Summary
Far Cry 7is on the horizon. With 3 years having passed since the release ofFar Cry 6, and an average of 4 years between mainline entries, the next game seems inevitable, and rumors are currently swirling about its main enemy. With theFar Cryfranchise having given gamers some of the industry’s greatest villains,Far Cry 7’s antagonist will have to work to stand out from the crowd.
Far Cry 3set a high bar for the franchise. Sharp, clever writing and a once-in-a-lifetime performance from Michael Mando instantly madeFar Cry 3’s Vaas Montenegro one ofgaming’s most memorable villains.Far Cry 4’s Pagan Min was a worthy follow up, andFar Cry 5managed to shake up the formula by introducing a Christian-coded apocalypse cult.Far Cry 6’s Anton and Diego Castillo followed in the tradition of well-written, interesting villains, even if they lacked screentime compared to their predecessors.
The Far Cry Franchise Still Has A Number of Archetypes to Explore
Featuring drug-addled murderers, thrill-killers, and religious nuts of all persuasions,Far Cry’s villainshave covered a lot of thematic ground. Luckily, the history of literary, cinematic, and real-life villainy is as wide as it is deep. Ubisoft has a rich tradition of evil to pull from to designFar Cry 7’s antagonist.
With its recurring themes of reckless tourism, pop-culture overriding native cultures, and the exploitation of natural resources, a villainous industrialist seems likea logical next step for theFar Cryfranchise. Taking inspiration from historical industrialists and the work of Ayn Rand, the game could further developFar Cry 6’s themes of imperialism and ‘greater good’ dictatorships.
Taking direct inspiration fromThe Fountainheadand real life invasive industrialization, the game could see the player arrive shortly after the villain has invaded the setting with a private army, taking over by force to exploit the land and people in order to build the utopian city of his dreams—razing homes and forcing people into work on his projects. Massive works of modern architecture in various states of completion could provide an extremely unique setting forFar Cry’s iconic gunplay, with building sites and architectural marvels serving as outposts for the player to invade and take over.
Much likeBioshock’s Andrew Ryan—another villain inspired by the writings of Ayn Rand—the villain’s deranged commitment to beauty, control, and self-actualization could make for entertainingly unhinged philosophical monologues. The potentiald depth of character and setting make it well worth considering.
Taking the industrialization idea in the opposite direction, a dictatorial villain with a more traditionalist bent could expand onthe political and philosophical themes ofFar Cry 6, presenting the player with genuinely difficult questions about the role of tradition and heritage in a society. A villain set on ‘preserving’ their nation by force could present the player with frequent moral dilemmas surrounding progress, conservation, cultural development, and the ownership of history. The player being an outsider could be used to further explore these themes.
With a focus on such complex questions, aFar Crygame based around cultural conservation would be ripe for betrayals and revelations, frequently recontextualising what the player thought they knew about the story and characters. The game could eventake inspiration fromFar Cry 5, featuring a number of major antagonists, each with unique philosophies, forcing the player to side with one over the others.
TheFar Cryfranchise has a storied history of exploring moral dilemmas—most recentlyFar Cry 6explicitly explored questions of greater good morality. WhileFar Cry’s moral dilemmas have been criticized for their simplicity, they have also become one of the franchise’s most notable recurring elements.
A Despotic Child King Could Be a Particulary Edgy Direction for Far Cry 7
Another wayFar Cry 7could expand onideas present inFar Cry 6is by exploring the idea of a child despot. Taking from the rich history of bloodthirsty child kings, a futureFar Crygame could feature a young antagonist being worshiped by his subjects as a living god. A nation remade in a child’s image could also be a good excuse forFar Cry 7to get weird with its setting.
Regardless of where the franchise goes—current rumors suggest Ireland or Korea—it’s likely thatFar Cry 7’s antagonist will be one of the game’s most notable features. Whatever direction the franchise takes, Ubisoft must invest heavily inFar Cry’s next charming maniac.
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.
