Ubisoft Forward: Far Cry 6 release date, trailer revealed

The man behind one of Breaking Bad’s most feared characters is set to helm the revolutionary new game in the Far Cry franchise.

The next instalment in the Far Cry franchise has been revealed, with Breaking Bad star Giancarlo Esposito set to antagonise gamers as they lead a revolution against his fascist regime.

For those who have never played, the Far Cry franchise is sort of like Grand Theft Auto in the jungle.

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Giancarlo Espositio looks set to bring the same measure of fear he inspired in Breaking Bad to Far Cry 6.

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Gamers play from a confronting and at times claustrophobic first-person perspective, and the plot typically unfolds through the conflict between a fish-out-of-water playable character and a main villain, who are frequently given the opportunity to deliver wide-ranging monologues outlining their character’s motivations and ideology, before their eventual defeat at your hands.

In between missions you get free roam of the world, able to hunt animals or explore, while also fulfilling the standard fare Ubisoft side-missions like unlocking more parts of the map by climbing towers (though after years of accusations of repetition, Ubisoft has started moving away from this formula recently).

Far Cry 6 has political revolution as one of its key themes.

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At its Ubisoft Forward event where it also showed off further details about other upcoming games including Assassin’s Creed Valhallaand Watch Dogs: Legion, game publisher Ubisoft showed a first look at the next game in the franchise.

Far Cry 6, due to be released on next-generation as well as current generation gaming consoles and PC in February, looks set to be the most urban so far, centring around a political revolution in the fictional city of Yara (inspired by Cuba).

“When we landed on the inspiration of the island of Cuba, and got to spend about a month there for initial research, we got really excited about this idea of a modern guerrilla revolution,” Far Cry 6 narrative director Navid Khavari explained to Gamespot.

Gamers will fight to overthrow the fascist regime in Yara.

“When you’re looking at any revolution, you’re examining the nature of defiance, systemic oppression, and the idea of how far do you have to be pushed to be willing to pick up a gun — to be willing to risk your life for something you believe in?”

Giancarlo Esposito, most well-known for his role as meth kingpin and chicken shop owner Gus Fring on Breaking Bad and its spin-off Better Call Saul, looks set to bring the same form of measured intimidation (and thanks to motion capture technology, identically robotic movements) to the character of Anton Castillo.

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It can be hard to balance the pressure of running an iron-fist presidential regime with the stresses of being a father.

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Castillo’s teenage son Diego also looks set to play some role in the story, while gamers will assume the role of revolutionary Dani Rojas, with the choice to play as either a man or a woman (a choice unlikely to impact much on the plot, if at all).

Unlike some previous games in the franchise where players assumed the role of a (sometimes) silent protagonist helping oppressed citizens somewhere far from home, Dani is a Yara local, and given the political themes of the next game, has a voice as well as a gun.

Far Cry 6 is due to release in February.

“When you’re looking at the topic of revolution, it was essential for us to ensure that the protagonist has a personal investment in that revolution,” Mr Khavari told Gamespot.

“With a character like Dani Rojas having that context, to have a history [in Yara] and to have a voice, is very important for us.”

Far Cry 6 is due out on February 18, 2021