Opinions onFar Cry 2, at least in comparison to the rest of the series, are generally mixed. Some would tout it as the best entry in the whole franchise, despite its shortcomings. Others would believeFar Cry 2was formative but wasn’t as revolutionary as the big changes made inFar Cry 3. Opinions aside,Far Cry 2did establish a lot of important foundations that would impact a lot of what would become the modernFar Crygame. Although there’s one aspect that hasn’t truly made its return yet, and deserves a rebirth inFar Cry 6.
One of the best aspects ofFar Cry 2wasn’t the story itself, but the integration and importance of the game’s companions within that story. While in subsequentFar Crygames “guns for hire” were introduced, they felt quite subservient and irrelevant to the game’s story in comparison.Far Cry 2inserts companions directly into the main narrative in a way that isn’t exactly revolutionary storytelling, but justifies their existence in a meaningful way. Companions inFar Cry 6would do well to emulateFar Cry 2’s approach again.
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Far Cry 2’s Best Buddies
Back in late 2008, just shortly after the beginning of a new console generation, Ubisoft releasedthe long-awaited and very different sequel to the originalFar Crygame. It was completely different in tone, setting, enemies, and the big villain, but one big difference was the inclusion of the buddy system. At the beginning ofFar Cry 2, there are nine playable protagonists players can choose from, each with their own nationality in backstory. Players can still meet the characters they don’t choose as buddies throughoutFar Cry 2’s Africa.
Players find these additional mercenaries throughout both major regions ofFar Cry 2, either in specific places on the map or safe houses dotted across the landscape.UnlikeFar Cry 5’s non-essential guns for hire,Far Cry 2’s buddies both assist in battle and are also valuable additions to the story. In fact, once certain allies become “best buddies,” they insert themselves intoFar Cry 2’s main narrative by offering alternative strategies to complete the main story missions. All buddies have permadeath as well, meaning any bonuses they conovey can be lost on death. Whether it’s a convoy diversion or a strategic betrayal of a warlord, buddies genuinely matter to both the player and the story.
Companions in Far Cry 6 Makes Sense
Far Cry 2’s intricate and meaningful buddy system deserves a return inFar Cry 6.Far Cry 5’s attempt was too barebones, at least in comparison to the second game, to have any meaningful effect on the gameplay. Players could go solo through the entirety ofFar Cry 5and the core gameplay experience wouldn’t change at all.
Far Cry 6has an opportunityto not only justify a returning buddy system, but the story that the fifth game seems to be setting up lends itself well to bonding with and fighting alongside allies. Since players are stepping into the shoes of a freedom fighter, fighting alongside other freedom fighters with similar goals and ideals just makes sense.
Plus, memorable side characters could help avoidone of the biggest pitfalls of Ubisoft andFar Crygame narratives: avoiding being too political. Considering this is a game where players are dethroning a literal tyrant, it’s going to be awfully hard to avoid any political parallels and/or commentary.
So, in an attempt to avoid keeping the game’s inherently political nature from the spotlight, what better way than to shift focus on to those who wish to fight back for the revolution. Permadeath companions who players can get attached to, as well as characters that can directly affect outcomes of the story, would be a perfect addition to the game.
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A Revolution Worth Fighting For
Story-wise, there’s less ambiguity in alliances as well, so buddies become far more relatable from a player perspective. Buddies inFar Cry 2were all mercenaries fighting for themselves, so any person helping out the player ended up doing so for mutual benefit. ConsideringFar Cry 6’s main character Dani Rojasbecomes a revolutionary/freedom fighter as his character arc, it’d be more interesting to have companions with similar goals who fight alongside Dani. AssumingFar Cry 6implements a similar importance on the narrative like inFar Cry 2’s buddies, it then becomes a lot more natural to include companions when they share a common goal with players.
Adding a similarly intricate buddy system fromFar Cry 2intoFar Cry 6would be a welcome returnfor a mechanic that’s often forgotten by fans. One of the best parts aboutFar Cry 2’s story wasn’t about what the player was going through, but rather how the companions organically changed the story relative to their relationship with the player. The different scenarios companions could assist and influence made gameplay seem far more fluid and customizable.Far Cry 6would excel with a similar system, especially with the new story.
Far Cry 6releases on July 30, 2025, for PC, PS4, PS5, Stadia, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X.
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