When I was a kid I was offered a comic book called Histoire Sans Héros – Story Without Heroes – a vivid tale centered on a group of men and women that survive a plane crash in the heart of the Amazon rainforest.
Story Without Heroes had a strong impact on me at the time. I was young – probably too young – for that kind of adult-themed narrative. It’s easier to be captivated by stereotypical heroes when you’re growing up; the brave, unselfish and unrealistic characters that inhabit most popular fiction. And here was a book, as the title suggested, without clear heroes to attach to. A flawed and disparate group of protagonists that is forced to confront its own demons – selfishness, fear, anger and hate – until they realize that only by relying on each other, through solidarity and courage, will they stand a chance of finding a path to freedom.
Thinking of Jason Brody, the reluctant hero of Far Cry 3, reminded me of this now almost forgotten comic book classic written by two famous Belgian comic book authors in 1977.
Jason Brody isn’t much of a hero to begin with. In fact, he hardly gathers the spirit to follow his older brother away from the clutches of the fascinatingly insane Vaas Montenegro. Unlike Jason, Grant is a natural born leader who has the tenacity to do what’s right in the direst circumstances. Jason, on the other hand, went through his whole life acting like he doesn’t care, directionless and irresponsible. A rebel without cause or reason, or so people say because deep down Jason knows it’s all fake, always on the backseat and never the lead, simply trying to hide his low self-esteem with a façade of obnoxious irreverence that will never lead anywhere.
Until now.
Many gamers may have a hard time relating with Jason Brody straight away. He’s not immediately likable. He’s not even someone you would look up to. But, then again, that’s the beauty of Far Cry 3. Everyone is flawed and ultimately believable. And so is Jason’s journey, a fateful voyage that will lead him through loss, anger, desperation and, possibly, death. But, for once in his life, his own inner revolt might just become his best friend and the key to survival.
There’s something about Far Cry 3 that makes it stand out in the crowd of recent video game releases. Yes, there are truly unforgettable characters, the villains in particular. And then, of course, there’s the landscape; Rook Islands, your fictional paradise turned into hell, crafted with such realism and detail that you will never want to leave. But, above all else, there’s something as simple as being there; the visceral physicality of the whole experience.
I tend to dislike the way many first-person shooters feel like you’re watching the world through a steady-cam. Far Cry 3, on the other hand, delivers a strong sense of contact with the outside environment. You sense Jason’s movements; you see his body interacting with the world around him, opening car doors, jumping through fences, stretching his legs while sliding forward for cover. These dynamic little details make the gameplay immensely rewarding and, after experiencing them, it will be hard to go back to other shooters that fail to capture that emotion. As you see, it’s not just how pretty the graphics look but how it all feels like you’re really there!
Far Cry 3 is a solid story-driven open world game that is both a delightful playground for exploration and a dark and emotional human drama about a simple hero that’s not out to fight aliens or save the world; just a regular young man that is trying to save his friends and doing whatever he can to see another day. Survival has never been this much fun.