The highly rumored seventh installment of Ubisoft's Far Cry series needs to ensure that one of its narrative staples is up to snuff.
Ubisoft's Far Cry series has found itself in uncharted territory in recent years. After consistently releasing high-profile main entries interspersed with expansions and spin-offs of varying length (and quality), Far Cry's presence in the FPS open-world genre it helped popularize has been less prominent compared to its previous patterns, with the series having gone its longest now since FC 6 in 2021 without another entry. In addition, the studio has kept mostly quiet about its status and plans, leaving many fans wondering about its future direction.
Far Cry's foundational formula largely consists of three main tenets--an exotic and impressive open-world setting, freeform exploration/combat within it, and an over-the-top imposing villain to contend against. This latter ingredient has become more of a selling point for the series through the years, as the initial meeting between the player character and the main antagonist/s sets the tone for the rest of the story and other elements. As such, it's imperative that the next entry stands out by having the early establishing encounters between the player protagonist and major antagonist/s, and the manner they are handled, be memorable and worthy of carrying the franchise's legacy in this regard.
Though unconfirmed, various leaks and rumors have suggested Far Cry 7 , as well as other Far Cry projects , are potentially in development.
It's often agreed that Far Cry 3's Vaas made the biggest splash in terms of immediately arresting villains, and marked the series' shift towards focusing more on them, with subsequent baddies striving for the same effect. FC 4's Pagan Min, with his veneer of friendliness marked by a sadistic streak that could easily bubble to the surface at an instant's notice, was displayed prominently in his opening scene and during the story. It was a solid follow-up that, while enjoyable, ended up feeling just shy of Vaas' intensity in the end.
Religious cult leader Joseph Seed in Far Cry 5 gave off a more aloof and creepier vibe with his fervent doomsday prophesying. However, he and his family members were also somewhat inconsistent in terms of threat. Most recently, FC 6's Presidente Castillo was basically a standard corrupt dictator, enacting the horrendous deeds expected of such a character, but his actual presence in-game was the farthest removed, appearing and interacting directly less frequently on average than any of the preceding villains.
First impressions are obviously important, especially in Far Cry's case, since so much of the rest of the action and story revolves around the nature, personality, and machinations of its main antagonist. Far Cry 7 then has a tough task to recapture this aspect while evolving it. Far Cry's next villain will need to be introduced and presented in a manner that at least rivals if not supersedes the highs of prior ones. Therefore, it may be time for Ubisoft to rethink its previous philosophy and take some bigger risks with a possible paradigm shift.
Some interesting (though again unofficial) information in this area points to the next game pulling elements from the past and reforming them into a new shape.
Allegedly taking inspiration from the tropical islands of FC 3 and the cult angle seen in FC 5, along with perhaps the biggest shift in a possible in-game time limit for Far Cry 7, Ubisoft could use these to reinvent or subvert expectations in the manner its villains are usually introduced. For example, it could have fans play as them in the intro, before revealing this and switching to the protagonist, setting up the dynamic that way.
There are certainly various other avenues the studio could approach in changing up this element, but the main issue is that, regardless of any other shakeups, the next Far Cry is heavily obligated to ensure the first moments between players and antagonists hit the ground running and keep quality and consistency throughout the rest of the experience that rises above some of the more mediocre aspects that have dogged them in recent games.
Platform(s): PS5 , PS4 , Xbox Series X , Xbox Series S , Xbox One , PC , Stadia
Released: October 6, 2021
Developer(s): Ubisoft
Publisher(s): Ubisoft
Genre(s): Action , FPS
Multiplayer: Online Co-Op
Engine: Dunia 2
ESRB: M For Mature 17+ due to Blood and Gore, Intense Violence, Mild Sexual Themes, Strong Language, Use of Drugs and Alcohol
How Long To Beat: 23 Hours
Metascore: 73
PS Plus Availability: Extra & Premium
Ubisoft's Far Cry series has found itself in uncharted territory in recent years. After consistently releasing high-profile main entries interspersed with expansions and spin-offs of varying length (and quality), Far Cry's presence in the FPS open-world genre it helped popularize has been less prominent compared to its previous patterns, with the series having gone its longest now since FC 6 in 2021 without another entry. In addition, the studio has kept mostly quiet about its status and plans, leaving many fans wondering about its future direction.
