Far Cry 3 Review | GamersCast
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I'm going to be honest. If you asked me earlier this year what games I was most excited for this holiday, Far Cry 3 probably would not have been on my list. But now after having played this game, I can honestly say it is one of my favorite games to come out this year.
You take the role of Jason. A guy who goes on vacation to a tropical island with his friends. And everything is fine, that is, until he and his friends get abducted by a human trafficking group looking to make a profit off of them. The leader of this group is a guy named Vaas and he's pretty much the best villain you could ever want for this role. Not only Vaas, but the performances of the rest of the supporting cast are all superb.
I wouldn't say the way the story is told in this game is masterful, but it is still pretty damn good. The character development in particular is fantastic. Jason is very timid at the thought of killing at the start of the game, but as time progresses he slowly becomes more and more desensitized until he actually begins to enjoy it. And the more he enjoys it, the more enjoyable the game becomes.
For killing enemies and completing tasks you will acquire XP. The more XP you acquire the more you will level up and the more perks become available to you. Unlike most games, these perks are a tangible thing you can see on your character as tattoos. And the same applies to other characters throughout the game. So, if you see a guy who's tat sleeve goes upto his neck, you should probably stay on his good side.
My favorite part of the game is just how open it is. It's an open world game executed exactly how an open world game should be executed. You can go anywhere, or do anything at any time, at your own pace. Climbing a radio tower unlocks more of the map and more items at stores, which provides heavy encouragement to just go exploring. When encountering an enemy camp there are always several different ways to tackle any given situation. Not to mention, a great stealth system also adds to this effect. Also, by taking over an enemy camp you also unlock a fast travel point, so while the overworld is large in size, it never feels too intimidating. Not to mention, you can also find cars, trucks, boats, and hang gliders on the island to quickly get from place to place. And this open worldness is complemented by crafting.
Items pouches, holsters, weapons, enhancements, and other things similar can all be crafted. And this is clearly spelled out right off the bat. So, if you need to upgrade your wallet, let's say, you wouldn't need to hopeless search the world map for one, it is clearly laid out in the crafting menu exactly what you need to make one. And since the things you need usually aren't incredibly varied, it never feels like a standard fetch quest to go out and get what you need. Basically, you're entire inventory is fully customizable through crafting.
The mutliplayer component of this game is also well done, but pales in comparison to how masterfully the single-player campaign was executed. You control four different players through a series of much more linear missions. There are also competitive multiplayer options to choose from, but they don't too much to the overall experience.
From a presentation standpoint, the game is also very well delivered. Menus and maps are very easy to navigate and maneuver, with my only complaint being when setting waypoints, navigating the jungle without any sort of indication of what road to take, is a bit bit annoying, but ultimately only a minor gripe. Otherwise, the game graphically looks fantastic. If you're on PC, it'll take a lot out of card to maximize your experience. And by that I mean, this is the first time my graphics card wasn't able to max out the graphics settings of a game. But it really makes me want to upgrade my card, so I can fully experience how good this game can look.
Overall, Far Cry 3 is a surprisingly great game. The voice acting and story telling is terrific. The open world, "do what you want" experience is phenomenal, and it's pretty good looking to boot. The only thing that holds this game back is are the lacking multiplayer components, but even by ignoring them entirely this game is well worth a purchase and is definitely one of the best games to come out this year.