Vaas Montenegro is easily one of Far Cry's most recognizable antagonists. Played to the hilt by actor Michael Mando (Better Call Saul), Vaas' appearance in the first trailer for Far Cry 3 at E3 2011 burned his "definition of insanity" speech into the minds of viewers. Even after spending hours matching wits with the mohawked pirate king, fans wanted more - and in 2021, they got more Vaas than ever with Vaas: Insanity, the first DLC episode for Far Cry 6, which you can start playing today with a Ubisoft+ Premium subscription.
Vaas: Insanity - like the Pagan: Control and Joseph: Collapse episodes that followed it - is a story-driven, roguelite-inspired experience that takes place after Vaas' confrontation with Far Cry 3's hero, Jason Brody, and traps Vaas in his own mind. Vaas' mind looks like a twisted nightmare version of Far Cry 3's Rook Islands, where he's hounded by ghostly gun-toting warriors and periodically attacked by different, increasingly taunting versions of Jason, as well as by Vaas' manipulative sister Citra. Vaas starts out with little more than a pistol, but you can unlock more weapons to purchase (along with mods that change their behavior) by finding specific challenges called Gun Shows around the map, which usually involve taking out waves of defenders. As you explore, you'll also find floating hearts that can give Vaas powers for the duration of your run, like faster movement, more ammo capacity, or better resistance against certain kinds of damage.
Vaas has one chance to escape this nightmare: assemble the pieces of the Silver Dragon Blade he was stabbed with, and bring them to the version of Citra waiting at his ramshackle home base. Die in the attempt, and you'll start over from the beginning, without any of the weapons and cash you were able to collect. This will probably happen to you a lot, especially at first; gunfights in Vaas: Insanity are fast, intense, and merciless, and Vaas is kind of fragile at the outset. But don't worry: Death is part of the plan, and every victory, no matter how minor, is a chance to grow stronger.
As Vaas battles his demons (figurative and literal), the cash he collects can also be spent on permanent traits, which include more health; exploration tools like the grappling hook, wingsuit, and parachute; and the ability to run right up and insta-kill powerful alerted enemies with a takedown. Guns he unlocks also stay unlocked and available to buy, meaning you won't need to repeat the same Gun Show battle on every run to keep using your favorite bow or grenade launcher.
Once upgraded, Vaas is a terror on the battlefield. At the beginning, you might find yourself getting scrubbed in minutes, possibly because you took a wrong turn and wound up on the wrong end of Jason's flamethrower - but once you unlock enough traits, you'll find yourself stomping your enemies while shrugging off their bullets. Once you're able to complete a run without breaking a serious sweat, don't rest on your laurels; it's time for a bigger challenge. Vaas: Insanity features five "Mind Levels" of difficulty. Each successive one raises the stakes, with tougher enemies, bigger rewards, and variables like turning off your radar and making Jasons and Citras appear in the open world. Conquer the island at its most difficult, and you may even learn something new about Vaas and his fate.
Because the landscape stays the same with each loss, you'll also gain a better understanding of Vaas' imaginary island prison and what to expect as you explore. "What to expect" includes glimpses of Vaas' deeply troubled past, which appear in the form of ghostly re-enactments of his memories at certain places. Far from turning Vaas into a sympathetic figure, these show us how deep his depravity goes, revealing a tortured but wildly impulsive sociopath with a lifelong fixation on his sister. Was he manipulated into becoming the person he was? Maybe. Is it compelling to watch him be dangerous, cruel, and self-destructive? Absolutely.
You can get into Vaas' head - and the heads of his successor villains Pagan Min and Joseph Seed - with a Ubisoft+ Premium subscription, which includes Far Cry 6 and all of its DLC (including the Lost Between Worlds expansion as well as the villain episodes) on PC, Xbox Series X|S, and Xbox One. You can also play Far Cry 6 without its DLC with a Ubisoft+ Classics subscription on PC or on PlayStation (available as part of PlayStation Plus Extra or Premium, or through a standalone subscription. Far Cry 6 is available on PC (via Ubisoft Connect, Epic Games Store, and Steam), Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, PS5, PS4, and Amazon Luna.
