Vaas: Insanity Far Cry 6 DLC Review

Far Cry 6’s first DLC episode is out now, taking you deep into the twisted mind of one of Far Cry’s most infamous and enigmatic villains: Far Cry 3’s Vaas Montenegro. In Vaas: Insanity, available now for Xbox One and Xbox Series X|S, you’ll play as the unstable pirate (voiced by original Vaas actor Michael Mando) as he fights to escape the deadly, dreamlike confines of his own mind. Far Cry 6 owners can grab it as part of the Season Pass, or as a separate purchase.

Inspired by roguelites, every death in Vaas: Insanity leaves Vaas weakened, without his weapons and cash. As players push deeper into Vaas’ twisted psyche, however, they’ll be able to unlock permanent traits that will help them master their deadly environment. Confronting the dangers that lurk in Vaas’ mind will also reveal more about his past and personal demons, giving players a behind-the-eyes view of what makes a ruthless villain tick. And like the rest of Far Cry 6, Vaas: Insanity is fully playable with a buddy in co-op; in fact, players who own Vaas: Insanity can invite another Far Cry 6 player to join them, whether or not that player also owns the DLC.

Vaas: Insanity is the first of three DLC episodes starring legendary Far Cry villains. Two more – Pagan: Control and Joseph: Collapse, respectively set in the minds of Far Cry 4’s Pagan Min and Far Cry 5’s Joseph “The Father” Seed – are coming soon. All three are included as part of the Far Cry 6 Season Pass, as is the standalone, neon-drenched Far Cry 3: Blood Dragon.

Right from the jump this DLC brings the nostalgia factor, Far Cry 3 was my first jump into the series and it has always stuck with me ever since.  I can say however I was not expecting this DLC to be a roguelite at all, but it made for an interesting play. It felt like Far Cry but with a completely different mechanic. You literally start off with a pistol, that’s it. You have to earn cash in order to purchase upgrades to your health, how much money you can keep, grenades as well as unlock and upgrade weapons. The story takes you through Vaas’ mind as he struggles with his past, you see things in the form of flashbacks, voices in his head, and as the game calls them “MindFucks” which are unique levels that do some funky things.

The game is also chock full of references and easter eggs to other games, even non-Ubisoft (as there is a nod to P.T. that made me chuckle), and even a scene where Vaas is watching Joseph Seed on TV and talking trash about him. Your goal is to collect three parts of a special blade to present to your sister and prove yourself to escape your mental prison. You will encounter over and over again the protagonist from Far Cry 3 Jason Brody. While not a long experience overall this is hands down more thought out and better than previous Far Cry DLCs which gives me high hopes for the rest of it. I was able to beat it without having to upgrade or unlock a ton of the extras to get through, but there is replayability because you can unlock a lot of extras by completing more and more of the extras which I intend to do. There is also a secret ending that may get folks REALLY excited if you get there.

If you are a long-time fan of the series this was a great, funny, and crazy romp through Vaas’ mind. However, if you’ve never played Far Cry 3, you may be completely and utterly lost as they don’t explain much to you and the game assumes you know all about Far Cry 3.