FarCry3 Review

Far Cry 3 is a spectacular game. It is a wonderfully realized world that comes together in all of the right ways. Blood thirsty pirates, viscous animals and grand vistas are some of the many things that you will encounter during your Vacation to Rook Island.

The story starts off simple enough. You play as Jason Brody who is vacationing with his two brothers and some friends. Things go bad right away with a kidnapping and Jason must muster up the courage to battle his fears and rescue his friends. The First ten minutes of Far Cry 3 was very engaging. It set a tone for the game. Far Cry 3 has a very mature narrative that truly enters some dark and emotional material. Without spoiling anything for you, I can say that the writing was handled excellently. For the most part, all of the events that were meant to shock or draw emotion were pulled off correctly. As a character you start off as just another young American adult with little ambition in life besides drinking and hanging with friends. Jason is now responsible for saving those close to him and he knows it. Seeing Jason evolve as a character is great. But is gaining more confidence as you kill hundreds and hundreds of people necessarily a good thing? This is one of the questions that Far Cry 3 evokes in those who play it. There is a story mission near the end of the game that makes a pretty big decision for you. This bothered me since I would have chosen the other option if there was one. The game does give you one choice to make at the end that will give you one of two endings. This works out just fine, but I wish that they kept the same rule for the whole game. It almost would have worked better if the narrative was controlled throughout this whole experience. But either way, the writing is great and the cast performances are spot on. All characters feel fully realistic and alive. 

The Rook Islands are very large and can be traveled about quickly. When you are not on a story mission you can wander around hunting animals or picking plants. There are several upgrades available for things like ammo pouches and your Loot Rucksack which are made from different leathers.  You can also craft health and skill syringes from the leaves that you pick. The world 

is full of activities ranging from clearing enemy outposts, which unlocks fast travel from that location, to races and other side quests. There is never a shortage of things to do. Exploration can be very rewarding in this game. There are over 160 collectibles strewn throughout the world that will surely keep the player busy for a while. 

Far Cry 3 is leaps and bounds above its predecessor, Far Cry 2. Although Far Cry 2 was a good game in its own right, I was never too impressed with the confusing conflict between two African Organizations nor the repetitive game play. But we can all thank Ubisoft for listening to common complaints. One of the biggest changes was to the vehicles. They handle much more responsively than before and feel more substantial. I  will never forget the first few minutes of the game. I was racing my newly acquired Jeep down this road and suddenly an enemy vehicle emerged from around the corner ahead. I crashed into them at full speed. My character surged forward in the impact and the windshield cracked with a loud “SHATTER” sound effect.  After getting out of the vehicle and running down the road a ways, I turned to see their Jeep coming at me. I pulled out my weapon and started firing.  A front tire exploded and the now-dead pirate driver slumped over the wheel. The combination caused the Jeep to engage in a flip and it rolled right off the cliff. The ensuing explosion let me know that the encounter was over. It just felt real. The enemy AI is rather smart and again, very realistic. They will flank you and search for you where you were last seen. Which is a another noticeable difference from FC2. 

Stealth plays a vital role in Far Cry 3. This was not just something that was tagged on. It is fully realized and plays by its own rules. Your character can throw rocks to distract enemies in case you want to avoid conflict. Or you can stab them in the back for a Takedown XP bonus.That's right, XP. Far Cry 3 has incorporated some light RPG mechanics. You earn XP for kills and completing missions. You can then purchase new skills which gives you new abilities in combat. Some of them increase health while others let you take down an enemy from a zip line for example. Leveling up your character really improves the combat and gives you new things to try. The RPG system is nothing compared to the likes of Borderlands 2, but it serves the game nicely and satisfies the human desire to advance and make progress.

The music of Far Cry 3 is not what you may expect. The tones are all electronic. For some reason it really goes well with this game. Some special songs will kick up for certain missions which really help build the mood of what is going on. 

The game looks great on the PS3. You will need a beefy PC if you want to get the most out of Far Cry 3. The Rook Islands are gorgeous with lush scenery and bright colors. Overall the game is technically sound. I noticed some very minor screen tearing that would occasionally appear. Other than that I fell through the map on two different occasions, but a reload save solved the problem. 

FC3 is a great game that gave me some good memories the likes of Red Dead Redemption and Fallout 3. If you are looking for an in depth FPS with an huge open world, a great story, and a good way to spend sixty dollars, look no further than Far Cry 3. The story alone took me about 20 hours, but you may spend dozens of hours doing everything. Some longevity has been added with the Multi-player and Co-op. Don't expect anything groundbreaking with the Multi-player, but it is a great addition for those who love it. It even comes with a detailed map editor, which should gather a large community for years to come. 

For These Reasons I Give This Ubisoft Adventure a $54 / $60.

This is an @Afro_Gear review.
@Afro_Gear - TechFixation Editor