Opinions on Far Cry 2, at least in comparison to the rest of the series, are generally mixed. Some would tout it as the best entry in the whole franchise, despite its shortcomings. Others would believe Far Cry 2 was formative but wasn't as revolutionary as the big changes made in Far Cry 3. Opinions aside, Far Cry 2 did establish a lot of important foundations that would impact a lot of what would become the modern Far Cry game. Although there's one aspect that hasn't truly made its return yet, and deserves a rebirth in Far Cry 6.
One of the best aspects of Far Cry 2 wasn't the story itself, but the integration and importance of the game's companions within that story. While in subsequent Far Cry games "guns for hire" were introduced, they felt quite subservient and irrelevant to the game's story in comparison. Far Cry 2 inserts companions directly into the main narrative in a way that isn't exactly revolutionary storytelling, but justifies their existence in a meaningful way. Companions in Far Cry 6 would do well to emulate Far Cry 2's approach again.
Far Cry 2's Best Buddies
Back in late 2008, just shortly after the beginning of a new console generation, Ubisoft released the long-awaited and very different sequel to the original Far Cry game. It was completely different in tone, setting, enemies, and the big villain, but one big difference was the inclusion of the buddy system. At the beginning of Far Cry 2, there are nine playable protagonists players can choose from, each with their own nationality in backstory. Players can still meet the characters they don't choose as buddies throughout Far Cry 2's Africa.
Players find these additional mercenaries throughout both major regions of Far Cry 2, either in specific places on the map or safe houses dotted across the landscape. Unlike Far Cry 5's non-essential guns for hire, Far Cry 2's buddies both assist in battle and are also valuable additions to the story. In fact, once certain allies become "best buddies," they insert themselves into Far Cry 2's main narrative by offering alternative strategies to complete the main story missions. All buddies have permadeath as well, meaning any bonuses they conovey can be lost on death. Whether it's a convoy diversion or a strategic betrayal of a warlord, buddies genuinely matter to both the player and the story.
Companions in Far Cry 6 Makes Sense
Far Cry 2's intricate and meaningful buddy system deserves a return in Far Cry 6. Far Cry 5's attempt was too barebones, at least in comparison to the second game, to have any meaningful effect on the gameplay. Players could go solo through the entirety of Far Cry 5 and the core gameplay experience wouldn't change at all.
Far Cry 6 has an opportunity to not only justify a returning buddy system, but the story that the fifth game seems to be setting up lends itself well to bonding with and fighting alongside allies. Since players are stepping into the shoes of a freedom fighter, fighting alongside other freedom fighters with similar goals and ideals just makes sense.
Plus, memorable side characters could help avoid one of the biggest pitfalls of Ubisoft and Far Cry game narratives: avoiding being too political. Considering this is a game where players are dethroning a literal tyrant, it's going to be awfully hard to avoid any political parallels and/or commentary.
So, in an attempt to avoid keeping the game's inherently political nature from the spotlight, what better way than to shift focus on to those who wish to fight back for the revolution. Permadeath companions who players can get attached to, as well as characters that can directly affect outcomes of the story, would be a perfect addition to the game.
A Revolution Worth Fighting For
Story-wise, there's less ambiguity in alliances as well, so buddies become far more relatable from a player perspective. Buddies in Far Cry 2 were all mercenaries fighting for themselves, so any person helping out the player ended up doing so for mutual benefit. Considering Far Cry 6's main character Dani Rojas becomes a revolutionary/freedom fighter as his character arc, it'd be more interesting to have companions with similar goals who fight alongside Dani. Assuming Far Cry 6 implements a similar importance on the narrative like in Far Cry 2's buddies, it then becomes a lot more natural to include companions when they share a common goal with players.
Adding a similarly intricate buddy system from Far Cry 2 into Far Cry 6 would be a welcome return for a mechanic that's often forgotten by fans. One of the best parts about Far Cry 2's story wasn't about what the player was going through, but rather how the companions organically changed the story relative to their relationship with the player. The different scenarios companions could assist and influence made gameplay seem far more fluid and customizable. Far Cry 6 would excel with a similar system, especially with the new story.
Far Cry 6 releases on February 18, 2021, for PC, PS4, PS5, Stadia, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X.