Developer: UbisoftPublisher: UbisoftPlatforms: PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, Xbox Series X (Reviewed), Xbox One, PCRelease Date: Available NowPrice: $14.99 USD – Available Here $39.99 Season Pass– Available Here
OverviewOne of the best parts of almost every Far Cry game happens to be the villain that players will need to face down over the course of the game. However most of the time, these core villains either only make a few brief appearances or, especially in this case, end up being replaced by a far less charismatic one in the second half of the game. As such when it was revealed that Far Cry 6‘s season pass would allow players to step into the shoes of the villains from past games it came as not only a surprise but something many looked forward to and Ubisoft is starting with their strongest foot forward here by placing Vaas Montenegro as the first villain DLC in Vaas: Insanity.
StoryIt is worth noting that, although Far Cry 3 came out nine years ago, if players haven’t had a chance to check it out yet then there will be some spoilers regarding the fate of some characters discussed here.
That being said, Vaas: Insanity begins during the final confrontation between Vaas and Jason Brody with the fight ultimately leading to Vaas seemingly being stabbed to death. Vaas awakens only to find that he has instead been trapped inside of his own mind with his sister Citra taunting him and ordering him to gather the shattered pieces of the dragon blade should he ever hope to escape from his shattered mind. With strange events around nearly every corner as players delve deeper into the mind of this charismatic but broken villain it will be nearly the true definition of insanity trying the same thing over and over again expecting things to change as the saying goes.
Vaas: Insanity already had a lot going for it simply by taking perhaps one of the best villains the series has seen so far and putting him front and center but it expands upon it even further by giving Vaas a lot of backstory as we learn more about his past as a child, his interactions with Citra and her manipulations, and even what happened before and as he met with Jason’s gang of friends. These “memories” serve not only as collectables but also help paint a fresh picture of an already solid villain. While the story doesn’t try to redeem Vaas, as he is still truly past the point of no return, it does show that there are methods behind the madness and also how he ended up players eventually meeting him in Far Cry 3.
Of course this is all painted through Vaas’ unique perspective but he often remarks throughout the story that he knows exactly what he is doing, even if the portrayal is as crazy as one would expect from the character. This means that not only is there a solid story told through Vaas’ mission to escape his mind but the character is also developed far further than players could have possibly hoped, helping make Vaas an even better villain than before. It is also worth noting that players should aim for the hardest difficulty once everything is said and done for a bit of extra content.
GameplayAs we already touched upon, one of Vaas’ favorite sayings was that the definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again expecting different results and therefore placing him in a roguelite FPS makes for some great irony while also delivering a far different feeling game than what Far Cry usually offers. That being said, those expecting a full roguelite experience may be a bit disappointed here as Vaas: Insanity only pulls things off partially in that regard.
Vaas begins his time in the center of a fittingly small island with only a pistol and some small healing vials to his name with players needing to complete challenges to unlock additional weapons, earn cash from slaying enemies or opening treasure chests and then using said cash to buy permanent upgrades, and unlock extra perk slots to try and survive the chaos that is roaming the island. Every time Vaas dies players will lose all cash (unless upgrades are purchased to hold onto a certain amount), buffs, and weapon mods that they may have had on them during a run. This includes dropping any of the dagger pieces that they may have gathered throughout the course of their run.
These dagger pieces are easy to locate as each of the three is located at the end of a bloody trail on the map where players will need to face down a difficult challenge set in a place that was near and dear to Vaas in some way, be it a signature location that he killed someone important or something else personal. These battles tend to be the most difficult part of Vaas: Insanity so players will need to prep to make sure they are ready. This includes buying permanent unlocks that increase Vaas’ total health, additional gadgets such as randomized grenade types, more weapons, more healing syringes, etc., and randomized perks that can be obtained from chests or slain enemies.
Cash is also used to upgrade a weapon chest though it is here that the roguelite element begins to fall apart. While Vaas will lose his current cash, weapon mods, and buffs upon death, nothing will actually change on the map. Any location that was previously found will still be shown exactly where it was previously, all weapons will remain the same with only the mods being different, and the story will remain the exact same every time. This means that running through a previously viewed memory to acquire extra buffs or challenging another mission to obtain a dagger piece will play out the exact same way every time with no variation which can be rather annoying and takes some of the enjoyment out of the process, especially since weapons will always remain the same with only slight variations.
