With the recent reveal of Far Cry 6we got a quick glimpse of Giancarlo Esposito's role as the new series villain. With the backdrop of the working class of a city rising against a tyrannical leader, there is a lot this entry in the series can potentially deliver. In terms of political subtext, Far Cry 6 could give fans a lot to chew on if the game does not cower away from risqué themes like previous entries. Yet while story is important, the topic on a lot of players' minds is, of course, the gameplay.

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It's All Downhill From Here 

While many fans love Far Cry 2, understandably so, the franchise did not receive its highest level of hype until the third entry. In 2012, Far Cry 3 chucked the bar into the stratosphere when it came out. Combining a solid open-world FPS with an engaging narrative, and immersive gameplay, the game was a hit. Any follow up to this entry would have big shoes to fill. While fans were kept busy with Far Cry Blood Dragon, they waited on a true sequel. Flash forward two years to Far Cry 4, and reviews were generally positive. However, some cracks began to show in Far Cry's armor.

Far Cry 4 was a sequel living in its predecessor's shadow. While Far Cry 4 took what worked in Far Cry 3, it did not seem to push it any further. Anyone that played Far Cry 3 a lot might see the sequel as a reskin; in some cases, you might see the same visual assets reused. The gameplay loop did not vary drastically and the game had nothing to surprise you with. Go around clearing outputs, unlock more of the map, hunt some animals for an upgrade, do a mission, repeat. By no means is Far Cry 4 a terrible game – many players loved the map editor, the combat, visuals, but something was holding it back.

Some fans argue that despite the excellent performances from actors like Troy Baker, the story felt average, and this only highlighted the repetitive nature of the game. Others say that Far Cry 4 simply gave what fans demanded. Still, unfortunately, many players were just burned out by the previous entry and numerous sandbox games from other developers at the time. Yet despite these criticisms, there was enough to enjoy in Far Cry 4 to overlook its flaws.

Franchise Fatigue or Ubisoft Fatigue?

Only two years after Far Cry 4, Ubisoft released Far Cry Primal. While it is easy to see Far Cry Primal as just switching out guns for spears, the game did attempt to freshen up the gameplay loop with some survival elements. Having to manage supplies and not freeze to death was a nice change of pace from previous entries. However, the gameplay was mostly the same as previous entries; now instead of radios towers to clear, it's just campfires and caves. While the game was impressive visually, it was more of the same.

Fans only had to wait another two years to get their hands on the next installment. Far Cry 5 received a lot of backlash, partly because of heightened political tensions in the U.S. and the marketing that leaned on taking down white supremacist figures. While tackling social commentary would have been interesting from a narrative perspective, with the unfortunate uptick in nationalism in the U.S. and the globe, the final product held back on exploring any of its themes. Far Cry 5 flirted with the idea of contemporary political subtext only to deliver a story with no bite, a cliche cult plot, and it felt like a gimmick.

What's there to say about the gameplay that has not been said? On the upside, radio towers were removed, but the core gameplay loop was the same. Take over a camp, scavenge items for upgrade trees, rinse, and repeat. Then fans had to wait only one year for the next entry Far Cry New Dawn which took on a more whacky post-apocalyptic setting. Still more of the same. It would be a disservice to say these games are bad, evidenced by their sales numbers, but they had no tricks up their sleeves. If this was not your first Far Cry game, the experience felt bland. It's fun to turn your brain off, but playing these games felt like muscle memory. Simply going through the motions.

It is easy to blame franchise fatigue, but this issue of repetitive gameplay and formulaic open-world games was prevalent across a vast majority of Ubisoft's line up. From the yearly Assassin's Creed entry to Watch Dogs, gamers were bombarded with clearing outposts and crafting menus.

Enter Far Cry 6 

Far Cry 6 Cover
via PlayStation Store
Far Cry 6 Cover

The recent trailer for Far Cry 6 is well-produced, teases some interesting urban environments, themes of class struggle, but does that mean anything? It is a guarantee this game will look gorgeous, as visuals were not this franchises' Achilles heel. In terms of story, it is difficult not to be skeptical about the game delivering something worth getting excited about. Story quality after Far Cry 3 slowly began to nose dive, and we saw how Ubisoft was cowardly in Far Cry 5 when actually engaging with its political themes.

What about gameplay? There have been some knockout entries in the open-world genre over the past few years. From Metal Gear Solid V to Breath Of The Wild, developers have found many ways to make the open-world not feel empty, and have a fresh take on the style. Far Cry 6 needs to be enough of a departure from previous entries to stand out. The story can only carry the game so much before the bland gameplay creeps in. Far Cry 6 does not have to reinvent the wheel, but spice up the routine. Perhaps developers could add more survival elements like in Far Cry 2 or Primal that added some depth to the gameplay. Hopefully, the inevitable gameplay reveal will calm any concerns about the new entry.

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