PC Gamer - UK (2022-02)

I

f you’re yet to start Far Cry 6, I have a

recommendation for you. Once you’re on the

far side of its tutorial – and find yourself sitting

between the pincers of a vast, curved

Caribbean island named Yara – head straight

east to El Este. There, the farms harbour teenage

terrorists, and the mountain has become an old

people’s home for former revolutionaries.

It’s the perfect staging ground for inter-generational

conversation and conflict. A place where the elderly have

plenty to teach but are too tired to pass it on – and the

young have righteous anger in spades, but no desire to

listen. As main protagonist Dani, your job is to bridge the

generational gap, connecting student killers with the

jaded veterans who could refine and direct their rage. It’s

a process that’s clumsy and often funny – a relatable

tragicomedy for anyone old enough to see the familiar

arc of the human condition.

“We often paint revolutionary movements in media

as one big entity,” narrative director Navid Khavari

explains to me. “It couldn’t be further from the truth.

There are so many facets involved, whether it’s uniting

opposing forces for one common goal or giving those

who want to sit on the sidelines a reason to believe there

is a fight that needs them. And in the case of El Este,

convincing those from a previous generation that this

time things could really change.”

El Este’s story forms part of a wider message in Far Cry

6 , gleaned from Ubisoft’s research into revolutionary

movements – that progress is not a straight line, and that

setbacks are inevitable. In one striking early dialogue,

Libertad leader Clara García tells Dani that she doesn’t

expect Yara’s first elected leader to last long. Yara has won

its freedom before, within living memory – and lost it too.

“If you look throughout history, whether in Latin

America or around the world, during the time of

revolution it is incredibly difficult to predict what will

happen once they’re over,” Khavari says. “And once the

reality of a post-revolutionary future sets in, whoever is

still standing will be in incredible danger, whether they’re

in charge or not. Clara is a visionary but also a pragmatist.

Two steps forward, one step back.”

LONG TAIL

Khavari’s writers spoke to scholars and former fighters,

and clearly took their duty to revolutionary history

seriously. Nevertheless, Far Cry 6 has been criticised for

its tone, with some suggesting that a respectful reflection

on dictatorship shouldn’t coexist with a Macarena gun

and chicken companion. This kind of clash isn’t a new

problem for Khavari, who previously led the narrative

team behind Far Cry 5’s Whitetail Mountains region and

the doomsday cult, Project at Eden’s Gate.

“This definitely is a challenge for any team developing

a Far Cry story,” he says. “What I do know is our team did

absolutely everything in our power to try and tell a

meaningful story, while also staying true to the hyper-real

elements of the franchise.”

One longtime characteristic of Far Cry, Khavari points

out, is that it doesn’t encroach on how players choose to

play, or what tools, weapons and gear they use. “Now we

wanted to leave that freedom,” he says. “But at the same

time, if you choose to focus on the story and equip the

tools that will make you feel more like a grounded

revolutionary, it’s there waiting for you.”

Elsewhere, Latin American players have complained

about a trope where characters ‘dip into’ Spanish

mid-sentence when speaking English. “It was something

we discussed with a multitude of members of the team

and experts who worked with us,” Khavari says. “For

example, there are those from Latin American countries

who would tell us they often do dip in and out of Spanish

and English in everyday conversation, so that element

really spoke to them. What I would say is that trying to get

the Spanish and authenticity right was a real concerted

effort over several years.”

Whether Far Cry 6 hits its mark is for individual

players to decide. But it’s clear that, for Khavari, every

decision comes back to doing justice to the story of

guerilla revolution – down to rejecting Far Cry’s history of

silent protagonists by having Dani speak throughout the

game. “It would be next to impossible to tell that story,” he

says, “without having a player character that can express

an opinion on the cause they are fighting for.”

Jeremy Peel

GENERATION GAME

FAR CRY 6’s narrative director talks Caribbean revolution and criticism

OPEN BOOK

Khavari’s tips on writing for Assassin’s Creed and Far Cry

2

Try looking for a new

perspective to bring to

the playground you’re in

“while respecting the DNA of

what came before” so things

don’t get all jumbled.

3

Understand that story is

part of a vast spectrum

of what makes games tick,

“Constant collaboration and

pulling back to look at the

bigger picture is essential.”

1

Don’t get too caught up in

the scale of the series

that you’re working with. “If

that happens it’s like working

with one hand tied behind

your back.”

NEWS | OPINION | DEVELOPMENT

INSPIRATIONS AND CONNECTIONS IN GAMES

Positive

Influence