This is especially true should players choose to replay the game once they have already escaped from Vaas’ mind once. After initial completion of Mind Level 1, players can return at a harder level of difficulty going all the way to Mind Level 5 to put their skills to the test but even at harder difficulties everything remains in the same place with enemies only dealing more damage as a result. This makes the replayability of this dark and twisted story far less than one would hope as, once it is cleared the first time, players have already seen nearly everything there is to offer.
Visuals & AudioWith Vaas: Insanity being set inside the drug addled and broken mind of Vaas, Ubisoft was able to really take advantage of some of the more crazy design elements they may have been holding back on. Sharks can fly purposefully through the sky, animals made of lava can tear through the environment, and twisted portrayals of Jason and other memorable moments can appear throughout the land. These unique elements are truly some of the better parts of exploring what this DLC has to offer.
It must also be said that it is great to hear that all of the voice actors have returned to reprise their roles here, especially when it comes to Michael Mando’s portrayal of Vaas as the character truly shines as the spotlight here once again.
OverallCreating a roguelite style FPS centered around the shattered mind of one of Far Cry‘s most charismatic villains was a great idea and has worked in many ways but faltered a bit in some regards. Not only can the game’s roguelite elements be too basic to really vary up the gameplay but the fairly short runtime of the story is a bit disheartening as well. That isn’t to say that there isn’t plenty to see here, especially for those looking for more of Vaas, as this DLC delves deep into his mind in more ways than one.
Capsule Computers review guidelines can be found here.
The Best Far Cry Games – No.1 Is Pretty Obvious
Since the first game was released in 2004, Far Cry has set the standard on fantastic open-world shooters. And while the in-game physics and the amazing graphics were key to the franchise’s success, what truly made Far Cry go super-viral was the villains — who more than often appear on the game’s cover art.
Ubisoft knew they had a winning formula: a great bad guy that compelled you to finish the game just so you can shoot the jerk in the face.
With Far Cry 6‘s recent release, I began to look back at the best Far Cry games.5. Far Cry 4
After the success of Far Cry 3, many hoped that Ubisoft would recreate the magic in a sequel. For the most part, I do believe they achieved that with Far Cry 4.
In this instalment, you play as Ajay (James A. Woods), a son returning home to Kyrat (a fictional Himalayan country) to spread his mother’s ashes. However, the country’s crazy dictator, Pagan Min (Troy Baker), makes things difficult for him as Ajay gets caught in the middle of a revolution.
While I think Pagan Min was a fantastic villain, maybe the 2nd best in the series, the rest of the story and the same Far Cry 3 gameplay slapped on a new exotic location is why this game is not higher on the list of best Far Cry games. Unfortunately, it was also filled with mediocre supporting characters and not much innovation.
4. Far Cry 2
While this is probably mostly led by nostalgia, I really love Far Cry 2 – mostly because of the first-person action. Also, you’ve got to admit those fire graphics were incredible for the time.
In 2007’s Far Cry 2, gamers play as an unnamed mercenary. Set in a fictional African nation that is in civil war, you are sent to kill an arms dealer named The Jackel.
The shooting was exhilarating, the driving was invigorating, and that fire spread everywhere and caused some major mayhem.
And yeah, I thought the Malaria gimmick was interesting at the time, sue me.
3. Far Cry 5
This might ruffle some feathers out there but, yes, I think Far Cry 5 is one of the best games in the franchise.
After Far Cry Primal disappointed, I was so amped to get a game that took full advantage of the PS4 technology. Also, the villain was badass.
Set in the most rural American setting, 2018’s Far Cry game introduced a violent religious cult led by Joseph Seed. You play a cop determined to bring the church and its leaders down.
Classic gameplay returned. And Far Cry 5 offered really interesting support characters.
That ending was unforgettable.
2. Far Cry 6
Like many fans, I was sceptical about Far Cry 6 at first. On paper, it had all the right ingredients of making a tremendous game: a menacing villain, a lush island paradise and plenty to shoot at. But could it top Far Cry 5?
While El Presidente Anton Castillo was great, he was underused and his henchmen were not up to scratch compared to the Seed Siblings. Couple that with the fact that the 1st person gameplay gets completely disconnected by the 3rd person cut scenes, and you end up with a disappointing story.
That said, the story is the only thing that brings the game down ever so slightly.
The gameplay is as fun as ever. From going guns blazing on enemies to wing gliding to your next location to silently taking out guards with your bow and knife, Far Cry 6 has it all.