Far Cry's foundational formula largely consists of three main tenets--an exotic and impressive open-world setting, freeform exploration/combat within it, and an over-the-top imposing villain to contend against. This latter ingredient has become more of a selling point for the series through the years, as the initial meeting between the player character and the main antagonist/s sets the tone for the rest of the story and other elements. As such, it's imperative that the next entry stands out by having the early establishing encounters between the player protagonist and major antagonist/s, and the manner they are handled, be memorable and worthy of carrying the franchise's legacy in this regard.
Though unconfirmed, various leaks and rumors have suggested Far Cry 7 , as well as other Far Cry projects , are potentially in development.
Far Cry 7 Needs to Make Sure Its Villain's Introduction is Effective and Memorable
Far Cry's Past Villain Introductions
It's often agreed that Far Cry 3's Vaas made the biggest splash in terms of immediately arresting villains, and marked the series' shift towards focusing more on them, with subsequent baddies striving for the same effect. FC 4's Pagan Min, with his veneer of friendliness marked by a sadistic streak that could easily bubble to the surface at an instant's notice, was displayed prominently in his opening scene and during the story. It was a solid follow-up that, while enjoyable, ended up feeling just shy of Vaas' intensity in the end.
Religious cult leader Joseph Seed in Far Cry 5 gave off a more aloof and creepier vibe with his fervent doomsday prophesying. However, he and his family members were also somewhat inconsistent in terms of threat. Most recently, FC 6's Presidente Castillo was basically a standard corrupt dictator, enacting the horrendous deeds expected of such a character, but his actual presence in-game was the farthest removed, appearing and interacting directly less frequently on average than any of the preceding villains.
How Far Cry 7 Could Make Its Villain's Initial Appearance Impactful
First impressions are obviously important, especially in Far Cry's case, since so much of the rest of the action and story revolves around the nature, personality, and machinations of its main antagonist. Far Cry 7 then has a tough task to recapture this aspect while evolving it. Far Cry's next villain will need to be introduced and presented in a manner that at least rivals if not supersedes the highs of prior ones. Therefore, it may be time for Ubisoft to rethink its previous philosophy and take some bigger risks with a possible paradigm shift.
Some interesting (though again unofficial) information in this area points to the next game pulling elements from the past and reforming them into a new shape.
Allegedly taking inspiration from the tropical islands of FC 3 and the cult angle seen in FC 5, along with perhaps the biggest shift in a possible in-game time limit for Far Cry 7, Ubisoft could use these to reinvent or subvert expectations in the manner its villains are usually introduced. For example, it could have fans play as them in the intro, before revealing this and switching to the protagonist, setting up the dynamic that way.
There are certainly various other avenues the studio could approach in changing up this element, but the main issue is that, regardless of any other shakeups, the next Far Cry is heavily obligated to ensure the first moments between players and antagonists hit the ground running and keep quality and consistency throughout the rest of the experience that rises above some of the more mediocre aspects that have dogged them in recent games.
Far Cry 6
Franchise: Far CryPlatform(s): PS5 , PS4 , Xbox Series X , Xbox Series S , Xbox One , PC , Stadia
Released: October 6, 2021
Developer(s): Ubisoft
Publisher(s): Ubisoft
Genre(s): Action , FPS
Multiplayer: Online Co-Op
Engine: Dunia 2
ESRB: M For Mature 17+ due to Blood and Gore, Intense Violence, Mild Sexual Themes, Strong Language, Use of Drugs and Alcohol
How Long To Beat: 23 Hours
Metascore: 73
PS Plus Availability: Extra & Premium
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