Yara, a fictional Caribbean island that draws its inspiration from Cuba, is the setting for one of the biggest game releases of 2021—Far Cry 6. Helmed by an authoritarian dictatorship that has kept it isolated from the rest of the world for half a century, Yara is “an island that is almost frozen in time,” according to the game’s narrative director, Navid Khavari. In this way, Far Cry 6 offers a typical “tourist’s perception” of Cuba: a nostalgic wonderland where you can experience the past, 1950s cars and all!
This is not surprising, since this same wistful vision of Cuba has endured in the imagination of game developers and many others for decades. But this dangerous misconception ignores the reality of Cuban people in the 21st century.
Indeed, as historian Louis A. Pérez Jr. has argued, “it is not Cuba that is ‘stuck in time’ but rather American knowledge of Cuba that is ‘frozen in a bygone era.’” And this portrayal of a timeless Cuba is a common thread in popular culture circulated worldwide, from The Godfather: Part II to Dirty Dancing: Havana Nights.
Like these film sequels, Far Cry 6 serves up what fans of the series have come to expect. In this case, that means an open-world first-person shooter where they can take control of an exotic setting by patching together weapons and vehicles while calling on the assistance of various human factions and animal helpers—think wheelchair wiener dog or punk-rock fighting cock. This time, the plot revolves around a dictator preparing his son to take the helm while sustaining an iron grip on power by manufacturing and selling a tobacco-based anti-cancer drug, all in the face of increasing pressure from multiple opponents and insurgencies.
When you’re done rolling your eyes, remember that this game comes from Ubisoft, the French-owned game publishing giant that has brought us such dubious depictions of Latin America as Call of Juarez: The Cartel. But to create Yara, the development studio behind Far Cry 6 says it put in the time and did the research. The team spent a month in Cuba, where they circumnavigated the island and “met actual former guerrillas.” Then, throughout the development process, they brought in collaborators and consultants to ensure historical accuracy and cultural sensitivity.
Even as Ubisoft employees were launching a public campaign against institutionalized sexual harassment, including in the Toronto studio that led development of Far Cry 6, the developers were aiming to create an all-new, fresh take on a Cuba-inspired open world, an overtly political game balancing “mature, complex themes” with “levity and humor,” one that was woke and decolonial and part of the fight for social justice.
Source link : wired