Over the last few years, Netflix’s slate of original content hasn’t exactly wowed its audience. While there are stand-outs likeThe Umbrella AcademyandSquid Game, the vast majority of Netflix Originals tend to be disappointingly average, appealing to such a wide audience that they lose any sense of identity in the process.Stranger Thingsis one of the clear exceptions. Since its first season debuted in 2016,Stranger Thingshas managed to capture the popular zeitgeist like few shows can, and its popularity has never let up. So, withStranger ThingsPart 4 coming to an end, fans may already be desperate for their nextStranger Thingshit. Luckily,Far Cry 6, of all places, has what fans might be looking for.
One of the more underrated games of last year,Far Cry 6does quite a bit to separate itself from its predecessors, but was still viewed as more of the same by most critics. While that conclusion isn’t entirely wrong, it doesn’t giveFar Cry 6enough credit, with the game featuring the tightest gunplay, best free-roam exploration, and most relatable characters in anyFar Cryfrom the last decade or so. To make the deal even better,Far Cry 6even added a whole host of free DLC, including a handful of crossover missions, one of which, called “The Vanishing,” bringsStranger Things' Upside Down to Yara.
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Far Cry 6’s Stranger Things DLC Is Worth Checking Out
To startFar Cry 6’sStranger ThingsDLC mission, players will need to have first completed the game’s rather lengthy tutorial section. Once players have unlocked the first Guerilla Camp, they should receive a call from Juan, who will mention a group of Guerillas that disappeared after trying to recover a shipment of C4. On the call, Juan will also mention that he intercepted Russian radio signals, believing them to somehow be responsible for the Guerillas' disappearance.
Upon arriving at the Guerillas' last known whereabouts, the player will stumble upon the corpses of Russian soldiers. They will eventually come face-to-face with a Demogorgon,Stranger Things' most iconic and terrifying monster, who has been named El Devorador by the Guerillas that have survived. After being jumped by Russian soldiers, the player wakes up in front of a pulsating, red gateway and embarks on a rescue mission into the unknown.
Though the DLC is fairly short, coming in at only around an hour, it manages to capture the same tone and vibe of the show perfectly. Players are only given weapons with limited ammo, which transformsFar Cry 6’s power-fantasy, one-man-army, action-movie gameplay into a survival horror experience. Further, the game’s bright, sun-soaked environments are swapped out for faithful representations ofStranger Things' Upside Down, with red lightning, dark clouds, and dust spores galore. The tone of the show is also captured throughFar Cry 6’s sound design, which lifts audio directly from the series, making each Demogorgon and Mind-Flayer encounter as chilling as the last.
Far Cry 6’s “The Vanishing” DLC is obviously worth picking up foranyStranger Thingsfan, but it’s also worth checking out for those who have never seen the show before. While the in-game references are intended to be enjoyed by fans of the Netflix series, newcomers can still find a lot of enjoyment in the DLC, with the horror-centric gameplay, new weapons, and fresh enemies all providing the player with content that they haven’t seen in the base game.
Far Cry 6is available on PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.
