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Far Cry 6: The Good, The Bad & The Ugly

Updated on October 12, 2021

Well then, now that everybody's had a chance to settle in to Far Cry 6, specifically Yara, in which the game revolves around — I think it's only fair that we put all of our cards out on the table. And this really is just one person talking freely here, where the vast majority could very well disagree and loiter on the opposite end of the spectrum. But for what it's worth, I think it's only fair to cast a small voice on Far Cry 6, perhaps as a way to clash heads with Ubisoft in the hopes some flaws can be amended with future updates.

To put it out there — Far Cry 6 is not a bad game, not even by a long shot. Ubisoft did a pretty stellar job at piecing it together and keeping the formula well-poured and distributed to the world. But, having said that, there are some things that could be tweaked. A glitch, a voiceover, and maybe, providing time isn't a factor — a complete mission makeover altogether. But let's just run into it from the start. Here are a few basic things that Ubisoft could do to improve that conquest over Yara, and a couple that they managed to nail down to a tee.

5. Ragdoll NPCs (The Ugly)

In this day and age, you honestly wouldn't expect to see a village of people spiralling into oblivion in a video game. And if you do happen to come across it, then it's usually a rarity, and most definitely something we can shrug off and discard. But Far Cry 6, unfortunately, has a few more flailing arms and lunging legs than we'd honestly like to see. In fact, going by my own game — it was only twenty minutes before Guapo (your giant crocodile companion) performed a base jump into a freeway sign and alerted an entire outpost to my presence. Like, what? How?

There's plenty for Ubisoft to gloss over, but tweaking NPCs and how they interact with the world around them is definitely something that needs attending to immediately. Until then, sadly, Yara will continue to feel like a half-complete world with one too many flailing drunkards and trigger-happy reptiles. And that's not great, considering five years went into one of the biggest maps in Ubisoft history.

4. “What a Wonderful World” (The Good)

Wobbly arms and soaring crocodiles aside, Ubisoft did actually manage to craft a pretty beautiful world. Of course, after Assassin's Creed: Valhalla released last year, the Far Cry 6 designers certainly had the lofty task of trying to one-up their sibling game. And while England and Yara are oceans apart (and not to mention completely different colour palettes), Ubisoft did actually manage to capture the latter remarkably well, and possibly even surpass the former creation.

It's bold, it's vibrant — and it possesses all the raw material to construct a living, breathing region. With its own currency, resources, towns, nooks and crannies, and everything else one could associate with a war-torn country — Yara truly is a one-of-a-kind place, with plenty to keep its citizens engaged and locked in to its many secrets.

3. “Guapooooo Jenkins!!” (The Bad)

Going back to the trigger-happy crocodile I spoke about earlier — it seems as though I should shed a little more light on that, because honestly — it's something that needs fixing. Like now. Don't get me wrong, companions are ideal for combat situations, and can even slaughter an entire outpost and mop up its objectives without causing you a single shred of harm in the process. But that's really only useful after you've devised a plan.

Now, Guapo, on the other hand, couldn't care less about what you think, or even if you're not done reloading or scoping out your next point of interest. Guapo will, without batting an eyelid, pull all the enemies onto you and raise all surrounding alarms before you can even put away your phone camera. Following on from that, he'll maybe take a couple of targets down, and then ultimately go down himself, leaving you to dodge bullets and resuscitate his scaly skin. Not cool, Guapo. Not cool.

2. Synchronization (The Ugly)

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You'd think that with all the synchronization Ubisoft forces down your throat with its Assassin's Creed viewpoints — that they'd at least know how to link up the actual mouths with the words the characters spew. But that's not the case, as you'll quickly come to learn as you sink into Yara and come face to face with its many heroes and villains. Even the antagonist, Antón Castillo, who poses as the game's absolute focal point, as per the Far Cry tradition. Even he receives the rough end of the stick, with choppy cinematics and mismatched dialogue.

While we do come to expect it from NPCs, we don't really expect it to fall from main characters — especially ones like the evil dictator Antón Castillo. It definitely spoils the illusion that you're engaged in conflict with this very man, and overall takes you out of the driver's seat as you focus more on the designers laziness than the actual narrative itself.

1. “I Give You…Yara” (The Good)

With all of the minor flaws set aside, it is worth pointing out that Far Cry 6 does share its genuinely positive traits, and in no way should it be labeled as a poor game. Even with the familiarities that make you feel like you're playing the same game for the sixth time running — it's still an enjoyable ride with plenty to chew into.

Yara is beautiful, and crafted incredibly well — just as we have come to expect from Ubisoft. It's side hustles and encounters are plentiful and compelling enough to pursue, as well as its overall story progression and character arcs. Even the odd checklist formula that Far Cry has become incredibly well known for tends to frazzle out into the background after a short while. So, all in all, you're looking at a pretty meaty experience, with enough “Far Cry” to keep you shovelling away for a good twenty-plus hours.