When Ubisoft launched Far Cry 3 back in 2012, they showed a bunch of things about that game. Its visuals were incredible, its combat mechanics looked fun, and it even had stealth. But one thing that stood out the most was none other than Vaas Montenegro. This character was given life by the incredible Michael Mando, and he played it in such a manner that it lives in the minds of many people to this day.
From that moment on, charismatic villains became a thing for this series of games. They would connect to the protagonist in some way, and then they would wreak havoc on each other’s lives until the game ended. But after several games, this idea has become stale, yet it looks like Far Cry 7 will repeat this same idea once again.
Far Cry 7 would once again rely on its villain to make things interesting
Michale Mando played Vaas with such passion that people were scared of him. They showed a level of insanity that cannot be recreated. And when this character was eliminated from the game, his mark was so prominent that people kept expecting him to come back. He haunted people’s minds.
Far Cry 4 took players to Nepal, and as Ajay Ghale went there to fulfill his mother’s dying wishes, he met Pagan Min. This character was played by none other than gaming’s own superstar, Troy Baker. And no doubt, he gave this role his best, and it showed. While there was a hint of sophistication in him, Pagan was as insane as Vaas.
Ubisoft then decided each one of their games needed this kind of villain. A character with a lot of charisma and a haunting look in their eyes. Vaas and Pagan were then followed by Joseph Seed and Antón Castillo, later played by the legendary Giancarlo Esposito.
While these villains are a good thing, these games need much more than just a charismatic villain. For a long time, not much has changed in the Far Cry franchise. Players are dealing with a charismatic villain in a place controlled by said villain.
Then they join some people opposing said villain. This saga has gotten old, and it needs to change. These games need a dramatic transformation to stand out. But it looks like Far Cry 7 would not be the game to bring about this kind of change.
But they have to change it for the benefit of this franchise. Yes, these kinds of villains make people curious, but overdoing something can sometimes make things worse. Far Cry 6 was the worst; even with the effortlessly brilliant performance by Giancarlo Esposito, it could not make this game any better.
Maybe they can find a brand new style for their next title. Make it better-looking, improve the stealth, and improve the driving mechanics. Try not to add so many in-game microtransactions and give fans a map worth exploring. A map that you don’t have to force the players to explore.
Maybe Ubisoft can find answers in Far Cry 2?
While Far Cry is suffering because it is following the formula of its previous games too hard, they can still find an answer to their problems after they look a bit further in the past. They should look at Far Cry 2.
That game was released years ago with an exciting new engine. It looked incredible, and its setting was Africa. Its villain was also charismatic; his name was Jackal, but he did not ruin a player’s time by showing up and giving crappy speeches. The game played like survival; players walked a lot, the map was in the player’s hands, and enemies did not have an indicator when they saw players.
This makes a game more exciting; survival skills like mechanics and malaria became staples of Far Cry 2. That’s the kind of change this series needs. They need to make it a game set in a rough, hostile world that can challenge players, and not waste time on adding a fancy villain.
