When it comes to tying the personalities of protagonists and villains together through a twisted relationship, few franchises do it like Far Cry. Since the series' inception in the early 2000s, Ubisoft has consistently explored the dynamic of a main character driven by a desire to interfere with the grandiose plans of a villain for reasons ranging from mass rescue to petty personal vendettas. With Far Cry 7 set to further the franchise's dynastic legacy of psychotic antagonists in the next few years, perhaps with the rumored Sons of Truth cult and the player-character's battle to free his kidnapped family, it's only right to reflect on legendary protagonist performances throughout the series.
Given the diverse focus of Far Cry's installments, there are more than a handful of metrics to consider when ranking the extent of a protagonist's impact. From character development arcs to sheer charisma and depth of relationships with the antagonist, each of the franchise's main characters has a peculiar edge that differentiates them considerably from the rest of the cast. When all categories are considered, there's a way to rank these main acts according to their narrative immersion factor.
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S-Tier: Legends of the Far Cry Experience
- Jason Brody
- Ajay Ghale
Far Cry 3 is widely regarded as one of the best games in the Far Cry franchise, and Jason Brody's role as the game's lead plays an instrumental role in that perception. In terms of character development, few protagonists in the series can match his tumultuous journey from spoiled playboy to conflicted anti-hero after a dark turn of events changes his life forever.
He walks a line of conscious decadence throughout the title in the aftermath of watching his friends die in front of him, and players can actively impact his choices as he falls further and further into insanity. The level of involvement with his storyline and his intense preoccupation with killing Vaas makes Far Cry 3's tale that much more engaging than others in the franchise, earning him the distinction of the best protagonist in Far Cry.
Ajay Ghale's performance in Far Cry 4 may have been missing the depth of character involvement that Jason Brody had in multitudes, but his motives for the crash-and-burn protagonist requirement are perhaps the most relatable in the Far Cry series. Tough decision-making plagued him at every turn and put players firmly in the driving seat of morality gameplay. Coupled with the twisted dynamics of the relationship between Ajay and Pagan Min, his story is one of the most layered in the series.
A-Tier: Great Character Aura
- Dani Rojas
- Rex Power Colt
- Jack Carver
Far Cry 6 may not have had the best reception, but Dani Rojas' third-person cutscenes made for some groundbreaking interaction where the protagonist felt like a truly engaged character. However, the lack of a defined character arc and an underdeveloped relationship with Anton Castillo beyond wanting to topple his regime limited Dani's potential.
Rex Power Colt in Far Cry 3: Blood Dragon suffers from a similarly undercooked storyline -- although Ubisoft presumably made this tradeoff for a lighter plot in terms of tone. Rex excels in this role, delivering corny one-liners in an otherwise futuristic environment to keep the entertainment grounded in reality. Jack Carver is another funnily coded character with the damsel-in-distress trope, and his character development extends beyond his protagonist days in the first Far Cry edition to an antagonist role in Far Cry 2.
B-Tier: Compassion Finds a Rare Home in Far Cry
- Takkar
Far Cry Primal was an uncharacteristic change of pace from Ubisoft's modern landscape and twisted dynamics, featuring the prehistoric Wenja tribe with Takkar the Hunter front and center of the plot. Although he doesn't speak English (thus forming an immersion barrier), his gameplay abilities as a Beast Master and merciful tendencies separate him from the average Far Cry protagonist.
C-Tier: Protagonists With Too Little to Say
- The Junior Deputy (Rook)
- The Mercenary
- The Security Captain
Beyond Takkar, the rest of the Far Cry franchise's protagonists become difficult to choose between due to a lack of character presence. None of Rook, the Mercenary, or the Security Captain speak during their playthroughs, and as a result, there is barely any emotional attachment to their journeys in the overarching plot. However, Rook at least has some memorable moments as his brokenness is put on full display.
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OpenCritic Reviews
- Top Critic Avg: 77 /100 Critics Rec: 74%
