Far Cry 6 picks up where the series left off by embracing over-the-top gameplay and humor. Plus, all of that is even better with friends. Far Cry 6 is the latest open-world first-person shooter from Ubisoft and Ubisoft Toronto. The latest in the franchise, Far Cry 6 puts players into the heart of a modern-day guerrilla revolution. Taking place in Yara, President Antón Castillo vows to restore his nation to its former glory while grooming his son Diego to follow in his footsteps. You play as Dani Rojas, a local military dropout, who tries to escape the island but ends up joining the revolutionary group Libertad instead. As Dani, players will experience the adrenaline and chaos of “resolver” guerrilla combat, Far Cry style, with the most creative and innovative arsenal yet and it’s all better with Far Cry 6 co-op.
We dive into why it works, what it can do better, and more. First things first, however. In order to play co-op, you must complete the first section and acquire your Supremo. While this is a fairly long introduction to the game (roughly 90-minutes), it is well worth it and will help you get acclimated to the world of Yara by the time you jump in with a friend. Additionally, even if your friend is farther in the story and you’re just starting out, you can still join their game and retain elements of progress like items as well. However, to get the most out of the game’s co-op feature, being lined up in the story with a friend is the best way to play.
How does the gameplay change when playing Far Cry 6 Co-op?
Quinn: Mechanically, nothing really changes. Ubisoft has made it seamless to jump in and out of games, and for the first time, players can play co-op pretty much from start to finish. That being said, the wacky, insane gameplay that is already readily apparent in single-player easily translates to a two-player experience and perhaps gets a little too chaotic at times. If you’re playing with someone whose play style is nothing like your own, calamity is probably right around the corner. It seems to be very easy for play styles to butt against each other, but even when that happens, and the worst things that can possibly go wrong do, they often still result in happy screaming and belly laughs. It really is such a ridiculous game, and it only gets more ridiculous with a +1.
Kate: It’s all really the same and the drop-in-drop-out aspect of the experience allows you to switch between single-player and co-op easily. That said, the way each player approaches the game will impact how you play. Stealth or chaos, you have to be on the same page as your partner. If you’re looking at the more narratively emotional elements of the story and trying to avoid using amigos (the zany in-game companions) or even the more outlandish parts of combat and gear to keep the experience more honed in on the revolution storyline, then you won’t see much benefit in co-op. That said, the gameplay easily becomes all the more humorous when you get to explore Yara with someone else.
Far Cry 6 Co-op has special missions designed just for a duo to take on. How do those compare to the main game?
Quinn: The special missions are, for the most part, removed from the main game. They take you to areas you can’t explore on Yara itself but are still part of the island. But even though they’re missions with mostly singular objectives, the maps are quite large and still fun to explore, much like the main map. And the objectives themselves have definitely been designed for two players! While the rest of Yara can be taken on by yourself, you’d be hard-pressed to go at these missions alone (unless you’re over-leveled). There are also plenty of different difficulties to challenge yourself with, and the missions reward some great items. If you’re already playing the main campaign in co-op, you definitely need to check out the special missions!
Kate: Special Operations missions are small and confined co-op missions that I’m sure you’ll see the most from once the villains’ packs are added. the best thing about them is the maps and how each one forces cooperation between players. While an over-leveled player may be able to just breeze through some of the early missions, jumping into them at the appropriate level or below makes for some challenging gameplay that pushes you and your partner to get on the same page. Additionally, you earn Moneda, a special exclusive co-op currency that you can use to buy items from the Black Market which adds another layer to the game’s customization. Plus, the special operations is where I realized that Far Cry 6 co-op ties you to the other player. While it does give a wide range to be apart from each other (you literally won’t feel restricted until it happens) the games do port you to your partner if you fall too far behind.
Are there any benefits to playing Far Cry 6 in co-op?
Quinn: Mainly, it’s just more fun. What’s better than one Supremo? Two Supremos. But the developer has definitely thought about ways to incentivize a co-op experience as well. Outside of having special missions specifically crafted for cooperative play, some missions also reward more experience when in co-op.
Kate: The main benefit of co-op is more missions, unlocking more rewards, and pushing for more to do in Yara. That said since Yara is Far Cry’s largest area for exploration in the series, those additions have to be sought after since there is more than plenty to do. But let’s be honest, with an island so large and endless places to go, one of the critiques of the Far Cry series sticks here – sometimes there is too much to do. When you throw co-op into the mix, it allows you to not only break some of the monotony when it comes to side-mission type, but it also allows you to just get weird with someone else. Being able to drop in and drop out of co-op helps make the experience become more playable when you start hitting that hour 40 mark. Just when it seems like you’re burning out, two Supremos help make everything better. Although, co-op does tend to render your amigos sort of redundant. You can still use them and watch them follow behind your flying helicopter as you look down, but their impact is greatly diminished.
Do you recommend Far Cry 6 Co-op?
Quinn: If you played Far Cry 5 co-op, you’ll love playing this one with your buddy as well. But even for people who may have never played a Far Cry game or who have never touched co-op in either Far Cry 4 or 5, you’re missing out on some great rewards and antics if you don’t play with a friend!
Kate: Honestly? It’s something that people who rarely play games alone will appreciate but for those single-players out there, it won’t be too much of a difference. The strongest element of the co-op experience are the Special Operations missions because of the locations, humor, and ability to just be absurd to no end. That said, if you’re reward-driven, then collecting Moneda will be a priority. That said, I’m sure that’ll change once the awaited release of the Villains’ content is released.
Far Cry 6 is available now on PC, PlayStation, Xbox, and Stadia.