THE FATHER - FAR CRY 5 & FAR CRY NEW DAWN | Forum

Greg Bryk's performance in both FC5 and FCND were amazing!  Without a believable antagonist you can't fully immerse yourself into a game. Greg's performance made the situation believable and struck up a large list of emotions. If you haven't played either yet I hope you consider doing so.  

I have probably too many feelings on Greg's work as the Father in Far Cry 5 as well as New Dawn. His performance really rang true with an interview he did about how he doesn't see Joseph as a villain at all, and everything he says is technically true and that's what makes him such an interesting character. But writing a character can only take you so far. Greg brought such life and such a believable empathy and love to Joseph. I've played Far Cry 5 easily over 15 times now and each time I'm in awe of the spectacular work he did. I also, in relation, want to give a shout out to his work in the live trailers as well as Inside Eden's Gate. All beautiful and full of emotion. 

I never played a Far Cry game before 5. The overall tone of 5 was interesting enough that I pre-ordered, but I didn't go for the special edition. I deeply regret that decision now. I was looking for a nice, uncomplicated time shooting cultists and running around with a pet bear.

The moment Father Joseph locked eyes with me, I knew it was about to get complicated.

The charisma coming from Joseph Seed was immediately compelling, and I was quickly sucked in. There was no doubt in my mind this was a man who could indeed command armies, and every time he appeared I was fascinated and eager to learn more about him. 

So I'll admit I was a latecomer to the Greg Bryk fandom, as I'd missed a lot of his work, but his performance as Father Joseph, along with his really entertaining and thoughtful Twitter posts, led me to seek him out in other media, and I've also become a rabid (pun entirely intended) fan of Bitten. Jeremy is obviously my favorite :)

But it's Father Joseph who remains the largest figure in my memory. The impact of Greg Bryk's performance was breathtaking in both the game and in the live trailers and prequel. 

When a friend of mine recommended Far Cry 5 to me, I had high expectations from the get-go. I trusted his judgement and although I wasn’t intimately familiar with the series at the time, I’d heard enough about it that I knew it was going to be good. What I did not expect from the experience, however, was having to pause directly after the opening segment just to process the emotional charge and everything going through my head — and I remember immediately texting my friend to say that Joseph Seed had already left me floored.

When I think of a good character, I naturally think of characterization itself, as well as writing. But although I would not by any means discredit these things in terms of Joseph, I would say that The Father played by anyone other than Greg Bryk would never have been the same. To reach a point wherein an antagonist is no longer just a ‘villain’, but something somehow far more complex and compelling takes more than just writing; it takes charisma to make believable, passion, tiny little quirks and vocal nuances that were, in fact, present, and never once left me aware that I was sitting in my living-room wearing cat pajamas and playing videogames.

Every moment that The Father was on-screen, everything else in my mind was put on hold and I felt exactly like I imagine each and every one of Joseph’s converts must have at some point: enraptured. Often times I found myself camping out around Hope County and just listening to the broadcasted sermons, absolutely blown away by the conviction in his tone and the truth in his words. And — without spoiling anything — each and every video broadcast from The Father throughout was another nail in a coffin of genuine, deep-set guilt, each one leaving me more emotionally bankrupt than the last. Whenever Joseph Seed looked me in the eye, I actually felt intimidated and wrong for hurting these people who were irrefutably doing horrible things.

I think of all the ways in which that could have just not been the case for me: if Joseph had been portrayed as more of a blank slate, more of a stock villain — reciting the same words and ideologies, but without the portrayal that carried him. I truly believe it would have been possible, if not easy, to avoid being as affected by him as I and many others apparently were. But instead, the ending of Far Cry 5 rolled around and I realized that I could not in good faith call The Father a villain. At that point, to me, he was just a man with a misguided means to an noble end. That, at the end of the day, is exactly what I was meant to feel — exactly what Eden’s Gate as a collective would have wanted me to feel.

Greg Bryk WAS Joseph Seed.

To my utter delight, I found that fact to also extend into the live-action trailer and short film! Both of which absolutely scream how well Greg knows and understands his character, as well as serving to remind us all how incredible a full-length Eden’s Gate movie would be — even if that’s entirely unrealistic a desire.

Far Cry: New Dawn also proved to intensify the complexities of an already complex portrayal, and I think it may have been the first videogame I've played which actually left me entirely unsettled long after I’d finished it... The final scene with Joseph was so high-strung and well-played with emotion that I could feel crushing pity and sorrow physically weighing down my chest throughout. I spent the rest of that night eating chocolate and feeling bad about my choices in the melancholic aftermath of a stunning performance.

In conclusion, Greg’s work as The Father has been absolutely inspirational to me. I’m so grateful for the chance recommendation that led me to experience it and I look forward to seeing whatever the future holds for Greg as one of my new favorite artists. I went into this expecting to have a little fun and waste some time, but I came out of it deeply evaluating the bigger picture and with a motivation to better myself and my own skills. I’d like to think a conversion like that would be satisfactory in the eyes of The Father. At the very least, I hope so. xx

ZerahBallad -  Re Recommendations:

So many wonderful projects.

Let's start a new thread : Recommendations 

When I bought Far Cry 5, I didn't know what I was getting myself into. Before I get a game I read about it before I get it and it sounded amazing. As I played it, I heard a familiar voice. Greg Bryk's voice. 

Greg playing as Joseph Seed, he did absolutely amazing! No one could've done better than him. I love the character he brought to life. 

I can't wait to see what Greg has in store for us in the future! :) 

I entered Far Cry 5 without knowing how much it would change my life xD I was blown away by the story and characters but most of all the work of Greg Bryk. His way of playing the Father is just outstanding and really affected me in so many ways! 

The speeches of him are so moving and really got me thinking, even outside of Far Cry 5. All the emotions pured into the acting truly created something special and I am grateful for that! So thank you Greg for bringing this character to life!