Far Cry 6 is currently in development at Ubisoft, and between its tropical island setting and the cinematic trailer’s focus on the strong performance of its central villain, fans might be forgiven for noticing the similarities the new game has with previous installments in the franchise before noticing the differences. However, while the next game will stick to certain elements of the series’ successful formula, it will also see one significant first for the franchise.
Far Cry 6 will be the first Far Cry game to include a city in its setting. Esperanza is the capital city of Yara, the fictional Caribbean island ruled by Anton Castillo, the nation’s iron-fisted dictator played by Giancarlo Esposito of Breaking Bad and The Mandalorian fame. As the first in the franchise to include a city, Far Cry 6 will face some unique challenges, but could also take advantage of some unique opportunities.
There’s a reason Far Cry’s open-world games have avoided urban centers so far that can be gleaned from developer comments about the creation of earlier games like Far Cry 3. The world of Far Cry 3 was designed to allow players to approach any given enemy base from a huge array of different angles, and to use the environment around them as a part of their assault. Part of the design philosophy behind Far Cry 3 was a dynamic approach to side stories and the main narrative. The variety in approaches available to the player immerses them without need for main common open-world traits.
In an interview with Game Rant back in 2012, Ubisoft Montreal’s Level Design Director Mark Thompson explained some of the ways Far Cry 3 made use of its tropical island setting:
“At E3, the demo we showed, you use the sound of the waterfall to mask that fact that you were killing that guy, and you dragged him to hide him behind the waterfall… It’s not just scripted for that demo, it’s something systemic. You know, if you drag a body and hide it in a bush, it’s going to be there, it’s going to be hidden. If you’re inside a bush, you’ll be hidden. The AI isn’t omniscient, it doesn’t see through walls, it doesn’t see you through bushes. If you think you’re hidden, you’re hidden and the AI don’t know where you are.”
It’s less likely that Esperanza will have waterfalls or other natural hideaways than the rest of the island, and it will be vital for Ubisoft to come up with new and diverse ways for players to use Esperanza’s urban environment which have not featured in Far Cry games so far. The new game’s narrative director Navid Khavari has already commented on some of the unique opportunities Esperanza provides, particularly the vertical element its tall towers add to the game.
As the “Lion’s Den” – Anton Castillo’s seat of power – it’s likely that Esperanza will house some of Far Cry 6’s toughest combat encounters. This could make the kind of stealth a city enables far more necessary, with players sticking to interiors, rooftops, and alleyways as they try to remain undetected (perhaps). If Far Cry’s first city is going to have the same appeal as its wildernesses, however, it will need to add new ways players can use the environment to their advantage. Players should be able to zipline between buildings, take out opponents through windows, and use cars, closets, and other spaces for stealth and hiding bodies in the same way that they are able to use parts of the natural environment like water and bushes in the other games.
While the vertical gameplay aspect is a huge opportunity for Far Cry 6, it also comes with one of the game’s biggest risks. Part of the appeal of the series has always been the freedom it gives players when approaching Far Cry‘s combat encounters. Tall towers, however, risk having just two clear approaches: fighting from the group up or fighting from the roof down.
In earlier Far Cry games, players were also able to get a good idea of where enemies were located by scouting around an enemy base before launching an attack. Tower blocks and back-alleys make this less likely, and a focus on interiors could risk muting one of the series’ most successful elements. A focus on rooftops and the outdoor elements of a city environment could find more success using the traditional Far Cry formula.
Ubisoft could also look at games like Arkane Studios’ Dishonored when it comes to designing multiple ways to tackle interior locations. Many of the buildings in Dishonored have multiple entrances and exits, as well as secret passages, vents, and window ledges which the player can use to get around stealthily. The more uniform design of 20th century skyscrapers might make designing Far Cry 6 in this way more of a challenge. Locations like Anton Castillo’s palace as seen in Far Cry 6’s cinematic trailer, however, could provide Ubisoft with some great opportunities to create dynamic interior spaces with multiple avenues of approach.
The studio could also find more ways for players to use classic Far Cry mechanics. They may not be able to find a waterfall to mask their footsteps, but perhaps players could rev a car engine or set off an explosive to distract Castillo’s soldiers. In fact, having Esperanza operate as one huge single enemy base could be key to creating a dynamic city to match Far Cry’s rural environments. Players could draw guards from streets away by setting of an explosive in a back-alley or could set off an alarm in a building to cause all of its soldiers to evacuate, for example.
Ultimately, it will be key that Far Cry 6’s city allows for as many dynamic avenues of approach as the rest of its island setting. Those avenues may be unique to its urban environment, but Ubisoft will need to make sure that the city gives players as many new opportunities as it does challenges.
Far Cry 6 is in development for PC, PS4, PS5, Stadia, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X.
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