Why Far Cry 6's Guapo, a Man-Eating Crocodile, Is Your New Fave
Far Cry 6, like many of the preceding games in the long-running video game franchise, is a politically provocative, complicated, messy, and incendiary piece of work. It dives headfirst into themes about oppression, revolution, and the violence needed to achieve either result. It's startlingly bloody, with your player-character Dani (whose gender identity you get to choose) learning the increasingly destructive methods of guerilla warfare as NPC villain Presidente Castillo (Giancarlo Esposito) routinely turns to torture and mayhem to exert and keep his stronghold on the fictional island of Yara.
But Far Cry 6 does not share a similar level of tonal grimdarkness as other fraught pieces of video game explorations like The Last of Us Part II. Rather, the game is marked by a sense of adventure, imagination, and a particularly welcome gallows sense of humor, all of which cuts through its more purposefully bleak depictions of fascism and the fight against it like a helpfully shining point of light. Part of this fleetness in vibe comes from its fast-paced missions, its structured-to-punch-up combat, and its cheeky character interactions. But if you're looking for a crystallization of the joys of Far Cry 6's queasy, exciting tonal medley, look no further than the character of Guapo.
Oh, I should mention this: Guapo is a man-eating crocodile.
Guapo is introduced to you by Juan Cortez (Alex Fernandez), an eccentric, revolutionary mentor of Dani, as one of several animal allies (referred to as both "Amigos" and "Fangs for Hire") that will help you on your quest to topple Castillo and find a better life. And while some of the later amigos have a much more immediately accessible, "mainstream" appeal (like Chorizo, a cute lil' doggy), I just can't see anyone stealing my heart the way this ravenous, ultra-focused, and ultraviolent crocodile did.
Like King Shark before him (minus that pesky "emotional character arc" bullshit), Guapo intrigues because of some kind of primal need for, and even joy in, violence and consumption that we all share in our deepest, most animalistic subconsciouses. This level of love in destruction is heightened by the inherent interactivity of the game; you control Guapo, instructing him either to stay back, target a specific enemy, or go HAM on an entire squadron. In my experience, letting Guapo run rampant is not just the most satisfying decision: it's the most tactically advantageous. Firefights became more manageable (and fun) when I knew I could stealthily take cover mowing down enemies one at a time, letting Guapo very capably take the heat and chow down distracted enemies. You even get trophies and bonuses for every enemy he literally eats. I cackled every time.
But Guapo ain't all teeth and appetite. There is an inherent sweetness to the croc, this sweetness often creating a pleasingly ironic sense of humor in its clash of contexts with all the mayhem. Guapo seems to love and respect you; he crawls quickly by your side, eager to pounce at your quick command (he even seemed to keep up when I was galloping on a horse or driving in a car, realism wonderfully taking second place to the joys of a hyperspeed killer crocodile). And this love and respect are expected to be mutual even beyond any personal player affinity to him — while he may seem invulnerable, he can get downed by jerk-ass soldiers, and will need you to heal him if you want him to keep helping your battles (which you do). Every time I stopped my combat strategy to rush into the heart of battle and fix up my poor poquito Guapo, only to see him roar back to life and keep chompin' away, my own heart grew several sizes bigger.
Guapo, thus, serves to live his introductory thesis. When Cortez endows you with the partnership/responsibility of Guapo, he tells you that Guapo aligns himself with those who are broken; those who "need" him. It provides a depth of personality to your resistance fighter beyond the obvious external conflict of stopping the regime, the mere presence of Guapo reminding you of the internal battles Dani fights as they fight together.
And, also, you can pet Guapo. And you'll even get a trophy for your troubles. He is my son and I love him forever.
Far Cry 6 comes to Amazon Luna, Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, and Stadia on October 7, 2021 (for this piece, the game was played on a PlayStation 5). The official synopsis of the game is below:
Far Cry 6 plunges players into the heart of a modern-day guerrilla revolution set in Yara, a tropical paradise frozen in time. President Antón Castillo (Giancarlo Esposito) vows to restore his country to its former glory while grooming his son Diego (Anthony Gonzalez) to follow in his footsteps. Yet paradise has a price, and enriching his country means subjugating those who don’t adhere to his vision. In this island nation in turmoil, players will experience the adrenaline and chaos of guerrilla combat as they are swept up in a revolutionary movement to take down a tyrant.
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