We weren’t expecting Far Cry 6: Lost Between Worlds when it was announced, but were eager to jump back into the world of Far Cry 6 – we did so on a PlayStation 5.
Reading the description of Lost Between Worlds, which involved aliens and other dimensions, our thoughts went back to Far Cry 3: Blood Dragon – something that was connected by title to a mainline Far Cry game but felt very different when playing it. The idea was intriguing and has us excited, but unfortunately this particular spin-off DLC doesn’t reach the heights that Blood Dragon did – nor does it feel like “more Far Cry 6” for the majority of it.
The biggest connection here is probably Dani, who acts as the protagonist in Lost Between Worlds. Things quickly take a very different turn from the events in the main game though, as Dani witnesses the crash of a spaceship and then runs into its pilot soon after – a floating sphere called Fai who has a bit of an attitude problem and decides to transport Dani to another direction, where she has to help repair the ship.
This is done by collecting five alien power shards, which are hidden inside warped versions Yara that exist in these alternate dimensions. It’s up to Dani to overcome their challenges and puzzles, fighting the new enemy types called the Shardfaces in the process. And yes, it’s Dani, and you see remnants of the Yara you already know and love, but for the most part the entire setup feels like a big disconnect.
And that doesn’t have to be a problem (see: Blood Dragon), but Lost Between Worlds also comes with a structure change that not everyone is going to enjoy. Rather than the usual Far Cry formula of story objectives, side quests and objectives that help you progress your standing and/or character, this one’s more of a roguelite. This alternate version of Yara features something called Glint, and you can use it to revive yourself upon death, giving you another chance to retrieve one of the five crystals you’ll need to repair the ship. Die too often and you’ll be out of Glint, meaning you have to start your run again.
And while the idea is interesting, at least for a while, the levels don’t feel like they were designed for roguelite play and multiple runs, and the action quickly starts to feel somewhat repetitive. That’s always a bit of a pitfall within the genre, but Lost Between Worlds doesn’t manage to get around it – puzzles in particular are elements that feel like a bit of a drag to have to do all over again on subsequent runs.
The same, in a different way, is true for enemy confrontations. Though these are somewhat randomized, there’s little variety in the enemies you face, and if you’re just looking for a shooter you’d be better off with a mainline Far Cry title – and those red and blue enemies that can only be shot with like-colored ammo aren’t that exciting either, they just reminded us of the low budget indie game Bouncy Bullets.
At the end of the day, if this was part of Far Cry 6’s season pass, we’d recommend checking it out. It’s being released as separate DLC though, and from that perspective you’re looking at a $20/€20 price tag, for which you can probably pick up a better shooter and a better roguelite during a sale. Lost Between Worlds is interesting as a concept, but doesn’t live up to its promise.
Score: 6.1/10
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