“Far Cry 3” was released in 2012 (same year Assassins Creed III came out) on PlayStation 3 & Xbox 360. It received positive reviews from critics and gamers alike selling millions of copies worldwide. The game was re-released on PlayStation 4 & Xbox One. A standalone DLC expansion known as, “Far Cry: Blood Dragon” came out a year after Far Cry 3. The game spawned three sequels and two spin-offs titled, “Far Cry: Primal” & “Far Cry: New Dawn.” “Far Cry 6” is the most recent installment with Giancarlo Esposito as Anton Castillo, the main antagonist. Speaking of “Breaking Bad,” Michael Mando and Giancarlo will reprise their roles on the final season of “Better Call Saul” airing sometime in 2022 on AMC. I’m gonna come clean, I never played the first and second Far Cry games, I only played the third and fifth installments. I’ve yet to play the new one.
Today’s review contains no crucial SPOILERS. I’m only focusing on the single-player campaign. I don’t review online multiplayer games, unless they contain story elements like the “Borderlands” series allowing you and your buddies to play the main campaign.
Stable & Unstable Aspects
Stable: Michael Mando did an excellent job for his performance as Vaas Montenegro. You can’t forget his unforgettable line. “Did I ever tell you the definition of insanity?” His first scene gets you hooked for one heck of an adventure. The rest of the voice actors all did an excellent job.
Gameplay is presented as an open-world first-person shooter. You navigate your way on a dangerous tropical island filled with pirates and predatory wildlife coming after you. If you want to stay alive, stealth is the key using silent takedowns, distract anybody with a rock, a silencer to equip a gun or use a bow. Your handy dandy camera tags an enemy one by one. Disable alarms to prevent reinforcements from arriving. If you have enough firepower and plenty of armor, take out baddies. A radio tower reveals a portion of the map. You’re allowed to drive a car, a boat, fly a glider and eventually get a wingsuit that makes you feel like Buzz Lightyear falling with style. After you liberate a milita camp, you can fast travel.
Graphics are gorgeous for a PS3/PS4 game. They still hold up bringing many elements to life including character models, fluid animation, environmental locations etc.
The Story centers around Jason. He and his rich friends go on a vacation set in a tropical island to celebrate the birthday of his younger brother Riley. The fun stops when a deranged pirate named, Vaas kidnaps Jason. After fleeing, it’s up to Jason to save his friends and Riley as he must transform from hunted to hunter.
There are a ton of weapons you can equip such as a hunting knife, handguns/pistols, sniper rifles, assault rifles, machine guns, rocket/grenade launchers, a flamethrower, a bow, (regular and explosive) throwing knives, grenades, Molotov cocktails, mines and C4s. Don’t forget to apply augments. Silencers are important.
Side Quests has a variety of stuff to do such as liberating militia camps, find treasure, hunt rare animals for an award, explore underground tombs like Lara Croft from “Tomb Raider,” collect relics/memory cards/World War II letters, supply drops, participate in challenges and last but not least, play a bit of poker.
Crafting specific ingredients from hunting herbivore/carnivore animals and gathering flowers improve your arsenal, holsters, wallet and inventory. Syringes give you health, allows you to highlight enemies without your camera for a limited time and a temporary boost to run fast. Remember kids, drugs are not cool.
A Skill Tree is presented as a tribal tattoo. The more you upgrade, the more tattoos you apply on your arm.
Ubisoft stated the game is primarily influenced by “Red Dead Redemption” & “The Elder Scrolls: Skyrim.” Other influences such as “Alice In Wonderland,” “Deliverance,” “The Deer Hunter,” “Apocalypse Now,” “Pulp Fiction,” “Requiem For A Dream” & “A History Of Violence.” Heck, there’s even pop culture references.
Primary Themes are Survival, Trauma & Madness. Each theme is handled maturely.
M.I.A.’s “Paper Planes” is used in the opening scene. Her song was also featured in a trailer from “Pineapple Express,” “Hancock” & “This Is The End.”
There are two endings. Choose carefully, one’s good, the other is bad.
Unstable: I couldn’t find nothing wrong. I’m giving Ubisoft an Extra Point for making a flawless game as possible.
The Final Verdict: A, FOR APEX!
Without a doubt, Far Cry 3 is a masterpiece worth playing. It’s one of the best games of 2012 next to “Borderlands 2, & “Dishonored.” If you’re a fan of the Far Cry series, it is definitely a must play. Don’t forget to play the fourth and fifth installments.
Nickthemoviecritic.com 