Far Cry 3 Review. Unpredictable, Beautiful, Immersive Tropical Adventure

Far Cry 3 gives you one of the best experiences of open-world FPS gaming, capturing the beauty of the tropical spirit completely. Yet, the majestic environment that it provides is also marred by an air of unpredictability, with everything from pirates, rogue island natives to extremely irritable wildlife all waiting to draw blood.

Graphics: 5.0

The open-world environment modeled is beautiful, and you’d think this was a real-world island out in the Pacific. The high-fidelity cutscenes and unpredictable nature of the game all bring the entire design up a few notches. You won’t suffer any framerate dips here. I especially like how vehicles bump on the terrain just like in real life. The island map is clear, and you can easily read it without any hassle.

Gameplay: 4.5

You play as the protagonist Jason Brody who is on a skydiving trip with his friends and family. The trip turns awry when you land on a pirate-infested island and get kidnapped. After you are rescued by the Rakyat, you slowly grow into the ultimate warrior, a skill which you then turn into a rescue tool for your friends still held captive on the island. The game follows a trail of deception, and you will have two thrilling alternate endings depending on the choices you make.

The game is a combined FPS and RPG system, in which you garner experience points, crafting and skill trees (Spider, Heron, and Shark). Melee takedowns of enemies are possible from above, below or behind. You can tag enemies with your camera and use the map to plan out stealth-coordinated attacks. As you go along, you unlock items such as weapons, and other areas of the map by jamming radio equipment. Ammunition can be upgraded, with silencers, larger magazines, and arrows.

Controls: 5.0

The reaction time on the controls is what I like most about the game, especially where stealth missions are concerned. Controlling a jalopy or an ATV is also quite responsive, and the simulation of driving in a bumpy environment is quite unparalleled. Action scenes, even the subtle ones, are the best when it comes to controls, and you’ll enjoy the deathly feeling of turning into a manic warrior fulfilling his bloodthirst with your Xbox gamepad.

Replay Value: 5.0

While you may take a bit of time to feel the consistency of the story, each second spent on various quests and your transformation from a lofty tourist into a god-like warrior ultimately gives this game perfect replay value. The story gradually comes together, encompassing different elements that eventually bind together in one beautiful symphony. The unpredictability of where death may come from next is a sweet addiction.

Conclusion

While Far Cry 3 lacks in the co-op department, its single character story mode overreaches, and more than compensates. You can play a full 30 hours on this game by yourself, and the next quest is always better than the last one. Earning new skills motivates you to kill more and transform yourself even faster, and you certainly won’t sleep well at night knowing you didn’t take out every last pirate.