but unfortunately they are few and far between. Losing a close friend like Lita right at the beginning of the failed escape to Miami isn't easy and God knows, we're not expecting any drama here, but the actors' reactions rarely seem really comprehensible. Dani's late change of heart, not fleeing after all and joining the guerrilla group Libertad instead, doesn't seem entirely consistent.

Antón Castillo is omnipresent and yet not enough

Probably the biggest figurehead of Far Cry 6 is the villain Antón Castillo, who is played by “Breaking Bad” actor Giancarlo Esposito. That alone sets the expectations high, which unfortunately are not met. Esposito does a good job and the calm, if unscrupulous ruler is more complex than expected, but the potential is not exhausted here either.

Castillo is omnipresent on Yara through TV, announcements, images and statues, but as Dani we rarely get to see the antagonist in person. Most of it is solved via cutscenes away from Dani's narrative thread. While these are interesting because they hint at what made the dictator the man he is, they only raise more questions. Here we would have liked to have looked deeper into his mental abyss.

Antón Castillo seems to have had an interesting past, but little or no further discussion of it. Instead, the cutscenes focus on raising his son Diego.

Yara suffers more from Castillo than from bugs

Open worlds are often plagued by bugs, but in the Far Cry 6 test they were within an acceptable range. A horse once slid across the street like a moonwalk, or Dani briefly got stuck in the ground. Sowas was then already rather funny. On the other hand, occasionally unbalanced volumes in dialogues were more irritating.

What really bothered me, however, were dropouts when crouching. It occasionally happened that Dani simply didn't want to duck despite pressing the right button for a short time. This is particularly annoying in combat.

On consoles without ray tracing, but still close up with nice and crisp textures.

No ray tracing: Compared to the PC version, we also have to sacrifice lighting and reflections on consoles because ray tracing is not supported. The world can be seen without these effects, but it would be desirable to use the power of PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X as well. At least the textures are nice and sharp thanks to 4K and an extra texture pack.