Far Cry 3

[Jack Brickman]

I'm really enjoying this game, although I haven't had a tone of time to play it (three to four hours so far). The story is decent (for this type of game), the voice acting and character models are both great, and the graphics are fantastic. Once the game opens up after about thirty minutes, you're basically left with an entire gigantic island to explore at your leisure. You can follow the main plot line, which is all about rescuing your friends from pirates, you can do side missions (hunting, supply runs, radio towers, bounties, etc.), or you can just lose yourself in the jungle and explore.

Granted, early on there aren't a whole lot of side missions to be had, but so many upgrades can be crafted out of animal skins that doing some hunting is basically a necessity. Animals in the game are no pushover, though. It's pretty easy to kill the harmless ones (goats, pigs, etc.), although some of them can really book it if they survive your first couple of shots, and losing prey in the trees happens frequently. Not all the animals are harmless, though, and it's the dangerous ones you have to worry about, often moreso than the pirates on the island.

This brings up one of the greatest aspects of the game: emergent gameplay. Occasionally, you'll happen across cool things that have nothing to do with missions in the game. For example, I ran afoul of a small group of pirates who happened to have a tiger in a cage nearby. The pirates had caught me off guard and I was concerned about losing the fight, so I put a couple of rounds into the tiger's cage, breaking it open in the process. The tiger proceeding to sprint out and maul one of the guards, shifting their focus to him and giving me time to high-tail it to the tree line. The tiger finished off two of the guards before they gunned him down, and from my now safe vantage point I gunned the rest of them down and looted the area.

This was one of many such moments that I've experienced. The dangerous animals in the game are formidable enough (read: you will be mauled by a tiger or a pack of dogs early) that you actually grow concerned when you hear one growl nearby. The fact that most of them are low to the ground and, thus, hard to spot in the jungle makes them all the more intimidating.

The next point in this game's favor is stealth. I love a game that is able to capably combine stealth and action. Far Cry 3 is one of those games. Attacking enemy outposts is almost like a puzzle, as you mark enemy positions and try to figure out how many you can take out before being spotted and in what order you can best maximize that number. It's a lot of fun, and it gives almost every encounter a strategic tinge. I really can't wait until I craft the extra weapon slings to allow me to carry four weapons at once, as that will really add to how I am able to plan out each encounter.

All in all, hard not to recommend this game.

[Mdog1]

I've been thinking about getting this one. The only thing is I am not big on jumping into a game when it's already at the 2nd or 3rd title, unless it's something like COD that has no storyline (I don't play the campaigns).

Will I be able to grasp what the hells going on if I do? Might be one of my xmas requests.

[SRStark20]

something like COD that has no storyline

Play the Black Ops I campaign, and then play the Black Ops II campaign, and then come tell me that CoD doesn't have a storyline.

[Jack Brickman]

I've been thinking about getting this one. The only thing is I am not big on jumping into a game when it's already at the 2nd or 3rd title, unless it's something like COD that has no storyline (I don't play the campaigns).

Will I be able to grasp what the hells going on if I do? Might be one of my xmas requests.

Every Far Cry game has a story that's completely independent from the previous games. The first game was kind of a pseudo sci-fi game that was seriously influenced by The Island of Dr. Moreau. It was developed by Crytek, who have since gone on to be bought (I think and don't feel like looking it up) by EA. Ubisoft still owns the rights to Far Cry, so the sequels have changed hands.

Far Cry 2 took place in Africa. I really only played that one for a bit. Graphically it was awesome, but it never really pulled me in, probably because there were so many other games out at the time and it didn't do much to distinguish itself outside of the incredible injury system (look it up). It really had nothing to do with the original Far Cry outside of its name and the open world nature of its gameplay.

Far Cry 3 takes place on a fictional Pacific island. Once again, it really has nothing to do with Far Cry and Far Cry 2 outside of it being open world and probably sharing the same or a similar engine as the second game. This game puts a heavier emphasis on RPG elements, which is part of what makes it so interesting. You have three skill trees and, as you level up, you can cherry pick which skills you want to obtain. You can hunt animals and harvest plants, which you use to craft various satchels (wallet, munitions, quiver, etc.) and syringes (health, adrenaline, etc.) respectively. You can also find loot that can be sold in stores, with the money being used to buy weapons, armor, weapon upgrades, and the like. You have main missions and side quests, and it's basically up to you whether or not you want to pursue them or just explore. There's fast travel and vehicles.

