Among other sizable changes like third-person cutscenes and a high profile actor for the game’s villain, Far Cry 6 is bringing back a fully-acted protagonist for the player’s character. Protagonists in the Far Cry series have certainly been hit or miss before, Far Cry 3 in particular comes to mind, but Far Cry is a franchise that prides itself on how viscerally personal each villain in each title. A silent protagonist helps cheapen that impact in a significant way, as any impact that the villain might have on players tends to fall flat when the protagonist basically has nothing to say. Far Cry 6 making this change makes a lot of sense in that regard.
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Dani Rojas Brings a Much Needed Change to Far Cry 6
Dani Rojas will be the main protagonist of Far Cry 6, someone born and raised in the game’s fictional Caribbean country of Yara. Players have the options of choosing a male or female version of Dani, and regardless of their choice, both have their own separate performance capture. Major cutscenes in the game will also utilize third-person perspective, something that really hasn’t been used in a Far Cry game since the first entry in 2004. What’s interesting about Far Cry 6’s protagonist is that he’s not a “fish out of water” character like previous protagonists, rather he’s someone who’s grown up and lived in the game’s setting Yara for years.
There’s always been an inherent savior complex built in to the character design of Far Cry protagonists, and that certainly won’t be different in Far Cry 6. The catch is that previously it was all about some new character, returning to a land to bring salvation. Dani Rojas in Far Cry 6 not only grew up in the country of Yara, they supposedly want nothing to do with the Revolution. Presumably the events of the game will force players into it in some manner, but this is the first time a character is fully aware of the world around them. Previous protagonists like Far Cry 3’s Jason Brody and Far Cry 4’s Ajay Ghale were characters showing up in a very unfamiliar world to them, to different degrees. Far Cry 6’s protagonist supposedly knows Yara very well, since he grew up there, which is a unique premise for a Far Cry protagonist.
The Subtle Importance of a Central Protagonist in Far Cry
This kind of inherent involvement in the narrative was sorely missed in Far Cry 5’s silent protagonist. While players were given a high degree of character customization as a result, it didn’t help curb the feeling that the protagonist’s involvement in the story felt forced. It’s understood that it’s the player’s duty to apprehend Joseph Seed and stop his cult from becoming a domestic nuclear superpower, but there’s a lot lost in translation as to how the protagonist is motivated to do so. We understand that the character is part of the US Marshalls and that it’s their job, but players gain no insight into why they keep fighting to beat the Seed family.
On its own this wouldn’t be a huge problem, but with the way Far Cry 5’s narrative presents itself to the player, that narrative issue is exacerbated even more. Far Cry 5, and several entries before it, have largely used first-person cutscenes as a way to keep players immersed in each scenario. That being said, without any added perspective or voice from the protagonist themselves, it’s almost like every character on screen has to perform double-time to not break immersion. Players feel even more out of place as a result, as most scenes are either cutting their importance out to the point of awkwardness, or supporting characters ending up talking for them, which is even worse.
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A Better Perspective For Far Cry 6’s Story
Having a central character to usher the narrative forward will be the most important key to success for Far Cry 6, moreso than Giancarlo Esposito’s role as the main antagonist of Anton. There’s merit to Far Cry always placing the antagonist at the center of the game’s story, but having even a serviceably important protagonist goes a long way to making the game’s story that much more engaging and interesting. Especially with first-person cutscenes being eschewed in favor of third-person cutscenes, bringing back a central protagonist will be far more impactful.
Dani Rojas doesn’t even have to be that compelling or unique of a character, especially if Anton and Diego Castillo’s roles will be the most important characters in Far Cry 6’s story. So long as their character feels like they’re present for the game’s narrative, then that’s enough.
Far Cry 6 is planned to release in 2021.
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