Far Cry 6 For Xbox Series X S, Xbox One Standard Edition

The Far Cry series has long experienced something of an identity crisis. Is it a hard–boiled story of survival, or a goofy physics playground with pet bears and flamethrowers? The answer has usually been “a bit of both,” and that’s not necessarily a bad thing. Far Cry 6 doesn’t buck that trend – the flamethrower definitely hasn’t gone anywhere – but the latest installment does manage to smooth over a lot of the bumps that have cropped up in the past few games, and in doing so becomes the best the series has been in years – but it also misses some steps, especially with its updated inventory system, and that creates some new problems along the way.

Far Cry 6 once again sees you trapped in a huge open world controlled by a charismatic madman, this time on the fictional island nation of Yara. Even after this many games, the job of turning all the red dots on your map into blue ones is still a good time, whether by sneakily silencing every enemy guard or by going the less subtle route of throwing bullets and Molotovs at them until no one is left.

Primarily modeled after Cuba, Yara is ruled by fascistic dictator Anton Castillo, who’s expertly portrayed by notorious TV bad guy Giancarlo Esposito; with this performance, he has handily claimed the top spot on my list of favorite Far Cry villains (with apologies to Mr. Mando). His regime would be too preposterously evil to believe at times, if not for its real-world South and Central American inspirations. But it’s his unwavering devotion to his vision of a “perfect” Yara, along with Esposito’s natural gravitas and the stoic charm he projects to his still-loyal subjects, that make him a great foil to the chaotic diaspora of revolutionaries you’re working to unite as you attempt to topple the regime of El Presidente and his lieutenants.

Castillo’s underlings aren’t necessarily anyone to write home about, running the gamut from “psychotic navy Admiral” to “psychotic air force Captain” to “psychotic propaganda director.” They’re all played well, but even the more interesting inclusions of a North American pharma tycoon and Yara’s own friendly neighborhood mad scientist feel like familiar entries in the Big Book of Video Game Bad Guys – especially when compared to Esposito’s Castillo.

Every one of Esposito’s scenes is captivating, particularly during the exchanges with his son, Diego. He’s a boy trying to reconcile his understanding that the impact of our actions on others is more important than our own intentions with his father’s vehement belief that noble ends justify despicable means, which creates some powerful (if one-sided) tension throughout. It’s a shame that the very end of the story doesn’t provide a clearer resolution for all the plot threads it introduces – though Castillo remains a memorable antagonist until the bitter end. While a lot of the success of the character belongs to Esposito for his work on the role, the cinematic animation team deserves a commendation for translating the minute details in his performance onto digital character models.