Early reviews for Ubisoft’s Far Cry 3 are indicating that it is a game that has been well worth the wait. Originally slated to come out this past September, the long-awaited first-person shooter sequel is now set to debut next week for Xbox 360, PlayStation 3 and PC, bringing with it a dynamic new world where you can approach objectives however you please, be it with a sense of stealth or going all gusto, flying in with a truck and machine guns in hand. There’s a lot more to this game than you might expect, even if you’re familiar with the series.
In Far Cry 3, you’re Brody, a tourist who finds himself at the mercy of a group of pirates, led by the merciless Vaas. How merciless is this guy? He would easily taunt someone before doing them in with a rocket launcher, just for the sake of making them suffer before delivering the final blow. In a way, he’s almost in line with some of the iconic James Bond villains, but way more ruthless in style.
Brody is able to escape, barely, with his life, but he soon teams up with a group of locals that enable him to fight back, and his transformation from helpless welp to all-out killer is one that will inspire you to continue on through hours of gameplay, just for the opportunity to give Vaas his just desserts from what he does to you and your friends early on in the game. Nothing beats having an end goal to work your way to, in this case finding the brutal animal that deserves nothing less than a slashed throat.
As we stated above, Far Cry 3 is a game that literally lets you do things your way, though some approaches work better than others, depending on the situation. For instance, with ambushing a specific point on the map that’s controlled by pirates (like, say, a radio tower that can actually serve as a spawn or transport point later on in the game, so you don’t have to drive around the island in real time), you can either go all gung-ho and try to take everyone out Rambo style, assault rifle in hand; or you can be sneaky, distracting them with rocks and taking them out from below (dragging them off a cliff to their demise) or above (jumping out of a tree with a stabbing attack), or using one of the tools around the island to your advantage, including sliding in on a zip-wire (which has you flying at enemies with utmost velocity) or landing a throwing knife in the back of their head (which is sick – and we mean that in a good way).
In a way, Far Cry 3 shares something in common with Assassin’s Creed III in terms of completing objectives while occasionally using discretion. But there’s a tactical side to it as well, especially when it comes to completing side quests to help boost your skills. Assassination missions pop up on occasion, allowing you to grow closer to your allies as you complete them (thus making you stronger when it comes to overtaking points on the map); hunting challenges help perk up your skills; and supply runs will help get you familiar with vehicular controls, as you’ll be driving and flying often, as going on foot can take way too long. (Plus, in a way, a vehicle can serve an advantage when it comes to over-running a roaming group of pirates – you can kill most of them quickly with a well-timed ram attack).
Along with pirates, you’ll also occasionally have to deal with wild animals, which is where the hunting missions come into play. A bear can come out of nowhere and startle you, especially if you’re on foot. Luckily, your sense of awareness picks up over the course of the game, and there’s always a decent amount of weapons to pick up, whether you prefer a chained machete to do up-close damage, or a machine gun/shotgun to level an enemy flat. Just be prepared for a fight – these guys don’t quit easily.
The single player portion of Far Cry 3 is huge and will take hours to complete, but the game also has a multiplayer set-up, with traditional modes to choose from. While hardly as in-depth as, say, Call of Duty: Black Ops II, it does help you get used to the game’s controls, and offers a few bountiful thrills for good measure. It’s worth checking out when you need a break from island roaming.
Far Cry 3 looks to offer everything you’d possibly expect from a first-person shooter – and more – with its more-than-substantial gameplay and open sandbox approach. Being able to do things your way is a nice touch, even if all roads eventually lead to the treacherous Vaas. Hey, the guy’s got it coming.
Look for Far Cry 3 on December 4th for Xbox 360, PlayStation 3 and PC.
Published: Nov 26, 2012 06:40 pm