Plus, the island is a gorgeous tropical paradise that is so much fun to explore and get lost in.
Far Cry 6 just might be a worthy sequel to what I, and many others, consider to be the best Far Cry game.
Check out my full video review below.
1. Far Cry 3
Surely you saw this coming, right? Of course, Far Cry 3 is the best Far Cry game. Ever.
The developers took what made the second game successful to the next level with a villain that is probably one of my all-time favourite villains (in any form of entertainment).
You play Jason, a privileged young adult wanting to party it up on an island in seventh heaven with his friends. Naturally, things go terribly wrong and his friends are captured by Vaas, a lunatic criminal who is the very definition of insanity.
A lot of my love for this game absolutely comes from Vaas (Michael Mando), but the open world was alluring to explore too. The grind of taking down camps, hunting animals for upgrades and taking down camps is so gratifying.
I had such a great time playing this game that to this day it is still one of my all-time favourite games.
Tell us, which Far Cry game do you consider to be the best?A year after Assassin’s Creed: Valhalla, Ubisoft, which has studios in multiple regions around the globe can thank anew its Philippine division for playing a noteworthy role in helping create Far Cry 6.
The local arm had also helped with Valhalla, which sold 1.7 million copies at launch, and received expansions Wrath of the Druids and Siege of Paris this year. Far Cry 6, meanwhile, was the top-selling game in the US in October 2021.
For the Philippine studio, taking on Far Cry’s latest installment was a milestone, given it was their first foray into the popular shooter franchise. Their prior experience centered mostly on the AC series, which developed over time from stealth-adventure into an RPG.
Ubisoft Philippines’ aim was to push the boundaries of FC6’s visuals while maintaining a smooth gameplay infrastructure for players. This included challenging tasks, like finely working on the buildings and setting of Yara, the game’s fictional dictator-led country, while maintaining functional and technical soundness for what they say is a “deep level of immersion.”
Here are just a few of the assets that the Philippine team had a hand in creating:
The studio even included a taste of nationalistic culture with the presence of Filipino favorite lechon (roast pig) in the game.
They worked in collaboration with the Toronto, Montreal, and Berlin studios of Ubisoft, which included real-world travelling for artists and developers to collaborate and build camaraderie while making visions come to life.
Filipino players of Far Cry 6 can explore a dinosaur theme park in the game called Mesozoico knowing it was designed mostly by the PH studio’s talented artists and developers, who remain hard at work for post-launch content and expansions.
Ubisoft Philippines says they were meticulous in making preparations and establishing standards fit for the game’s overall objective. For instance, measurements and movements had to be perfected for regular actions, such as finding cover behind a detached rooftop during a fiery gun fight.
“Building an entire island nation is an extraordinary feat for all Ubisoft studios involved,” the Philippine studio stated.
“We are proud that our contributions – from art to project management, quality assurance, and other job families – have led to the vibrant and wonderful world of Yara.”
In an effort to learn more about the team and the process they underwent, Rappler reached out to Ubisoft PH for an interview. The conversation branched out to asking the question of whether or not game design is an appropriate ambition for young aspiring artists and developers with goals to work in the ever-growing video game industry.
Co-development
There’s a saying that, “teamwork makes the dream work,” although that mantra applies to beyond just sports or politics. It’s particularly important in game development, where multiple creative minds come together with the goal of launching a collective intellectual property, sometimes under heavy scrutiny.
“It pays to consider everyone’s point of view and expertise and work with them to arrive at solid decisions,” shared Raf Regidor, the associate lead artist, who’s tasked with managing the art team.
“We always had to make sure everyone is on the same page because it is crucial in terms of a whole team’s direction.”
The Philippine studio worked closest with Ubisoft’s Toronto branch, who according to the local talent, was open to a healthy give-and-take approach in exchanging ideas.
“They were flexible and very open to suggestions that we were able to implement our internal processes where we identify potential issues on the assets and escalate it to resolve them before production starts,” said Raine Delos Santos, the associate quality assurance lead.
“We had the opportunity to be trained by technical artists and closely worked with them on optimization to ensure our assets won’t have issues on the game performance.”
ExperienceIf anything, the constant communication provided additional experience for veteran developers, and was a rite of passage for the fresher blood to hone their talents.
“Actually, we had some new hires on the project, so a lot of it comes down to drive and motivation to improve oneself and do the best within the given time constraints,” project manager Alfonse Angliongto claimed.
