Far Cry 4 came out today, November 19. Around midnight there was speculation about a featured character named “Amita Sarbeesian.” It sounds so fake right? That’s because it is.
First of all, why do people believe in this fake information?
- Ubisoft has stated in the past that Far Cry 4 would heavily reference the social justice movement. While this is very apparent in the story telling, they have not gone quite so far as people would like to imagine.
- There is a character named Amita in the game. In the game she is fighting against tradition/oppression in order to liberate her people, particularly women.
- Someone made the connection between Anita Sarkeesian and Amita and changed her character bio on Far Cry’s wiki to reflect it, hence “Amita Sarbeesian.”
Now, Lets look at why this is obviously fake.
- This name has not been confirmed by Ubisoft and is not mentioned anywhere on the character’s official bio.
- Far Cry Wiki is an open site, meaning anyone can edit the pages.
Besides the fake name, people have also found certain things on the character’s bio that seem to be referencing Sarkeesian. Official bio: Website. Click on “Golden Path.” However, many of these references could also be applied to almost any other active progressive/feminist.
“Amita never knew her parents. Instead, she was raised by her uncle and aunt, both of whom supported the Golden Path under the rule of its beloved leader, Mohan Ghale. However, Mohan was never beloved by Amita. Instead, she hates his legacy. She felt he was fighting to keep Kyrat stuck in its old ways and even if they were victorious, her country would still be oppressed by tradition.
Amita is part of the new generation of the Golden Path and along with Sabal she has been key in bringing the rebellion back to a force that can actually make a difference. What Amita lacked in age, she made up for in passion and smarts, and she is considered the first female to officially join the ranks of the Golden Path, taking up arms, training and fighting alongside the males, marking a shift in traditional roles.
She quickly realized that the Golden Path was failing because they were waging a war they couldn’t afford to perpetuate. Amita knows that the infrastructure of Kyrat is shot, and even with independence, they won’t have the means to rebuild without first establishing a firm financial foundation. To this end, she believes in using Kyrat’s thriving drug trade to fund the Golden Path. Amita has kept the rebellion low key, planning out their strategies for the long term and stockpiling their assets. However she needs to show strength alongside Sabal, who is gathering his own supporters.
Amita is now being forced into action if she hopes to liberate her country and protect her people. With tensions rising, she’s now head to head with Sabal over the installation of Bhadra as Tarun Matara. Amita sees the practice as superstitious, old, and ultimately sexist, objectifying young women and robbing them of autonomy, a good education, and social life. She believes that intellectual, social, and financial progress is the only way to ensure a stable future for Kyrat.“
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