Far Cry 6 Brings Back A Voiced Protagonist, But With A Few Twists

Far Cry 6 is the next game in Ubisoft's open-world shooter franchise. While Far Cry 5 brought the series to North America for the first time, and with its follow-up New Dawn taking a surprising turn towards the post-apocalypse, Far Cry 6 brings the series back to its roots in a tropical locale. This return to the series' roots also brings back a kind of protagonist who has more of a personal stake in the story, and FC6's lead character will be more present and visible throughout the campaign.

Revealed during Ubisoft Forward, the protagonist of Far Cry 6 is Dani Rojas, is a native of the island of Yara--a country "frozen in time" due to economic sanctions. With the rise of a guerrilla revolution in the country, Rojas gets swept up in the push for change against Presidente Anton Castillo's regime. Unlike other Far Cry protagonists who are outsiders making their way through a foreign land, Rojas has deep ties to the island, making their investment in its future more personal.

Taking cues from Assassin's Creed Odyssey and Valhalla, players can choose from either a male or female version of Dani, and both will be fully voiced throughout the campaign. Furthermore, Dani Rojas will also appear in cutscenes interacting with other characters throughout the game, moving away from the first-person dialogue sequences and making the protagonist more visible.

Before the official reveal at Ubisoft Forward, I spoke with narrative director Navid Khavari about Dani's background, and how they're different from other Far Cry protagonists.

"When you're looking at the topic of revolution, it was really important for us to ensure that the protagonist has a personal investment in that revolution," said Khavari. "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. What's interesting about Dani is that while they were raised in Yara, they aren't necessarily looking to be part of a guerilla movement from the onset. One of the interesting aspects for us was seeing this character swept up in the movement, being drawn into it in that way, and embracing the almost David versus Goliath conflict across the entire island. For the series, it'll be fresh for players to see Dani in cutscenes, to be able to see them make decisions, and interact with other characters."

Like in Far Cry 5, you'll be able to interact with a variety of supporting characters, some of whom will join you out in the field to take on Castillo's men. One of whom is a dog named Chorizo, who can be recruited after a mission.

Far Cry 6 will be handling some heavy topics relating to revolution, fascism, and the nature of power in isolated communities, all of which are topics that are front and center in today's age. I certainly welcome the change of having the protagonist be more present in those topics, as opposed to having another voiceless hero bouncing around from one mission to the next. So far, the game also has a great cast to tell this kind of story, with Giancarlo Esposito's headlining as Presidente Anton Castillo.

For more on Far Cry 6, check out more of our talk with narrative director Navid Khavari about the making of the game's setting, along with a roundup of everything we know about the game.