Far Cry 6 Insanity review - Did I ever tell you what the definition of insanity is?

Insanity is the first DLC of Ubisoft Toronto’s Far Cry 6, featuring the iconic Vaas Montenegro in a roguelike setting that aims to flesh out his character beyond his appearance in Far Cry 3.

Ubisoft’s latest entry, the fan-favourite open-world action RPG series that found its identity in its antagonists, is Far Cry 6, released this October. Far Cry 6 received a generally positive review for its three-dimensional characters, including El Presidente Anton Castillo and Dani Rojas, as well as the interpretation of the beautiful yet deadly world of Yara. Reviews for Far Cry 6 by Sportskeeda can be found here.

The Season Pass of Far Cry 6 includes three pieces of DLCs, Insanity, Control, and Collapse, that take a deeper look into the iconic antagonists of previous Far Cry games. The first piece of the Season Pass, Insanity, puts the player in control of the iconic Vaas Montenegro from Far Cry 3, is all set to release on November 16, 2021.

Far Cry 6 Insanity review - "Insanity is doing the exact same f*ing thing, over and over again expecting, st to change. That. Is. Crazy."

Ubisoft’s open-world action RPG series Far Cry is known for its iconic antagonists. The first two entries in the series, from the mysterious tropical archipelago to the poverty-ridden Africa, were great games in their own right. Still, Far Cry 3 is where the series established its identity. The series became known for its iconic antagonists, from Pagan Min in Kyrat to Joseph Seed and the Seed family in Hope County, Montana, to Anton Castillo in Yara, and the one to begin it all, Vaas Montenegro in the Rook Islands.

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Far Cry 6 Insanity fleshes out the characters and puts players in a roguelike setting. But how does it feel? Is it worth the asking price? Let’s take a look at the spoiler-free review of Far Cry 6 Insanity, featuring Vaas Montenegro.

Take a dive into the mind of Vaas and do the same thing over and over again, expecting s**t to change

Far Cry 6 Insanity picks up right after Jason Brody’s fateful stab with the Silver Dragon knife and takes players in a trippy world set in the mind of Vaas and puts them in a rogue-like setting. Considering Vaas’ iconic monologue,

Did I ever tell you what the definition of insanity is? Insanity is doing the exact... same f**king thing... over and over again expecting... s**t to change... That. Is. Crazy.

Ironically, Ubisoft chose a roguelike setting built upon the art of repetition to bring back Vaas and flesh out his backstory more.

Vaas starts in a safe house right in the middle of the world with nothing but a pistol and has to face off against tribal enemies sent by Citra as well as complete challenges to unlock more weapons and abilities, with the final goal of escaping Vaas’ mind.

Jason, Citra, and Vass

Warning: Spoilers for Far Cry 3 Ahead

Far Cry 3 is still regarded as one of the best in the series. The game’s narrative brilliantly fleshes out the characters of Jason Brody, Citra and Vaas. Jason Brody goes from a spoiled rich boy to a battle-hardened man who has seen the other side of the coin. Citra, the manipulative tribe leader, uses Jason as a weapon and moulds his mind in such a way that he even considered killing his friends at the end of the game.

Originally the writers of Far Cry 3 didn’t even plan the character of Vaas and was decided on Hoyt being the primary antagonist of Far Cry 3, but a brilliant audition by Michael Mando changed the writer’s mind. Michael Mando brilliantly portrayed Vaas and became the cover of the game, and gave the Far Cry series its identity of iconic antagonists.

At first, it might seem redundant and trying to capture the nostalgia by bringing Vaas back in Insanity but does not result in so. Michael Mando once again reprises his role as Vaas Montenegro and proves why his portrayal is considered one of the best antagonist portrayals in the video game industry and arguably in all of the entertainment industry.

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The story of Vaas, as fleshed out by voice-overs and occasional cutscenes, fits right into the narrative from Far Cry 3, the only gripe that can be found with the Far Cry 6 Insanity is how short it is from a narrative perspective.

The sins and powers

Far Cry 6 Insanity moulds the Far Cry formula to take down the enemy and gather resources for a rogue-like gameplay loop. After each death, Vaas respawn with nothing and has to go through the world again to collect resources, to unlock powers and weapons to progress further in the next playthrough.

The primary resource is cash, which allows players to take down enemies, loot chests, and complete challenges. Completing challenges will also unlock different weapons and temporary powerups that will give Vaas an edge in certain situations.

The primary skill tree is divided into five sections, each representative of a specific deadly sin: Pride, Greed, Wrath, Sloth, and Envy. The players will need cash to unlock the different stages in a sin, gaining additional powers, from extra health syringes to the ability to retain a specific amount of money after each death.

The sins represent not only that of Vaas but that of a Far Cry player at large, and it is an interesting meta-commentary that fleshes out Vaas and establishes his character at large.

Conclusion

Far Cry 6 Insanity puts the other shoe in the player’s foot. While Jason was an underdog taking down a pirate leader Vaas in Far Cry 3, in Far Cry 6 Insanity, he is the villain in Vaas’ mind, the weapon of Citra, the who takes down Vaas and everything he builds up to. Far Cry 6 Insanity does not aim to redeem Vaas or make him sympathetic. Rather it succeeds to establish that there is no clear cut, good or bad.

The rogue-like is an interesting take on the Far Cry formula and fits perfectly with not only Vaas’ character but the gameplay loop at large. Far Cry 6 Insanity is available as part of the Season Pass and is definitely worth playing through. However, it requires prior knowledge of Far Cry 3 to be worth the complete experience.