The release of Far Cry 6 came with the return of a voiced protagonist. Dani Rojas is one of the most outspoken main characters in the series, playing an active role in Libertad’s fight against the Yaran government. Unlike preceding titles, Far Cry 6 also takes the more cinematic route with its cutscenes, breaking away from the player’s first-person view to show Dani moving around and interacting with other NPCs.
These changes make Far Cry 6’s main protagonist feel like they belong in the game’s narrative. In terms of character writing, Dani is arguably a step up from the likes of Jason, Ajay, and especially Rook simply because they have more lines and more personality. This works better for the story, showing that the Far Cry series works better with a voiced protagonist.
How a Voiced Protagonist Helps the Far Cry Narrative
A protagonist with a voice means there’s more potential to showcase their personality, backstory, and general thoughts on what’s happening around them. This is especially useful in Far Cry titles, which take place in elaborate settings. Additionally, having a voiced protagonist creates a dynamic between them and the main antagonist. The antagonists of the Far Cry series are the game’s biggest selling points, so having the protagonist interact with them adds to the overall experience if it’s done right.
Granted, a good character doesn’t necessarily need a thousand voice lines to be engaging. They simply need character. Some well-written dialogue and miscellaneous lines are more than enough to give a protagonist some personality, and this is something Far Cry has succeeded at, even before Far Cry 6. However, before getting into the good, it’s worth pointing out what Far Cry stands to lose with a silent protagonist. This is easily seen in Far Cry 5, which featured the Junior Deputy or Rook.
What Was Lacking in Far Cry 5’s Protagonist
Far Cry 5 is set in Hope County, Montana, a land almost entirely taken over by a cult, Eden’s Gate. Presiding over the group are the charismatic Joseph Seed and his siblings. Throughout the game, they deliver chilling monologues, twisting scripture and trying to convince Rook that they’re doomed to fail, but Rook says nothing in reply; they offer no scathing remark nor panicked reply, just pained grunting.
Maybe Ubisoft intended to create a black slate character for the player to project their own personality on, but this doesn’t really work with Far Cry. It works with games like Elder Scrolls and Dragon Age, wherein the silent protagonist is given sets of dialogue options. However, in a game with no dialogue to choose from, Rook becomes less of a blank slate and more of a jarringly unreactive character.
This problem is exacerbated in cutscenes that warrant at least some dialogue. One instance of this occurs after Jacob Seed brainwashes Rook. The conditioning causes them to kill resistance members on command. Eventually, the player kills Eli Palmer of Far Cry 5 in his own safe house. Eli’s allies, Tammy and Wheaty are understandably shocked by his death, with Wheaty even pulling a gun on Rook, but Rook just stands there while Tammy defends them from Wheaty.
Rook’s lack of any sort of reaction aside from pained groans is out of place when there are people constantly pointing guns or spouting cultish lines at them. Moreover, it takes away from the game’s narrative. There was so much potential to build on Rook’s relationship with each of the antagonists, but the lack of a distinct character voice prevented that. If anything, a defiant Rook who constantly shut down the Seeds’ doomsday talk would have made the ending of Far Cry 5 all the more impactful. Unfortunately, this never came to be, even in Far Cry New Dawn.
How the Other Protagonists Are Different
Rook stands in stark contrast to Dani Rojas as well as Jason Brody and Ajay Ghale. As stated above, Dani feels much more involved in the game’s story, and that's despite their lack of interaction with Antón Castillo. This is because Dani interacts with the people of the Libertad. They even develop as a character — going from a Yaran wanting to escape to America to a dedicated resistance fighter. Dani’s interactions with Diego Castillo in Far Cry 6 also showcase their views on bloodshed and family.
Though Dani may be the most fleshed-out protagonist in the Far Cry series, those from preceding games are still pretty interesting in their own right. Jason Brody from Far Cry 3 has one of the most dynamic character arcs in the franchise, going from a spoiled college kid to a cold-blooded murderer. The player sees this right at the beginning of the game as Jason’s first kill makes him stop in his tracks. His hands shake, and he’s visibly disturbed at what he’s done. However, after a few hours into the game, he murders Vaas’ goons without even batting an eye.
Ajay Ghale of Far Cry 4, though not as interesting as Jason or Dani, also delivers a good performance. Granted, his interactions with Amita and Sabal build their character rather than his, but Ajay is still a much better protagonist than Rook. The stunned, fearful expression he has when he first meets Pagan Min and his defensiveness with his mother’s ashes showcase enough personality to make his character compelling.
This all goes to show that Far Cry thrives with voiced protagonists. However, simply giving them lines isn’t enough. They need to be fleshed-out characters that the player can get behind or, at least, find interesting. This makes the games more immersive while also providing more opportunities to build on the world and the supporting characters of each Far Cry title. Plus, it prevents awkward and unrealistic sequences — like the ones from Far Cry 5 — from ever happening again.
Far Cry 6 is available on PC, PS4, PS5, Stadia, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.
