Summary
Though the exact sales figures aren’t known for the most recent entry, theFar Cryfranchise has consistently been one of Ubisoft’s biggest money-makers for the last decade or so. ThoughFar Cry 2sold a solid 2.9 million,Far Cry 3blew those numbers out of the water when it released in 2012, selling over 10 million copies in its lifetime. And whileFar Cry’s spinoffshave failed to hit that same level of success, every mainlineFar Cryentry since 2012 has done just as well, if not better thanFar Cry 3.
But while theFar Cryfranchise is technically in a great position commercially, it’s at a critical all-time low. Since the release ofFar Cry 3, every entry in the franchise has seen a gradual decrease in its Metacritic score, going fromFar Cry 3’s 88, toFar Cry 4’s 85, toFar Cry 5’s 81, to finally ending on the lowest of the lot withFar Cry 6’s 73. It seems as though the same decade-oldFar Cryformula is finally wearing too thin for many fans and critics, and ifFar Cry 7wants to be a success, then it’s going to need to shake things up significantly, and a great place to start is with its antagonist.
Far Cry 7’s Antagonist Has a Lot Riding On Them
The Far Cry Franchise Has An Antagonist Problem
Far Cry 3was a major turning point for theFar Cryfranchise, essentially forging the blueprint that’s still being used over a decade later, not just in this franchise, but the vast majority of Ubisoft games across the board. One ofFar Cry 3’s most influential inclusions was its captivatingantagonist, Vaas Montenegro. A focal point of the game’s pre-release marketing and the centerpiece of the game’s front cover, Vaas is still widely considered to be one of the greatest villains in gaming, with Michael Mando’s brilliantly unhinged performance sticking in the minds of fans even all these years later.
Much like many of the game’s other core pillars, Ubisoft learned the wrong thing fromFar Cry 3’s antagonist. Rather than realize that Vaas was so beloved thanks to his excellent writing, performance, and in-game implementation, Ubisoft seemed to believe that simply having an unhinged antagonist would be the key to success. WhileFar Cry 4’s Pagan Min was far from a bad villain, he wasn’t Vaas, and the same can be said forFar Cry 5’s Joseph SeedandFar Cry 6’s Anton Castillo, even despite Giancarlo Esposito’s inherent gravitas.
Far Cry 7’s Antagonist Needs to Break The Mold
A large portion oftheFar Cryfranchisehas revolved around its antagonists, with them often appearing as the central piece of marketing for the game, and acting as the sole driving force for the game’s narrative and action. While antagonists are something that the video game industry often struggles with, Ubisoft making them such an integral part of theFar Cryexperience has only served to put a target on their back and put an immense amount of pressure on their shoulders. If recent leaks are true, thenFar Cry 7is only going to exacerbate things.
According to recentreports from Insider Gaming’s Tom Henderson,Far Cry 7will rely on its antagonist more so than any previous entry in the franchise. According to the leaked plot description,Far Cry 7’s inciting incident will see the player’s family get kidnapped. From there, players will need to rescue each family member before a countdown timer expires.
If theseFar Cry 7leaks are true, then the game’s antagonist will need to be even more enigmatic than ever before, as the entire plot seemingly revolves around their personal desire to disrupt the protagonist’s life. This is going to require an antagonist with enough charisma and screen presence to convince players they pose enough of a threat to spur them into saving their in-game family as fast as possible. The inclusion of an in-game timer should also lead to unique interactions between the player andFar Cry 7’s antagonistbased on whether the player succeeds, and the antagonist’s performance and writing must make the player want to see all of these.
Far Cry 6
WHERE TO PLAY
Play as Dani Rojas, a local Yaran and become a guerrilla fighter to liberate the nation. Welcome to Yara, a tropical paradise frozen in time. Far Cry 6 immerses players into the adrenaline-filled world of a modern-day guerrilla revolution.
