Far Cry is arguably Ubisoft's most popular open-world franchise. Over 17 years since the release of the first iteration of this plot-driven sandbox series, not many dramatic changes have been made to its core formula. The pivotal moment in the history of the franchise was 2012's Far Cry 3. This game is the embodiment of Ubisoft's signature "open-world formula" that it has been striving to improve and polish through to Far Cry 6, but also in other popular franchises like Assassin's Creed and Watch Dogs.

Despite the enormous commercial success of these titles, many fans and critics say the formulaic nature of Ubisoft's open-world games is getting stale, and feel a true revolution is needed to reinvigorate these franchises. However, sales numbers and review scores seem to suggest what's there still works, with Far Cry 6 being no exception. Players hoping for a radical change might be disappointed, but others could argue that such changes are unnecessary given how well the series has been performing.

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The Far Cry Formula Works

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While arguments for restructuring some of the core gameplay mechanics in Far Cry are not unfounded, the fact is the "Ubisoft formula" remains effective in terms of creating stunning, interactive environments full of things to do and secrets to uncover. Legions of players eagerly await new Ubisoft releases every year. Granted, the abundance of icons, collectibles, and waypoints does break immersion in a noticeable way, but on the other hand Far Cry games were never supposed to be believable experiences that make players believe they are truly a part of the world.

On the contrary, one of the best things about Far Cry is the fact it lets gamers wreak havoc in a tropical setting without taking anything too seriously. There are plenty of story-focused shooters with long campaigns that take the gritty approach in trying to present accurate depictions of war-torn settings and tell heart-wrenching stories. Far Cry has never pretended to be anything other than a playground to get lost in so players can create their own adventure, with a story that manages to keep things interesting while never getting in the way.

In Far Cry 6, the developer provides a beautiful world with tools for players to be the main creative force. It's a dynamic that has been at the core of many Ubisoft's open-world franchises, and it's arguably one of the main reasons it became one of the most successful game publishers in recent years. Reinventing the Far Cry formula in its sixth iteration would inevitably have upset that dynamic, resulting in a loss of identity its creators have worked so hard to establish.

Same Old Fun With Extra Gadgets

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The "Far Cry formula" is a broad term that encompasses too many things to list out. In general, most Far Cry games are set in war-torn, tropical open worlds, and their plots revolve around a charismatic villain with total control over the territory. The players' main task is to eradicate that control, one outpost and enemy base at a time until the antagonist is weak enough to be tackled head-on. This is the core of the Far Cry experience, topped off with wacky side missions and collectibles.

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Despite the fact all of the games in the franchise play out in a similar manner, Ubisoft tinkers around with each new Far Cry release, trying to perfect the loop that has generated tens of millions of sales over the years. For many fans, the most memorable entry was Far Cry 3. It was the first title to introduce a fleshed-out, archetypal Far Cry villain with a cult-like following, as well as a massive open world with viewpoints, enemy outposts to capture, side quests, and collectibles to dig deeper into the history of the setting.

The third entry in Ubisoft's hit franchise is often cited as the first that truly embodies the Far Cry formula and its signature gameplay loop, but many tend to forget that a lot of these exploration mechanics were introduced in 2008's Far Cry 2 and improved upon over the four years leading up to the release of Far Cry 3.

The Right Changes Aren't Always Radical

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The enormous success of the third game led Ubisoft to play it safe with Far Cry 4, which ended up looking and feeling like story DLC for Far Cry 3 rather than a proper standalone title. The fourth installment, while still having great graphics at release, is responsible for starting the debate regarding Far Cry's formulaic nature.

It's true that the developers took the easy way out with a sequel to one of the best open-world first-person shooters ever made at the time, but this wasn't the formula's fault. The best proof is Far Cry 5, whose best moments echo the franchise's past (including the chilling Joseph Seed, improved gunplay, and capturing outposts), meanwhile its lows had a lot to do with moving away from the classic Far Cry tropes (such as using rural Montana instead of a vibrant tropical island, or its boring and voiceless protagonist).

Far Cry 6 righted the wrongs of its predecessor, and in doing so has come closer to the "formulaic" roots of the series. This is not to say no changes have been made; incorporating a big, living city into the open world, adding more pet companions with special abilities, including customizable weapons and outfits, and doing away with a silent protagonist for the well-written Dani Rojas have all contributed to a Far Cry title that feels familiar, yet manages to keep players invested in the franchise.

This wasn't achieved by pivoting away from the series' core identity, rather by implementing organic improvements to the concept that made these big open-world games successful in the first place. Despite legitimate criticisms regarding its repetitive nature, Ubisoft's open-world formula still works and shows no signs of stopping, as evidenced by the overwhelming interest and hype generated by the release of Far Cry 6. Some more changes could be made down the line, but it's not likely to revamp everything anytime soon.

Far Cry 6 is available now on PC, PS4, PS5, Stadia, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.

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