#far cry absolution

[lulu2992]

The first episode of a new podcast was released recently, and Greg Bryk was the guest! He talked about his early life and his career as an actor, a teacher, and a writer:

About Far Cry specifically, he said many things he had already mentioned in previous videos/interviews, but there are also some new tidbits.

What he had already mentioned includes:

how the team built smaller spaces for him in the performance capture studio to create the sense of safety and intimacy he needed for certain scenes

why he initially didn’t feel like auditioning for a video game, but changed his mind when he read the script they sent him

the fact the game was about to be cancelled when he was finally cast

the way they wrote the character with and for him

what it was like to shoot Inside Eden’s Gate while Montana was on fire and he had just received the script for the eulogies

the fact he knows Steve Byers (Nick Rye) in real life

his opinion on Michael Mando and Giancarlo Esposito (and Troy Baker too, this time)

how little he got to interact with the actors who played the Heralds

the reason he insisted on carrying Ethan at the end of New Dawn

the fact his oldest son Dempsey was in the Collapse DLC

how passionate the fandom is, and why he thinks the game (and the Father) resonated with so many people.

What I had never heard him talk about before, however, was his opinion on Far Cry Absolution, what he imagines Joseph would have done had he not gone “down the path of madness”, and whether or not he thinks the Voice was real.

About Absolution, he said that, while there’s “a loyalty to the source material”, every time new writers get involved in a project, the story will be told “through the lens of that particular storyteller”. Ultimately, he considers that he doesn’t own the characters he plays and that, more than people, they’re also larger ideas. He’s “totally cool” with artists “taking it and running with it”, like in fanfiction.

To the second question, he answered that he thinks Joseph would have had a garden, been connected to the ground, and built things with his hands. He would most likely still have a family around him and a community, live “a more analog existence”, tell stories around the fire, cook, etc. He would still have a “spiritual curiosity” and be a leader, but his community would be happier, an example of harmony, love, discipline, and authenticity, not “motivated by paranoia and fear of an encroaching world”.

As for whether of not Joseph actually heard a voice, it’s up to people’s interpretation, but Greg chose to believe he did. In the end, because the Father genuinely thought God was talking to him and that he was right, that doesn’t really make a difference. Whatever the reality of the situation was, his belief was sincere, basically.

He also said he enjoyed recording the voicemails for the post-credits scene of the Collapse DLC because that allowed him to explore yet another side of Joseph and another time in his life.

If he had had the chance to change anything about Joseph and his fate, he wouldn’t have. What he’s truly interested in, as an actor, is finding and empathizing with a character’s humanity, no matter who they are and what they do.

[morutelolita]

Two late birthday presents I received from my best friend! ♡

[sentientcave]

Book Report

Started: Jan 5th 2026 - Finished: Jan 5th 2026

Title: Far Cry Absolution

Author: Urban Waite

Rating: 💠💠💠/5

A pretty easy read to kick things off. Was almost a 4/5 but it wouldn't be as good without the foreknowledge of the game to fill in gaps. There are several inconsistencies between the book and the game-- It felt as though Waite had a specific story he wanted to tell, and sort of mashed the Eden's Gate cultists into the shape he needed.

Of the two main characters, Mary May Fairgraves and William Boyd, William is the more fleshed out of the two. I had to keep reminding myself that Mary was supposed to be thirty years old in this, because the narrative pretty much treated her like a teenager. Her grief and motivations, despite being the primary plot driver, took a back seat to Will's crisis of faith. It felt very clear that Waite had more interest in him than Mary May, which did kind of remain with me as a minor annoyance as I read through the book.

Likewise, John and the Father didn't feel right either, and Waite seemed more interested in them as archetypes than of characters in their own right. John lacked his charm and volatile temperament, and spends a large amount of time chasing Mary May through the brush. Quite frankly, I can't see John doing that. That's Jacob's job (who was notably absent, save for a few small mentions). Joseph was barely in the picture as well, and the narrative describing them both as large, powerful men kind of bothered me, because Joseph is wirey and not really that tall. It felt like they were described as what the author thought cult leaders should look like, with superficial dressings of our villains on top.

Still, it was an enjoyable read, exploring themes of faith and grief and family. Slow start, but it picks up considerably in the back half, and I enjoyed the descriptions of the mountains and Will's hunting. It didn't feel super rooted in the game, but that may not all be Waite's fault, I don't know what stage of development the game was in before he started writing, and there are enough in game inconsistencies to demonstrate that things changed significantly at least once.

Despite the inconsistencies, I would probably have given it a 4/5 if the author took more interest in Mary May as a character. She has some good moments but this feels like a William Boyd novel with some Mary May sprinkled in, rather than an equally weighted exploration of their characters.

[jaeheydaris]

this scene is still so 😳 (sound ON )

[dumbassdep]

It took me a very long time to get my hands on a copy of this book but I have it now. I'm going add to this later tonight when I've finished the book and I'll put all the details under a spoiler cut but I feel like everyone needs to know that on the very first page there's the revelation that Sheriff Whitehorse was a bull rider in his youth. 😆

I do have to say doesn't say specifically it's Sheriff Whitehorse, just Sheriff but how many Sheriffs can one county have?

Yeehaw.

[i-am-the-balancing-point]

A note from Joseph

After your wife and child left this Earth we feared for your life. We feared that you had let the weakness overtake you. But you did not. You became the hunter and not the hunted. You gave up sin. You gave up vice and all the evil that had overrun your life. We put our hands upon you and together we took away your sin. We cut it from your chest, just as every member here has also given up their sin.

A note to Will Boyd, found at Boyd Residence. ❇︎ Notes of Hope County

[havingsomemorejohnlarks]

Just started reading books Far Cry: Absolution again and let me tell you - as soon as Lonny started mouthing off to that little kid and uttered the words ‘motherfucking mute’, I looked up at the sky and said “I want Lonny dead”

[feral-seedling]

So, I've been reading Far Cry Absoultion (like the hyperobsessed lady I am) and I'm not far into it but like...I don't know, as a writer myself, I just sorta...hate it?? Well, like, hate is a strong word, but the one thing I've noticed way too often was how many "said"s are there. Maybe I'm a slut for descriptive words (such as asked, shrugged, pondered, laughed), but it all seems very...dry? Anyway, I'll update anyone who comes across this page and post when I've finished reading.