Hidden in Plain Sight: The Evolution of Stealth in Far Cry 6

Running through the streets of a busy city with your weapon out is a recipe for disaster, something that didn't make sense for a guerrilla warfare strategy. This realization led the development team behind Far Cry 6 to bring a new feature to the franchise: the ability to holster your weapon. Traditionally, players in Far Cry games always have a weapon at hand, as they are perceived as a threat from the start. However, this traditional approach had to be reevaluated for Far Cry 6.

The game's protagonist, Dani Rojas, is a local who has lived under the oppressive regime of Antón Castillo his entire life. As such, it wouldn't make sense for military personnel to regularly open fire on innocent citizens going about their daily business. This shift in perspective opened up new opportunities for the development team, allowing them to rethink how players move through the game world.

One area of focus was enemy AI behaviors. The team aimed to create more realistic and nuanced AI responses that would make stealth a viable option. Players can use tools such as hiding spots and disguises to blend in with their surroundings, making it easier to sneak past or take out enemies silently.

The ability to hide in plain sight is a key aspect of Far Cry 6's stealth system. By analyzing player data from previous games, the team discovered that few players finished outposts stealthily. To address this, they developed and playtested improvements to make stealth more viable.

Lead Programmer Rich Welsh summed up the team's approach in his Game Developers Conference talk, 'A Good Guerrilla Is A Hidden Guerrilla.' The game's guerrilla narrative fits perfectly with this approach, as players must use stealth and strategy to take down their enemies. Far Cry 6 is an action game at its core, but it also offers a range of gadgets and systems that enable stealth gameplay.

In conclusion, the evolution of stealth in Far Cry 6 was a deliberate choice made by the development team to create a more immersive and realistic experience for players. By embracing stealth as a viable playstyle, Far Cry 6 offers a fresh take on the franchise's traditional formula.

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