Although Far Cry 6 is the latest in a long-running and popular video game franchise, its history pales in comparison to Marvel as an entity. Marvel has grown through comics, TV shows, video games, and more, while Far Cry’s primary audience is via video games. Still, combine any two items of pop culture, and there’s bound to be something similar.
For Marvel’s Avengers, the game from Square Enix specifically, and Far Cry 6, a comparison can be drawn on the importance of characters. Several heroes from the Marvel backlog are hailed and beloved more than others, and Marvel’s Avengers leverages that with the DLC appearance of characters like Hawkeye and Black Panther. Far Cry’s villains, on the other hand, are often the most loved characters, ranging from FC3’s Vaas to FC6’s Anton Castillo.
This means something that’s slightly ironic: Spider-Man is super important as part of Marvel’s Avengers DLC run. Arguably, even more important than Pagan Min and Joseph Seed in Far Cry 6’s DLC run is Vaas, and these are both true for similar reasons.
Marvel’s Avengers: The Importance of Spider-Man
Marvel may have a huge backlog, but it seems safe to say that the Webhead is one of the most beloved characters there is. Spider-Man appealed to many younger generations for his powers and quirks, his interesting double-life, and his overarching story as both Spider-Man and Peter Parker (and there’s a lot more to it than that). But Spider-Man is so beloved that it’s a double-edged sword for Marvel’s Avengers.
Recently, Marvel’s Avengers confirmed its Spider-Man DLC would have story and cutscenes, but there are a ton more questions such as what sort of take on Spider-Man is this and how does his basic abilities, like web-swinging, factor into the gameplay. If Marvel’s Avengers gets Spider-Man right, it’s going to bolster the game’s redemption art and draw in a lot of players, even if it’s just on one platform. But, get Spider-Man wrong, and there are going to be a lot of unhappy fans.
It’s no surprise really Spider-Man has taken so long, as outside general development cycls, Crystal Dynamics has the task of making its own version of Spider-Man/Peter Parker without ruining him in the eyes of a ton of fans. Story and cutscenes, then, are a step in the right direction, but his appearance, tone of voice, personality, and all of that can’t really betray Spider-Man fans.
Far Cry 6: The Importance of Vaas
That’s the same exact boat Vaas is in for Far Cry, with the main exception being that Spider-Man fans have waited a year or so on the character DLC while Far Cry 6’s Vaas: Insanity DLC is set to release in November. This may bode well, but it doesn’t create an automatic escape for Vaas.
Just as one could easily argue that Spider-Man is one of the most beloved characters in the franchise, the same could be said of Vaas in Far Cry. More so than Pagan Min, Joseph Seed, or Anton Castillo, Vaas captures the hearts of Far Cry fans as the quintessential villain of the franchise. Very little is currently known about the Insanity DLC, but it’s sure to have cutscenes and a new story related to Vaas and therein lies the danger.
Theoretically, Far Cry 6 should be able to get Vaas down perfectly. Vaas’ voice appears in a post-credit scene for Far Cry 6, showcasing the return of Michael Mando for his depiction. The DLC will almost certainly have a story, cutscenes, fun gameplay, and the like, and Vaas will be at the heart of it all. That doesn’t mean there’s no reason to worry; Far Cry 5, which has many similarities and differences from FC6, had a rather lackluster DLC run. FC6's set-up thus far seems similar enough that it could be concerning for many.
A bad DLC run for Far Cry 6 means a bad depiction of Vaas, and if Far Cry 6 somehow messes with Vaas’ iconic role in the franchise, a lot of fans will be mad. Vaas’ distinct personality, characterization, and more are all things only Michael Mando and a proper story could capture best, and doing him any sort of disservice would not go over well.
Now, taking both the Far Cry 6 and Marvel's Avengers DLCs into account, there’s little to no reason to doubt Spider-Man or Vaas' addition to these games. Both Ubisoft and Square Enix know the importance of these characters, and their inclusion could really help push both games to the next level. It’s just a tightrope walk, and a stumble for either character is a serious fall for their respective games too.
Far Cry 6 is available now for PC, PS4, PS5, Stadia, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X.