Far Cry 4 wowed a lot of gamers when it debuted last fall. Ubisoft’s open-world adventure marked the first time players explored the virtual Himalayas, and we spent numerous hours stalking wild animals, finding the 55 Masks of Yalung and tearing down all those Propaganda Posters. It made such an impact that for some of us, Far Cry 4 easily stood out as the 2014 game of the year.
Now comes Far Cry Primal, the newest edition to the celebrated franchise debuting for PS4, Xbox One and PC on February 23, 2016. Except you don’t wield machine guns and ride around in Jeeps. In fact, Far Cry Primal does not take place in modern day, or any year remotely close to 2015. Ubisoft took a risk by setting this game in the Stone Age, back when mammoths and saber-toothed tigers roamed a vast wilderness, and hunters used crude weapons like spears to survive.
Far Cry Primal lets you explore a place called Oros, an open world filled with redwood forests, swamps and other forms of scenery. The game casts you as Takkar, the surviving member of his tribe. Your primary objective? Remain among the living by any means necessary. You’ll grow and command a tribe, learn new skills and craft weapons using different animal bones and other resources.
In addition to encountering those aforementioned beasts, you must also outwit and outlast rival tribes. Similar to Far Cry 4, for example, sneaking into enemy outposts will factor into the gameplay, perhaps allowing you to free these camps and allow your own people to move in, creating a safe zone. This is speculation for now, but a possible scenario considering previous Far Cry games.
Additionally, the game tasks you with mastering fire and then using it against your enemies. Setting a weapon ablaze, for instance, lets you scare off predators. Should you choose to slaughter animals, the scent of death may attract hungry predators. Based on what we’ve heard, these enemies may fight your character for the carcass. Yes, saber-toothed tigers, but also starving dire-wolves.
To say we’re intrigued is a huge understatement. We couldn’t get enough Far Cry 4 and Primal takes the series in a promising direction. Thoughts of hunting mammoths with friends via co-op (please include this, Ubisoft) would make a great way to spend the weekend.
On that note, we’ll have plenty more on Far Cry Primal leading up to its February release, including an in-depth walkthrough on how to find all of the collectibles. Cave paintings, perhaps?
Now learn even more about Far Cry Primal in this behind the scenes video from Ubisoft.
Published: Oct 6, 2015 06:55 pm