Far Cry 3 is almost flawless, but is a masterpiece nonetheless...
User Rating: 9 | Far Cry 3 PS3
Where to begin to describe Far Cry 3 is difficult, its setting are the beautiful yet merciless Rook Islands. Wherever you are, you can always pan the camera around the open world and spot something that stands out, whether it is a landmark, encampment or even just the wildlife. The single player experience is split on two islands. The north island, home to the pirates led by a ruthless mercenary named Vaas. The south island home to a mercenary army employed by the even more ruthless Hoyt Volker. You play as Jason Brody, who became stranded on the island with his friends then captured by Vaas' pirates. Your main aim is to find and release your friends from capture. You encounter many individual characters on your search, many of them difficult to tell whether or not they are friend or foe. The main story is strong and keeps you hooked throughout making it hard to stop playing, even for a short while. Alongside the main story there are various side missions, some of which get a little repetitive, however it is impossible to get bored of taking out pirate encampments. There is a much improved stealth system to that of Far Cry 2 and as a whole makes the entire experience more fulfilling. There are many collectables scattered across the map along with a large variety of vehicles. From jet skis to hangliders, quad bikes to the wingsuit, there is an endless number of ways of getting from A to B. Added to this there is a wide variety of weapons, as you would expect from the modern first person shooter.
With the single player, there is a strong multiplayer component, though not as dazzling as the main competition, it satisfies the game and is highly entertaining in its own right. There is also a co-op campaign which can be played offline with 2-player split screen and online with up to 4 players. This campaign takes place 6 months earlier than that of the single player campaign adding even more for your money.
This may be a short review but the game is anything but... It will easily keep you going for more than most FPS RPG's ever will, and in that genre Far Cry 3 is by far the top of its class.
Overall Far Cry 3 is definitely a must buy and a certain game of the year contender.
