Why I’m so addicted to Far Cry 3
Sneak, kill, hunt, upgrade. Sneak, kill, hunt, upgrade. Sneak, kill, hunt, upgrade. This is the insanely tight and addicting gameplay loop that makes up the core of Far Cry 3. Set on a beautiful island taken over by a drug lord, this open world sandbox shooter uses RPG elements to add the carrot-on-a-stick incentive to just about everything you do. There is a point and a progression to all of the actions that you take, whether that action is gathering herbs, hunting animals or killing evil junkies. The main storyline is varied enough, but it’s these open world aspects that really got me hooked. And boy, do I mean hooked! I’ve only had the game in my grasp for a weekend but I’ve already dropped a solid straight 18 hours on this gem.
Weapons:
Like with any shooter, you keep getting bigger and better guns, but the slow creep from crappy pistol to silenced assault rifle is well earned in Far Cry 3. By the time I had built up my dream arsenal, the next logical step was to master the hunting bow. Nothing feels better than silently taking out an entire camp of about 10 jerks with nothing but arrows, or defeating a wild black bear with nothing but C4. This type of rush does not come easy, but the challenge is always fair. Every time I died, it was my own fault. Unlike so many modern shooters, I actually had to hone my skills in order to progress. Not just build my stats but build actual skills, and that was very rewarding.
Geography:
The huge map is divided into about 45 different camps, each with their own layout and a slew of baddies defending it. The main difference from one camp to the next is how you’ll want to approach each site to take control. In one area, I camped out on a mountain top picking off alarms with my sniper. Shortly after I managed sneak around and release a captive tiger from its cage and let the beast do all the dirty work for me. Another time I crashed a hang-glider into the center of the camp and went full-on-Rambo with a flamethrower. The gameplay can be as creative as you are.
Abilities:
When you first gain control of protagonist Jason Brody you may not notice any of his technical short-comings. Right from the get go the controls and abilities feel adequate enough to take down most of the generic bad-guys one by one. However Jason’s own weaknesses play a huge role in the ever evolving mechanics of this game. As you slaughter your way through the campaign, you gain abilities you never even noticed were missing. Things like staying zoomed in through a scope while you reload, or swimming a bit faster. Eventually advanced stealth kills come into play; things such as dropping down onto an enemy or multiple instant knife kills. If you’ve ever gotten a rush from planning a well executed 5+ kill in Batman Arkham City or Splinter Cell: Conviction, you’re going to feel right at home with the sneak, stalk and execute abilities in Far Cry 3. The main difference that sets this game apart from those other titles is the smooth learning curve of these abilities. Every little trick has to be unlocked one at a time. So by the time you get any new ability, your always ready for it. I never felt overwhelmed in Far Cry, I always knew exactly what I wanted to achieve and how to get it done.
The previously mentioned main story is still noteworthy with some rather large set-pieces, but I couldn’t help but feel like the story-quests kept stepping on their own toes. There are some missions that automatically end if you are detected or go “out of bounds”. This really breaks the flow and defeats the point of an open world game. Luckily those hiccups are few and far between, and was mitigated by keeping up with the rush to take over all the camps on the island. The campsite side missions are where I get trapped in the loop, those are the missions where I obsess and take down everything I can.
It’s difficult to say how broad the appeal of this game will be. I know I didn’t care much for Crysis 2, yet somehow the gun play in Far Cry 3 scratched that trigger happy itch. The main story has has some questionable flaws, but I tried not to think too much about the plot holes and just focus on my camp raiding. I’m most centrally a dreamer, so perhaps some of my enthusiasm for Far Cry 3 stems from my own silly backstory that I’ll make up as I infiltrate each encampment. But the fact that the island can capture that much of my imagination is good testament to just how well crafted the hooks are in this game, and oh man I’m hooked…. so so hooked. Addicted, even. Now if you’ll excuse me, I must get back to hunting for a panther – I need to craft a new medial syringe holder.
Pro-tip: Turn off the music. The score is fantastic but the procedurally generated sound triggers are garbage. Its will also help with hunting.
About the Author
Joe-Lou is an offbeat musician from Providence RI. His real job involves designing exhibits, but by night he does this stuff.
