The franchise has always followed a formula of sometimes strangely exotic Far Cry locations and intriguing villains, but the franchise hasn’t reached its height in this formula in some time. However, since Assassin’s Creed managed to pull itself out of franchise fatigue, so too can Far Cry 6. One step in doing so is to simply bring new life to its Villains by looking back at what it has done right.
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Far Cry 3’s Vaas Montenegro
Arguably the most iconic villain in the franchise is Far Cry 3’s Vaas Montenegro; Vaas was complex, hateful, and perhaps most of all, psychotic. He threw players into mass graves, hunted them, tormented them, and enjoyed every moment. His death was about as lucid as the game gets, and to do this day, many still likely remember the phrase “Did I ever tell you the definition of insanity?”
His defining trait was true unpredictability and psychotics rants. This never disappeared from succeeding villains, but it never reached the same level. Channeling Vaas to some degree would be an important aspect in capturing the ideal Far Cry 6 villain.
Far Cry 4’s Pagan Min
For every depraved level of insanity with Vaas, Far Cry 4’s Pagan Min was enigmatic. What he truly wanted was never really clear, and as such, the ending can be a surprise sometimes. In many ways, Pagan Min’s defining factor was his love for protagonist Ajay, as Pagan Min was his stepfather. He is shown as flamboy, eccentric, and violent, yet he never actually acts directly violent toward Ajay.
This complexity and perhaps unique relationship with the protagonist outlines a good process for a villain; Pagan helped Ajay more than he hindered him. While it would need to take a new route, establishing a unique relationship that evolves over the game between the Far Cry 6 protagonist and villain would go a long way in revamping the formula.
Far Cry 5’s Joseph Seed
If there was one word to describe Far Cry 5’s Joseph Seed, it’s conviction. He believed he was right (because he technically was) despite losing his family and loved ones, and he had an unbreakable faith throughout the events of the game. If the Far Cry 6 villain was as passionate about something, whatever that may be, it would go a long way for Far Cry 6.
Far Cry New Dawn’s Mickey and Lou
Far Cry 6 should learn from Far Cry New Dawn, but differently from other entries. Mickey and Lou’s entire premise was evil for evil’s sake, and as such, it failed to capture the beauty from past villains. They hit the several deranged bars for the franchise formula, but they didn’t deliver the same level of depth. Their murky plan and goals were never more than just evil. In other words, the Far Cry 6 villain should have reason and purpose for his or her endgame, for their role in the story.
The Ideal Far Cry 6 Villain
From Far Cry 3, the FC6 villain should be a little off edge. From Far Cry 4, there should be a unique relationship. From Far Cry 5, there should be conviction, and from Far Cry New Dawn, there should be lessons learned. At the end of the day, though, the Far Cry 6 villain needs to stand out from these and be unique. These attributes, traits, and ideologies should all be used, but in a way that the formula is enhanced and not merely retrospective.
It remains to be seen what the now-leaked Far Cry 6 villain looks and acts like, but all eyes are on Ubisoft to deliver upon its once golden formula again.
Far Cry 6 is rumored to be in development.
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