Far Cry 3

Ok, after many a setback, I'm... well.. back! I've had so many games to try and finish for reviewing that I'm finding it hard to just focus on one. But, one game stood head and shoulders above the rest. And it was Far Cry 3. Let me delve into why exactly this game tickled me in that very special way.

STORY
As the game starts, you're treated to jet-skiing, skydiving, a montage of insane shenanigans performed by yourself. As the camera pans out, it's revealed that your jailer is taunting you with the footage of your vacation up until this point. You are Jason Brody, and the paradise of Rook Island has just turned into hell.

After escaping the insane clutches of the pirate known as Vaas, Brody befriends the island natives and strives to become strong enough to save the rest of his friends. But as he gains strength and progresses along the path of vengeance, will he go too far? Will he ever leave the island as the man that first arrived there? These are the questions that Far Cry 3 asks players.

It's one of those great games of recent days that takes the copious violence of your standard video game fare, and puts a mirror up, forcing players to look at themselves. Now, it doesn't pull this off quite as well as Spec Ops: The Line, but it gives me hope for the future of games stories.

PRESENTATION
One thing you're bound to hear from gamers is that Far Cry 3 looks gorgeous. And that's because it does. The island is a bright, colourful paradise on the surface, littered with temples, shantytowns and strongholds, populated by NPC's who feel like they're actually living in this world. As well as the human denizens of Rook Island, there's a whole menagerie awaiting Brody's machete. Mountain Lions, Tigers, Bears, OH MY! And manta rays. So cool.

Character models are decent, but nothing too special. More fascinating is the amount of detail put into the first person animations, from tumbling after a fall, swimming, climbing, hang-gliding, it feels more like you are the character, and not just a camera attached to him.

The soundtrack is filled with dubstep-styled tracks, jungle drums and tribal chants, which really sells the feel of the island and its residents. The voice work is also really great, with Brody's cast of friends sounding like the spoilt douchebag 20-somethings of today, nailing the stupid tourist in a nightmare situation vibe. Characters like Vaas and Buck constantly remind you of how insane everything is. Also, theres a variety of kiwi accents on display for the NPC's, which is AWESOME!

GAMEPLAY
On the surface, Far Cry 3 is a first person shooter like so many other games. But look beneath that and you'll see it's sublime stealth mechanics, it's super cool skill tree and it's crafting system that borrows a little from Assassin's Creed 3 and Red Dead Redemption.

The basic gameplay is most definitely the shooting. Guns feel good to use, they have a nice weight and power to them. Especially the Desert Eagle. Goddamn is that thing powerful! The cover system works nicely, with just a button push seperating you from crouching behind a wall and aiming over it. The weapon variety is fantastic, from pistols and assault rifles, to flamethrowers and a recurve bow. It all plays into how you want to attack a situation.

The stealth mechanics are nicely implemented; it's easy to know when an enemy can see you, and there are systems in place to allow you to distract guards, as well as take them down silently. Takedowns in this game are awesome, as well as super violent. And the skill tree allows you to customize those to your every whim. Whant to stab a guy and silently take his friend down with a thrown knife? Go ahead. Want to steal your victims weapon after and shoot the rest of his patrol? Do it! Aerial assassinations and ledge takedowns all visit from Assassin's Creed too.

Now, as I mentioned, there's a skillt tree as well. The most noticable (and cool) part of it is that with each skill, Jason's arm Tatau gains a new symbol. With each skill learnt, Brody get's inked up like a badass!!!

The hunting system is fantastic, and having to use animal hides to upgrade wallets, loot sacks, holsters and ammo packs encourages the use of the hunting system.

Now Far Cry 3 is not perfect. But to be honest, aside from a few glitches, the biggest issue I found was with the enemy AI. Sometimes it can act as though it grew up drinking paint, other times it's einstien with a gun! But, it's only on rare occassions that the inconsistency of the AI is shown.

REPLAYABILITY
With strongholds to attack, Radio towers to scale, animals to hunt, bounties to cash in and minigames to play, Rook Island has a digital fuckton of things to do. And if you finish with that, theres a multiplayer mode. Though I'm not a huge fan, it feels like it was tacked on to tick a corporate box.

OVERVIEW
Here's the rundown: Far Cry 3 has excellent visuals, entertaining characters brought to life by immaculate voice acting, solid gunplay, satisfying stealth play and a living breathing world that you can get lost in for hours. It's not only high quality, it's also value for money, as I can see myself spending hours more exploring the island.

Next week, hopefully Hitman: Absoloution. If not that, then maybe a Wii U review? WHO KNOWS?! See you next time!