Really, this game feels a lot like Skyrim with guns, which is a compliment. It's a lot of fun and, as I mentioned, you require no knowledge of the previous games to enjoy it despite the 3 at the end of the title.

Play the Black Ops I campaign, and then play the Black Ops II campaign, and then come tell me that CoD doesn't have a storyline.

Technically all of the Call of Duty games have stories. None of them are particularly good, but they're there.

[Mdog1]

Play the Black Ops I campaign, and then play the Black Ops II campaign, and then come tell me that CoD doesn't have a storyline.

I don't know how I could have made it more clear that I don't play the COD campaigns than I did, but i'll try it again. I don't play the campaigns.

[SRStark20]

I don't know how I could have made it more clear that I don't play the COD campaigns than I did, but i'll try it again. I don't play the campaigns.

And I wanted you to play those two campaigns to prove they actually do have a storyline.

Between those two games, it is actually really good if you look a bit in-depth to it all.

[Chris]

Far Cry was pretty good. Never played the sequel, though.

This one looks really great. If the action is as satisfying and visceral as it looks in the videos, count me in.

[kosis]

Every Far Cry game has a story that's completely independent from the previous games. The first game was kind of a pseudo sci-fi game that was seriously influenced by The Island of Dr. Moreau. It was developed by Crytek, who have since gone on to be bought (I think and don't feel like looking it up) by EA. Ubisoft still owns the rights to Far Cry, so the sequels have changed hands.

Far Cry 2 took place in Africa. I really only played that one for a bit. Graphically it was awesome, but it never really pulled me in, probably because there were so many other games out at the time and it didn't do much to distinguish itself outside of the incredible injury system (look it up). It really had nothing to do with the original Far Cry outside of its name and the open world nature of its gameplay.

Far Cry 3 takes place on a fictional Pacific island. Once again, it really has nothing to do with Far Cry and Far Cry 2 outside of it being open world and probably sharing the same or a similar engine as the second game. This game puts a heavier emphasis on RPG elements, which is part of what makes it so interesting. You have three skill trees and, as you level up, you can cherry pick which skills you want to obtain. You can hunt animals and harvest plants, which you use to craft various satchels (wallet, munitions, quiver, etc.) and syringes (health, adrenaline, etc.) respectively. You can also find loot that can be sold in stores, with the money being used to buy weapons, armor, weapon upgrades, and the like. You have main missions and side quests, and it's basically up to you whether or not you want to pursue them or just explore. There's fast travel and vehicles.

Really, this game feels a lot like Skyrim with guns, which is a compliment. It's a lot of fun and, as I mentioned, you require no knowledge of the previous games to enjoy it despite the 3 at the end of the title.



Technically all of the Call of Duty games have stories. None of them are particularly good, but they're there.

What you're describing to me here is Dead Island without zombies. Dead Island is the prototype to the type of game I like playing. The open world, the side quests, the upgradeable weapons and skill trees, etc... I might have to look into this one.

[Jack Brickman]

What you're describing to me here is Dead Island without zombies. Dead Island is the prototype to the type of game I like playing. The open world, the side quests, the upgradeable weapons and skill trees, etc... I might have to look into this one.

Have only played a bit of Dead Island (not enough to judge the actual gameplay mechanics of the two), but I can say that the controls in Far Cry 3 are much better and also that the game runs significantly better, at least on the PC. It's hard to say exactly why this is, but the shooting is just smoother in FC3 and the graphics engine is definitely better-optimized.

It's absolutely worth a purchase, though. Gigantic world, great gameplay, beautiful visuals, emergent gameplay...it's got a bit of everything, and it can be as focused or as meandering as you want it to be.

[MoneyMP3]

How is the multiplayer for those of you who have it?

[pr26]

You have my interested peaked. I'm an RPG nerd (even though I'm obsessed with NBA 2k13 right now), and was considering getting a new game around Xmas time. I'm very interested in a shooter with rpg elements and more of a focus on a single player experience instead of a multiplayer fest. I'd much rather feel immersed in a game and enjoy a world then ""own" people online.

