Far Cry 3 Review

Far Cry 3 Review
The most fun had on an island since they played golf on LOST



Platforms: Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, Microsoft Windows
Developer: Ubisoft
Players: Offline: 1-2, Online Co-op: 2-4
Genre: First-person shooter, Action/adventure, Sandbox
Buy if you liked: Assassin's Creed, Uncharted, Battlefield

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Gameplay
In a word: fun. The world is massive and there's always something to do if you fancy a break from story missions. You can roam anywhere you like right from the get-go too, so at first it's a little overwhelming - but in a good way. Guns and movement feel nice, but slightly heavy like Battlefield, rather than the gliding feel of Call of Duty. The game quietly promotes stealth, giving you ways to distract enemies, a knife to silence them with and suppressors for guns. It's not a requirement though, and it's way more fun to just charge in and start flame-throwing things. Kills give XP - more for stealth kills - which you spend on new skills to build up your tribal tattoo. You'll find yourself wanting to vary up your activities quite regularly though, otherwise it does get repetitive.

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Story

As stories go, Far Cry 3's feels a bit flat. The cutscenes are good but not regular enough to really create an engaging story. The opening scene leads you to believe the story will be gripping, but it kind of falls a little flat. It's definitely not the worst story in a video game, nor is it the worst example of trying to deliver one, but it does feel like the story is secondary to the gameplay and scenery. The many collectables around Rook Island do add some backstory though, and it's worth collecting them just to read a little bit of the setting's history. Don't worry if you haven't played the first two games, it doesn't matter. It's a new start, so you won't be out of the loop at all.

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Length
Altogether, you can easily sink 30+ hours into the game. There's stuff to collect, animals to hunt, items to craft, forts to liberate and timed challenges. Think Assassin's Creed, but with less jumping rooftops and more being chased through the jungle by tigers. The story on its own isn't incredibly long, but you'll want to take on most of the side missions to unlock better weapons and skills. There's also co-op missions if that's your thing, so you can pair up with friends or strangers and tackle those. There's 6 achievements for online/co-op mode so it's worth doing them if you like them.

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Graphics and Sound
Rook Island looks incredible. The game world is the real winner in Far Cry 3, and exploring it makes up for the lacklustre story. It doesn't exactly push the boundaries of this generation's potential, but it looks a lot better than most games. Cutscenes in particular are amazing and realistic, and the opening cutscenes is one of coolest ones I've seen in a game. Explosions are impressive, but not on the level of games like GTA IV. Not only does the island look vibrant and alive though, but the behaviours of NPCs and wild animals is also spot on. A tiger will stalk you through the grass, but a shark will blast towards you on first sight. It's surprising how creepy it is walking into a new area and hearing the faint growl of an animal waiting to pounce. Play with some decent headphones and you'll definitely feel the benefit. Unfortunately, the game does have a few draw distance problems, but it's nothing major. A tree popping up from nowhere here, a rock disappearing there. All things considered, it's easily forgiven. But if this kind of thing really bothers you, best to search YouTube and have a quick look for yourself.

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Should you buy it?
Probably. It doesn't come without its imperfections, but it's a lot of fun. Much of the enjoyment comes from collectables and exploration, so if you're someone who generally prefers to charge through the story and then be done with it, you might want to consider buying pre-owned or renting. The story is also the worst thing about the game and does bring it down a little, so if you put more stock in a decent storyline than anything else, you'll be slightly disappointed. If you're someone who leaves no stone unturned and loves exploring and finding collectables, it's worth your money.

Overall: 8/10