Difficulty:

Just Right

Time Spent:

20 to 40 Hours

The Bottom Line:

"Revolutionary"

Like the majority of games I've purchased and reviewed this year, Far Cry 3 caught my attention at E3 2012. I didn't know anything about it besides what it was called prior to that, and I really didn't care. For some reason or another, Far Cry 2 just didn't do it for me. I picked it up from Blockbuster a couple years back, played it for a few minutes, and ended up returning it within an hour for reasons that I can't quite remember. I remember playing and loving the heck out of the Far Cry games that released on the Xbox (the original, not 360), so why did I hate that one? Regardless of the answer, after playing Far Cry 3 I'm thinking about finding 2 again and giving it a 2nd chance. Find out why by reading on in my Good vs Bad Review!

As for the good things about Far Cry 3: This game is actually quite realistic, and it's not only in the sense of gameplay mechanics. Far Cry 3 is one of the very few games I've played in which the characters can actually be seen as believable, at least when comparing them to the way humans would act and respond to the games scenarios. This is especially the case with the protagonist, Jason Brody. In the beginning of the game, he's scared out of his mind after being kidnapped from what he thought would be the perfect vacation with his friends. He even freaks out after killing his first person, but he gets more use to it as the game goes on. Though for some odd reason, he can never seem to get use to skinning animals. There wasn't a single major character in this game that I didn't find interesting, and the voice acting behind them all made for even more believable characters.

With Far Cry 3 being an open world game, you're going to have to face open world challenges. One of these challenges is the wild, which this game happens to do better than any open world title I've played so far. With such a wide variety of animals available, you've got a lot more to worry about than other human beings. When in range, the majority of creatures roaming the islands you'll be exploring can (and often will) attack when you least expect it, raising the bar on the games already chaotic combat. However, these animals aren't just there as an interesting distraction, they must also be hunted and skinned in order for you to upgrade your equipment.

More of these open world challenges include controlling territory to deplete enemy forces, and making the rather large map more visible on your GPS. As you start your journey in Far Cry 3, the island is mostly taken over by your enemies. In order to take it back, you're going to have to raid their outposts and kill everyone inside. This can be done in many ways, though I prefer to find an animal cage, snipe off the lock, and let whatever was inside that cage take them out for me. In terms of making your map more visible on the GPS, this game has an Assassin's Creed style of updating it. Across the island are radio towers that you'll have to climb, which are all surprisingly different. Once you reach the top, turn on the fuse box and bam, more of the map is revealed. Oh, and instead of making a leap of faith into a haystack, you take a zip-line down.

Taking over outposts, updating your map, and killing enemies will get your experience points, which can be used to add new skills to your character. The way in which this is done can be compared to Borderlands, seeing as how there are 3 skill trees you can place your points in, each with a primary skill set. With each skill you add, Jason's tattoo (will be explained in the game) will expand and it's actually possible to acquire every skill in one playthrough.

When in combat with human enemies, this game focuses more on precision than how many bullets you have to unload into them. One shot to the head from any weapon results in death, which is something that I honestly wish more games would invest in. Shooting an enemy anywhere else will cause them to respond where the bullet hit, but you're definitely going to have to shoot a few more rounds. This doesn't at all qualify with heavy enemies though, mostly for the fact that they're wearing armor and helmets. To take out these guys, you're going to need a good strategy. Personally, I find a couple grenades and a few blasts from a shotgun to do just fine, just make sure you don't try knifing them or you're screwed.

If you ever get sick of doing the story missions, taking over outposts, or climbing radio towers, there's still a heck of a lot to do in this game. There are numerous side-quests, mini-games, and even challenges that you can compete (score wise) against your friends in. This is also a relatively good game for those who just like to explore and have some fun without the pressure of having an objective. Why not climb to the top of a mountain and use your wing-suit to soar across the island? Or maybe you think things are better down where it's wetter and wish to swim with the fishes instead. Go for it! This game has more than enough to keep you occupied for a long time.
In terms of the games multiplayer aspects, there really isn't anything that stood out from other games I've played. Like most games lately, the co-op is its own game mode that's totally separate from the original campaign. It's fun to play with your friends, relatively short, and actually helps you level up for the competitive multiplayer whenever you decide to play.

As for the bad things about Far Cry 3; there are absolutely none besides the fact that the co-op campaign was a bit too repetitive. Each mission was practically the exact same thing in a different location, but I suppose it's not too bad because of how short it was.

With that small flaw aside, Far Cry 3 isn't only the best game I've played all year… It's also one of my personal best games of all time, getting a well-deserved 10 out of 10. After going through an entire year of what felt like a bulk of copy and paste games, it's nice to have one that stands out from the crowd.

Thanks for taking the time to read this review. If you liked what you read, be sure to follow me on my Youtube Page (TrueFreakinGamers) or Twitter (thatSTERLINkid) to share your thoughts!

(Review based on Xbox 360 version.)