From as far back asFar Cry 3, the series has always leaned heavily on its villains. And with good reason. The likes of Joseph Seed, Pagan Min, and, of course, Vaas Montenegro are among some of themost memorable video game villainsof all time. The series knows its villains are the stars of the show, so much so that they dominate the box art of pretty much every entry of the series thus far. Despite the focus placed on the series’ consistently excellent antagonists, Ubisoft has delivered a number of compelling protagonists, especially in Jason Brody and Ajay Ghale. But when discussingFar Cryprotagonists,Far Cry 5becomes something of an elephant in the room.
In a bold move for the series,Far Cry 5’s Deputy protagonist is an entirely blank slate. They have no background, no hard-set appearance, no set gender - not even a voice of their own. Even Dani fromFar Cry 6, who could be played as either male or female, received full voice acting depending on how the player chose to present the character in-game. Deputy (later known as The Judge inNew Dawn) is as much or as little of a character as the player chooses, and that’s not necessarily a bad thing.
A Silent Protagonist Was the Right Call for Far Cry 5
The Deputy is Whatever and Whoever the Player Wants Them to Be
Normally, in a story game likeFar Cry, it’s a tricky balancing act to have a silent protagonist. In the case ofprotagonists like Jason inFar Cry 3and Ajay inFar Cry 4, their characterization gives the players a reason to get invested in the story. Jason very clearly cares about his friends and Ajay wants to honor his late parents' memories by fighting for their cause and spreading his mother’s ashes.
Far Cry 5’s Deputy does not enjoy that level of characterization. Like Link from theLegend of Zeldafranchise, Corvo Attano fromDishonored, and so,so many Bethesda protagonists, Deputy’s silence allows the players to project their own motivations and thoughts onto the character. In a way, the Deputy’s lack of a voice adds a roleplay dimension that’s absent from every other game in the series, which can entirely inform how different runs of the game play out.
Perhaps one playthrough sees the Deputy as a wrathful engine of destruction, motivated solely by the thought of rescuing his fellow officers by any means necessary. Or maybe the more intrepidFar Cryveterans out there interested in a challenge decide to play the Deputy as an idealistic, dedicated law enforcement officer who tries to avoid using lethal force when at all possible. With the Deputy’s mute, amorphous motivations, the player is in complete control of whoever they want their character to be.
Deputy’s Personality Doesn’t Distract From Gameplay
Far Cry5 is arguably when the series finally hit its stride with its gameplay loop. The gunplay was tight and responsive. The navigation and platforming were smooth and tactile. And Ubisoft had finally made the call to remove the tedious radio tower objectives.Far Cry 5’s gameplayis possibly the highest height the series has hit thus far, turning Hope Valley into one big sandbox for players to do as they please. When Ubisoft had such excellent gameplay on display, keeping a silent protagonist was probably the best possible move.
Make no mistake, the story inFar Cry 5is great. But the game itself is much more concerned with showcasing its gameplay than cramming any major story beats down the player’s throat. In that way, it takes plenty of cues from 2016’sDOOM. The story is interesting and present for those looking to really invest in it, but the real star of the show is the mechanics. And in the same way Doomslayer’s silence helps keep the focus onDOOM’s satisfyingly brutal ripping and tearing, Deputy’s strong-silent-type disposition assists in keepingFar Cry 5’s gameplay loop front and center at all times.
Deputy’s Lack of Presence Directs the Seed Family’s Twisted Sermons at the Player
Throughout the course ofFar Cry 5, the Deputy finds themselves at the mercy ofthe various members of the Seed family; Jacob, John, Faith and Joseph. In the midst of these conversations, the Seeds, almost without exception, begin preaching their warped version of faith to the Deputy. It’s hard to ignore the fact that they’re doing their absolute best to sell the Deputy on their twisted ideology. And ifFar Cry: New Dawncan be considered canon, they eventually succeed.
But the Deputy isn’t a real character in the strictest sense of the term. Their mute disposition means thatthe Seeds are almost talking directly to the player. It’s a massively effective way to motivate the player against these zealots; there is a limited, almost paper-thin barrier between the Seeds and whoever is playing the game. They’re not antagonizing a character, they’re directly antagonizing whoever is playing the video game.
Deputy’s complete silence during all of these conversations leads to the Seeds staring directly into the camera uninterrupted, giving the sense that they’re speaking through the blank slate of the deputy to the player, commenting on their actions throughout the game and questioning their own motivations. And whether it was an intentional choice on the part of Ubisoft or not, it creates a more personal level of investment whenever someoneplays throughFar Cry 5for the first time.
Far Cry 5
WHERE TO PLAY
Welcome to Hope County, Montana, the land of the free and brave, but also the home of a fanatical doomsday cult. Stand up to cult leader Joseph Seed and his siblings, the Heralds, to spark the fires of resistance and liberate the besieged community.Play solo or two-player co-op in the vast open world of Hope County. Use a vast arsenal of weapons from rocket launchers to shovels, and take control of iconic muscle cars, ATVs, planes, and more to engage the cult forces in epic fights.DISCOVER ONE OF THE MOST ACCLAIMED FAR CRY GAMESJoin the millions of players in the Far Cry® 5 community and discover what IGN describes as “fast-paced fun.”FIGHT AGAINST THE DEADLY CULT OF JOSEPH SEEDFree Hope County from the Eden’s Gate cult and the Seed family. Discover the first appearance of the charismatic antagonist Joseph Seed, before his return in Far Cry® New Dawn and his own dedicated DLC in Far Cry® 6, Collapse.EXPLORE THE HOPE COUNTY OPEN WORLD SOLO OR CO-OP AND MAKE YOUR OWN RULESPlay solo or two-player co-op in the vast open world of Hope County. Use a vast arsenal of weapons from rocket launchers to shovels, and take control of iconic muscle cars, ATVs, planes, and more to engage the cult forces in epic fights. Ally with the Fangs for Hire group, including fan-favorite bear Cheeseburger and dog Boomer, and free Hope County from its oppressors.