How in depth do the RPG elements go? I know your only like a few hours in, but any feel for how LONG the game is? Are there things to do for 40+ hours of game time?

[UncleDrew]

I might be sold on Far Cry 3, as well...but have been caught up with NBA2k13, Assassin's Creed Revelations and Halo 4.

[Mdog1]

You have my interested peaked. I'm an RPG nerd (even though I'm obsessed with NBA 2k13 right now), and was considering getting a new game around Xmas time. I'm very interested in a shooter with rpg elements and more of a focus on a single player experience instead of a multiplayer fest. I'd much rather feel immersed in a game and enjoy a world then ""own" people online.

How in depth do the RPG elements go? I know your only like a few hours in, but any feel for how LONG the game is? Are there things to do for 40+ hours of game time?

Hey since you brought up RPG's can anyone recommend a good one to me? I have been fiending for a good one since Skyrim, but I haven't heard of any. And if FC3 has RPG elements in it than i'm sold, as long as it's not Bethesda!

[Jack Brickman]

How is the multiplayer for those of you who have it?

Haven't played it (nor am I terribly interested), but I've read on various review sites that it's not great. However, the single-player was clearly the focus here, so that doesn't really bother me. To be honest, I really only play one multi-player game anyway, and that game is Team Fortress 2. Any other game I play online is just a temporary foray.

How in depth do the RPG elements go? I know your only like a few hours in, but any feel for how LONG the game is? Are there things to do for 40+ hours of game time?

The game is a shooter first and an RPG second, but the elements are deep enough to be satisfying. You get XP for killing enemies and completing missions, and you level up somewhat frequently. With each level up, you get a skill point which you can assign to a skill in one of three skill trees. Each tree focuses on different things, so you can prioritize the things you want earlier and add in the rest later. I've read that, if you play long enough, you can obtain every skill, so in that sense it's not like an RPG where you have to be too careful about what skills you select.

Crafting is another big RPG element in Far Cry 3. As I mentioned above, you can skin (most) animals that you kill, and you can either sell those skins or use them to craft various items to allow you to carry more ammo, grenades, money, loot items, and more. You can also harvest plants to craft syringes to give you a variety of passive effects such as doing more damage in combat or holding your breath longer. I mean, the crafting system isn't terribly in depth, but it does encourage you (especially early on) to explore various areas of the map and upgrade your equipment. Trust me, you will absolutely need to craft items to let you carry more guns and ammo if you want to get far in this game.

You can use the money you obtain throughout the game to buy and upgrade guns. The upgrade system isn't terribly deep. Most guns have at least one add-on you can purchase, with silencers obviously being incredibly useful in a game where stealth is heavily encouraged. You can also buy different skins for your weapons to make them look cooler, which isn't really a big deal but hey, it's there if you want it. You can also buy various other items like body armor, ammo, and grenades.

As far as length goes, it looks like this game has a fair amount of it. I've played somewhere between six and seven hours and, while I have no idea how far I am in the main story, there is still a ton of other stuff for me to do. There are almost 40 enemy outposts to raid, which when liberated become fast travel locations on the map. There are vehicle time trial missions, Path of the Hunter quests (which task you with taking down a rare and dangerous animal), bounties, and more. Finally, there are radio towers (which are like mini platforming puzzles) that reveal parts of the map much like in Assassin's Creed. There are also a shitload of collectibles to find if you're into that sort of thing.

Hey since you brought up RPG's can anyone recommend a good one to me? I have been fiending for a good one since Skyrim, but I haven't heard of any. And if FC3 has RPG elements in it than i'm sold, as long as it's not Bethesda!

If you haven't played The Witcher 2, I'd go with that. Gorgeous game.

Far Cry 3 does have RPG elements, but as I mentioned above, it's a shooter first.

Edit: I'll post a few screenshots later so you guys can get an idea of how fucking huge the map is and how good the game looks.

[pr26]

Hey since you brought up RPG's can anyone recommend a good one to me? I have been fiending for a good one since Skyrim, but I haven't heard of any. And if FC3 has RPG elements in it than i'm sold, as long as it's not Bethesda!

Jack brought up The Witcher 2, which is a FANTASTIC game. Very mature story and fun combat. If you don't mind dying A LOT and your a patient person, get Dark Souls. It is one of my top 5 favorite games of all time and is like 20 new.