Far Cry 6is on the way, and between the series’ impressive pedigree andBreaking Bad’s Giancarlo Esposito starring as the game’s villain, fans of the franchise have plenty to look forward to. By returning to a tropical island setting, the game also has more in common withFar Cry 3than some of the more recent entries in the series.
However,Far Cry 6’s setting cannot repeat the main mistake ofFar Cry 3. Though praised for its gameplay, one aspect ofFar Cry 3’s setting and story came under criticism when the game released. Based on what’s known aboutFar Cry 6so far, there’s a real risk the new game could come under fire for the same flaw.
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The Rook Islands And The Rakyat in Far Cry 3
Far Cry 3helped ignite the franchise’s popularity.Michael Mando’s fantastic performances as the game’s villain Vaas drew huge attention inFar Cry 3’s marketing alone. Mando’sperformance, as well as much of the gameplay mechanics, received a lot of praise from fans and critics alike. However, there was one aspect of the wayFar Cry 3dealt with its setting that didn’t sit well with many players.
Far Cry 3takes place inthe Rook Islands, a rough stand-in for Indonesia that’s home to the indigenous Rakyat people. “Rakyat” itself just being the word for “people” in Indonesian. The group is also inspired by other groups like the Maori people of New Zealand, sharing their facial tattoos and in many cases their accent.
The story ofFar Cry 3is about Jason Brody; a white American man who escapes captivity while on the Rook Islands for vacation, who spends the rest of the game gunning down pirates and mercenaries as he fights for the freedom of his friends. He eventually becomes considered the “Ultimate Warrior” by the leader of the Rakyat,Vaas’ sister Citra.
In the end, Jason must choose between killing his girlfriend Liza in a sacrifice at Citra’s behest, or refusing to do so. Refusing leads to Citra’s death, when one of her followers inadvertently stabs her while making an attempt on Jason’s life. Regardless of the player’s choice, the Rakyat are revealed to be as cruel and murderous asVaasand the pirates inhabiting the island. Even if Jason sides with Citra, she kills him as soon as she believes that she’s pregnant with his child, who will supposedly be the true Ultimate Warrior who will restore her people.
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Criticisms Of Colonialism in Far Cry 3
When the game released back in 2012, this element of the plot read to manyFar Cryplayersas an uncritical colonial perspective, framing the indigenous population as backward and dangerous. The attitudes of the Rakyat echoed those seen in colonial fiction in stories likeKing Solomon’s Mines, with their belief that Jason is their heaven-sent savior. There’s an argument to be made that the game plays with this. During the final sequence Citra can be heard saying “this is your island,” while Liza says “you’re living in a fantasy world.”
The idea that Jason is accused of living in a fantasy could be interpreted as that colonialism aspect, and Jason’s savior complex, is a creation of his own mind. Although, the fact that Citra is still trying to coax Jason into a human sacrifice undermines that interpretation. While the line “this is your island” clearly makes reference to the temptation to give into a colonial savior complex, it nonetheless comes from the mouth of the islands’ indigenous leader. Even if it’s intended as a trick to lullJason Brodytowards his fate, the fact that Citra then kills him still portrays the Rakyat as murderously superstitious, which is certainly problematic.
Far Cry 6’s Setting
Far Cry 6isn’t set in the Rook Islands but in Yara, a fictional Caribbean country under the rule of dictator Anton Castillo, played byGiancarlo Esposito. Yara is based on Cuba, specifically under the strict United States embargo against Cuba. The new game’s narrative director even commented on the setting’s influences, saying that “when you’re talking about guerilla warfare, you go to Cuba.”
The risk is thatFar Cry 6’ssettingwill paint a similarly colonial and American-centric picture of Cuba asFar Cry 3did of Indonesia, among its other influences. In marketing material, Yara is described as “a tropical paradise frozen in time.” This phrasing already bodes poorly for the game’s perspective: The idea of the Americas as violated tropical paradises, and the idea that Cuba’s embargo froze it in time, shows a simplified colonial perspective that hopefully isn’t translated into the game itself.
One potential positive forFar Cry 6is its main character,Dani Rojas, who is a native of Yara. This makes it far less likely thatFar Cry 6will come under fire for the same white savior criticism asFar Cry 3. However, having the main character be from the game’s new setting doesn’t necessarily mean it will avoid making the same mistakes asFar Cry 3.One of the stranger things aboutFar Cry 6is that it appears to be basing its revolutionaries and dictatorship on the Cuban Revolution.It remains to be seen whether or not this distinction will be subtle commentary, or both groups will be portrayed as simplistic versions of their inspirations, reflecting a US-centric perspective.
Ultimately, whether or notFar Cry 6comes under fire for having a colonial perspective will likely depend on its characters. The portrayal of the relationship between Dani Rojas and their revolutionaries, as well asAnton Castillo’s regime, will determine if these factions are portrayed with realistic complexity or as caricatures. Yara may be a fictional nation, but it has the potential to reflect assumptions made about real Latin American countries that could feel very familiar.
Far Cry 6is in development for PC, PS4, PS5, Stadia, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X.
