Far Cry 3 has a lot to offer any shooter fan. If you’re a fan of the series this isn’t a real shocker. However, if you haven’t really picked up on what makes the Far Cry series so compelling, this article is for you.
Unlike the previous two Far Cry titles, this game is more polished and much deeper. The first Far Cry was a decent game for the time. But it didn’t really amaze in any concrete way. The second game was very good. The content or map creator was a blast and truly expanded the joy and longevity of online multiplayer. Even with a great replay value the storyline of the single player campaign was repetitive and the quest structure needed attention.
Luckily the new game has received some love. The campaign is brilliant, addictive, and long. It’s full of lush environments, brutal stealth kills, exotic animals like Komodo Dragons and Bull Sharks, and packed with stunning visuals.
There is even a four player coop campaign that offers real depth with a great side story to the characters from the main plot. This is an absolutely team oriented game mode. The difficulty ratchets up if your group isn’t moving along at a decent pace. It can bog you down as it throws waves of rebels or pirates at your position. The single and four player campaigns alone grant you huge replay value even before you add the presence of a full map creator and game mode editor. This game has a humungous replay value. If you create a decent map, Ubisoft will feature it in competitive play lobbies as a silver or bronze level map award.
I won’t toss in a bunch of spoilers or even rip into the core plot of the game. There are far too many articles and sources that give the hat away online. What I will say is the addition of rare animals like Tigers, Monkeys, Snakes, Sharks, Komodo Dragons, Water Buffalo, Deer, Wild Boar, Cheetah, and so many more really change the way you attack a particular mission. It makes you take into consideration where you are when you launch an assault on a position. If you hang around too long in one spot, especially while hunting animals, a tiger might just ruin your day. Even Dingo’s may come along to try and eat you. (Not your baby, just you!)
Instead of revealing the whole plot I will breakdown three areas of the game. First is multiplayer.
There are several issues that plague this mode. Namely lobby waiting times and the highly frustrating lack of a way to join games with friends in a party. The hit recognition system is flawed which offers a bit of frustration at times when it’s acting up.
On a brighter note, there are a ton of elements to online play that make it fast, addictive, intense, and highly team oriented. Calling in tactical strikes like gas bombs or napalm is a blast. If you like the perks from Call of Duty you will love Far Cry 3.
There are end of match animations where the three best players from the winning team have the opportunity to humiliate the best player from the losing team or congratulate him for being a good opponent. Some of these are hilarious. Many are just ridiculous and kind of irritating if you start seeing them used over and over.
On another note, the fantastic visuals of the single player campaign do not transfer over completely to multiplayer. The level of stunning visuals just aren’t there with so much going on across the map. And that’s just fine. With all the destruction being spread out over the battlefield, you won’t have time to notice the lack of crisp visuals. If you want the panoramic splendor of the game world, play the campaign. If you want to stealth kill and take down waves of opponents, play the multiplayer.
Which brings me to my second point. Believe it or not, there are zip lines all over Far Cry 3, even in multiplayer. And you can one hand the zip line while using a pistol to shoot as you pass over your enemies heads. It’s a lot of fun, but it isn’t always a game changer. Actually, there are times when the maps are so big you won’t even use parts of the map at all during a random match. So many zip lines aren’t used much. But when they are there and you’re pinned down. They can add a huge level of hilarity to the game.
That brings me to my final point. Far Cry 3 is a very good game. With a bit more polish it could have been one of the best games in years on either system. This is still a very good game, in fact, if you aren’t a huge fan of the series, this is by far the best time to give it a try.
I highly recommend this game with all of its pros and cons. After this holiday seasons software crazed lineup, there won’t likely be another on this generation of consoles. So we better take what we can get. And at the very least, this is well worth the investment. Once you sink your teeth into the first few mission of the campaign, you will be glad you did. But before I leave you, this is NOT a good game for minors. It is an adult’s game. There are thematic references to rape, torture, and many more themes that are inappropriate for younger gamers. Regardless, you have to know your kids. If you aren’t in that situation. Then don’t worry. There is nudity, vulgarity, and lots of swearing to look forward to.
Watch the video linked to the left to see more.
Or head over to the official site for the game.
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