Far Cry 7 is rumored to be on the horizon and is set to bring some big changes to the Far Cry formula. The next installment in the popular FPS survival series will supposedly feature a 24-hour time limit. If the player doesn’t manage to rescue a group of hostages within the allotted time, then they will lose the game and have to start over. While fans are divided on this supposed change, one element from previous Far Cry games that they hope remains intact is the prioritization of Far Cry 7‘s villain.
Far Cry is a series that has become known for its antagonists, as after Far Cry 3‘s Vaas took the gaming world by storm, Ubisoft attempted to replicate the character’s success with each subsequent entry in the series. Every mainline Far Cry game since has placed a uniquely psychopathic antagonist at the forefront of both its story and marketing. If Ubisoft is looking to make Far Cry 7‘s main villain stand out, there are two factors that need to be taken into account: presence and personality.
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Though there are already rumors about Far Cry 7’s setting, none have yet to be confirmed, which has led to many fans pitching their own desires.
How Far Cry 7 Can Nail Its Villain
Learning From Past Far Cry Villains
For a series that is so villain-focused, the quality of Far Cry‘s villains has been a mixed bag since Far Cry 3. Far Cry 4‘s Pagan Min provided the series with back-to-back successes in the villain category, but the subsequent Far Cry games have — not for a lack of trying — failed to clear the series’ high bar. Far Cry 5‘s Joseph Seed was a conceptually interesting antagonist who stood apart from Vaas and Pagan Min, but didn’t leave as much of a mark on the game — at least not until the game’s shock ending. This was mainly due to Far Cry 5 splitting the player’s focus between a handful of secondary antagonists across the game’s runtime. Far Cry 6 brought in the talented Giancarlo Esposito to play dictator Antòn Castillo, but similarly to Joseph Seed, the character was missing elements that made villains like Vaas and Pagan Min so noteworthy.
A Lack of Personality
Personality was an issue when it came to the memorability of Joseph Seed and Antòn Castillo. While both characters’ actors put in the work with their performances, neither character particularly stood out. A religious zealot like Joseph Seed who spews constant Bible verses to justify his malevolent actions has been done plenty of times in media. Antòn Castillo not only played into tropes for his character type but for his actor, as there was little to make the character stand apart from many of the other villains that Giancarlo Esposito has played.
These personalities made it hard for Antòn Castillo and Joseph Seed to compare to Vaas and Pagan Min. Both Far Cry 3 and Far Cry 4‘s villains took players by surprise with how unpredictable they were. Vaas was unstable and deranged, while Pagan Min was an upbeat charmer who tried to lure the protagonist over to his side. Not only did these traits avoid being self-serious and generic, but they made it hard to guess what either of these villains would do next.
A Lack of Involvement
Involvement also plays a big role in the effectiveness of a villain. Pagan Min was such a standout villain because he was constantly present in the narrative. He played an incredibly poignant role in Far Cry 4‘s opening, regularly made calls to the player, and was intrinsically connected to the protagonist’s backstory. This made it so that his presence was consistently felt throughout the entire game, unlike Antòn Castillo, who only popped up during cutscenes and had severely limited interactions with Far Cry 6‘s protagonist.
Whoever Far Cry 7‘s villain ends up being, their personality and involvement are two factors that Ubisoft needs to keep an eye on. The ideal villain would be deeply involved with both the main story and the main character. Obviously, a great villain leaves the player wanting more, but too little involvement can make a villain feel distant from their own story. With personality, previous Far Cry games have shown that the more unpredictable a villain, the better. Tropes are useful for getting the player up to speed on a villain’s general vibe, but they should be used sparingly to avoid making the villain feel too cookie-cutter.