Regidor, for instance, was guided by his previous work on the weapons, architecture, props, and modular kits of For Honor and Assassin’s Creed: 3 Remastered.
“The experience proved to be useful in providing feedback to new team members and in coming up with tactical strategies on our day-to-day production,” he said.
Someone like game tester Kaeye Endrina, on the other hand, banked on years of training on the intricacies of the industry to make the most of his first shot at an AAA title.
“In my opinion, my 3-plus years of bug writing, knowledge on relevant tools used for testing and the skills of testing games, and applications helped me greatly to easily adapt and perform my duty as a game tester,” he said.
“Also, it’s not always about how much experience you have – it’s more on how easily you can work with other disciplines and understand your role.”
Do you have the skills?
Associate QA lead, Raine Delos Santos (center), together with build engineer, Ringo Salutan (left), and artist, Jonathan Teodoro (right), during their training in TorontoWhile experience wasn’t too mandatory, how about skill level? Was there a certain benchmark of accomplishments required of the developers before they got the green light to make FC6 more than just ideas on a whiteboard?
There are two sides to it; the first, obviously, was technical ability.
“At the core, you should be comfortable in making PBR (physically based rendering) quality assets. Be mindful not just of good visuals but also of your tech execution,” Regidor explained.
“You should show a good knowledge of balancing visuals versus tech constraints since we need to make sure the assets would work properly in-game.”
Being talented, however, can only get you so far.
“Good communication skills, drive to improve oneself, and being a team player,” Alfonse listed the intangibles that are also needed to perform at this level.
“These games are intricate with dependencies interlocked across different items. A delay on one task will cascade to other teams, so people being able to communicate issues early and proposing solutions to the other teams helps a lot.”
Think of it like running a farm. All it takes is one rotten apple to spoil the bunch. In a high-stakes production such as what Ubisoft planned for this first-person shooter, being open to feedback was integral, along with knowing the ins and outs of the game’s development.
Game design as a career? Why not?
Associate lead artist, Raf Regidor gives professional advice to students during a day-long Portfolio Review in 2019.It’s fair to say there’s still a stigma from certain parents when their children approach them with the prospect of a career in the video game industry. While many of the older generation have come to accept – and thrive – this new age where gaming is a lucrative business (at least financially), it’s understandable that some young talents are still dissuaded by their folks’ reluctance to accept what they might not yet entirely comprehend.
What kind of conversation could change that outlook?
“Have a clear expectation and knowledge of the industry first to be able to educate your parents or peers. This will help give them a better appreciation of what you’ll be doing down the line,” Raf suggested.
“Painting that picture first clears assumptions or stigmas they might have and will help them appreciate the industry and your decision as well.”
Endrina went through this exact process and preaches open communication as the key to make progress, not just for one’s career path, but also for personal relationships.
“My advice is to introduce it more to your parents,” he said. “Help them understand by making them experience games. Share or open more about your passion in game development.”
World stageUbisoft Philippines’ part in bringing FC6 to consoles is proof Filipinos have the talent in this industry to perform at the highest level, according to Suzy Buenaventura, the strategic operations manager.
She said that developing the local ecosystem is paramount to the studio’s success.
“It’s not only about finding new talent, but also contributing to the education of the country’s future developers,” Buenaventura mentioned.
She is referring to Ubisoft PH’s collaboration with De La Salle University, where in 2018 both sides launched two groundbreaking degree programs for aspiring young minds to capitalize on the growing industry and this country’s role in it: BS Interactive Entertainment Major in Game Development and Major in Game Art & Design.
“We’ve seen massive interest in game development and a demand for more educational talks.”
Ubisoft PH is also holding free workshops, talks, and portfolio reviews in industry events and across different universities and schools. Last year, they launched the Ubiversity Series, focusing on game development, which is garnering higher job demand and thus, heftier competition.
“Video games as an industry is at $159 billion – bigger than both film and music combined,” Buenaventura added, citing 2020 Worldwide Entertainment Revenue data.
In the last 5 years alone, Ubisoft Philippines has worked on 10 major titles. Taking their future plans into account, there’s a good shot that number will only increase. – Rappler.Com
Naveen Ganglani is a writer, host, businessman, and NFT collector. He wishes there are more hours in a day to play video games. You can reach him via email: navsganglani@gmail.Com; or on social media via Twitter, Facebook, or Instagram.
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