Causing panic is great, too. Like Far Cry 2, Molotovs or explosive barrels cause chaotic fires that trap and burn enemies. You can combine these last couple things if you’re a real sicko – flaming bears are a frightening sight. You could snipe thugs from a mountaintop, drive into a camp with Rakyat warriors (or C4 charges) in the back seat, or use a knife and bow to kill quietly. If you’re really bold, why not stab a couple guys after dropping from your hang-glider?
The satisfaction of claiming an enemy stronghold as your own is the same regardless of how you get it done. These bases become hubs for selling loot found in chests, buying better weapons, and attaching scopes and silencers. Better yet, they’re fast-travel spots, allowing you to navigate Rook Island’s breadth efficiently. Outposts are a great convenience, but they also represent something larger. Where Far Cry 2 positioned you in the middle of a civil war to play both sides, Far Cry 3 gives you a one-sided goal: Take over the island and spread the Rakyat tribe’s influence. This is the imprint Jason leaves on the world, and the reason he’s destined for Rook Island.
Multiplayer, on the other hand, retains very little of what makes Far Cry 3’s single-player campaign special. The combat is still fast and engaging, but it’s less tactical with fewer attack opportunities. Maps are cluttered and often confusing, too, so navigating to the next objective can be challenging. Taking over control points in the adversarial modes ends up as aggressive games of tug-of-war that any shooter vet is more than familiar with.
The competitive incentives function much like Far Cry’s contemporaries, too, with weapons and attachments unlocking with each level-up. This speaks to the multiplayer’s overall ambition: It’s serviceable, but is afraid to do anything other than explore old territory. The extensive map editor, which allows for terrain deformation, the addition of wildlife (including sharks that swim on land, angry tigers), and custom-created objects, presents the chance to make something better.
The cooperative mode shares the predictable progression system, but compensates with a character-driven side-story campaign focusing on entertaining moments rather than depth. Those characters are as uneven as the co-op design, though. Mikhail the Russian and Callum the Scot are funny dudes whose one-liners make them feel like unlikely action heroes. Their partners, on the other hand, are obnoxious, annoying clichés who feel like they just learned about profanity.
Friendly competitions in co-op rule.
Co-op leaves the open world behind in favor of linear levels with branching paths – with three or four players, taking advantage of high ground and flanking positions gives your team an incredible sense of empowerment. With just two, it becomes a frustrating grind. Enemies don’t scale, and the missions are specifically designed for four people. You’ll need a full crew to protect bomb-carriers while blowing up bridges or guarding vehicles from enemy waves. At times, it feels like a mindless shooter with senseless direction, but there are brief bursts of friendly fun in blowing up walls, driving quads, and wiping out hundreds of enemies.
Both online modes feel superfluous and out of place, but neither is bad. Both serve a purpose for a certain crowd, but the kind of person who connects with Jason Brody’s story likely won’t fall for simple co-op and a forced-but-functional competitive side.
The Verdict
It’s easy to see why someone would want to visit Rook Island – it’s a stunning tropical location with plenty of fun activities, scenic views, and history worth discovering. Far Cry 3 disrupts that paradise to challenge your feelings about enjoying violence. Because of lunatics like Hoyt and Vaas, you’ll see beautiful things you never would have. You’ll do terrible things that make you uncomfortable and meet fascinating, disgusting people. You’ll sympathize with Jason Brody’s difficult choices as he turns from vapid young man into a monster.
Far Cry 3 is important for the same reason as Far Cry 2. It’s a shooter that considers shooters thoughtfully, both in the way they’re designed and the way we play them, and then asks us to do the same. Should massacring hundreds be a great way to entertain ourselves? Maybe not. But it is.
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Far Cry 3 on PC, PlayStation 3, Xbox 360
9.0
Amazing
Far Cry 3's dark story and exciting combat are equally unpredictable. Savor its incredible open world.
The satisfaction of claiming an enemy stronghold as your own is the same regardless of how you get it done. These bases become hubs for selling loot found in chests, buying better weapons, and attaching scopes and silencers. Better yet, they’re fast-travel spots, allowing you to navigate Rook Island’s breadth efficiently. Outposts are a great convenience, but they also represent something larger. Where Far Cry 2 positioned you in the middle of a civil war to play both sides, Far Cry 3 gives you a one-sided goal: Take over the island and spread the Rakyat tribe’s influence. This is the imprint Jason leaves on the world, and the reason he’s destined for Rook Island.
Multiplayer, on the other hand, retains very little of what makes Far Cry 3’s single-player campaign special. The combat is still fast and engaging, but it’s less tactical with fewer attack opportunities. Maps are cluttered and often confusing, too, so navigating to the next objective can be challenging. Taking over control points in the adversarial modes ends up as aggressive games of tug-of-war that any shooter vet is more than familiar with.
The competitive incentives function much like Far Cry’s contemporaries, too, with weapons and attachments unlocking with each level-up. This speaks to the multiplayer’s overall ambition: It’s serviceable, but is afraid to do anything other than explore old territory. The extensive map editor, which allows for terrain deformation, the addition of wildlife (including sharks that swim on land, angry tigers), and custom-created objects, presents the chance to make something better.
The cooperative mode shares the predictable progression system, but compensates with a character-driven side-story campaign focusing on entertaining moments rather than depth. Those characters are as uneven as the co-op design, though. Mikhail the Russian and Callum the Scot are funny dudes whose one-liners make them feel like unlikely action heroes. Their partners, on the other hand, are obnoxious, annoying clichés who feel like they just learned about profanity.
Friendly competitions in co-op rule.
Co-op leaves the open world behind in favor of linear levels with branching paths – with three or four players, taking advantage of high ground and flanking positions gives your team an incredible sense of empowerment. With just two, it becomes a frustrating grind. Enemies don’t scale, and the missions are specifically designed for four people. You’ll need a full crew to protect bomb-carriers while blowing up bridges or guarding vehicles from enemy waves. At times, it feels like a mindless shooter with senseless direction, but there are brief bursts of friendly fun in blowing up walls, driving quads, and wiping out hundreds of enemies.
Both online modes feel superfluous and out of place, but neither is bad. Both serve a purpose for a certain crowd, but the kind of person who connects with Jason Brody’s story likely won’t fall for simple co-op and a forced-but-functional competitive side.
The Verdict
It’s easy to see why someone would want to visit Rook Island – it’s a stunning tropical location with plenty of fun activities, scenic views, and history worth discovering. Far Cry 3 disrupts that paradise to challenge your feelings about enjoying violence. Because of lunatics like Hoyt and Vaas, you’ll see beautiful things you never would have. You’ll do terrible things that make you uncomfortable and meet fascinating, disgusting people. You’ll sympathize with Jason Brody’s difficult choices as he turns from vapid young man into a monster.
Far Cry 3 is important for the same reason as Far Cry 2. It’s a shooter that considers shooters thoughtfully, both in the way they’re designed and the way we play them, and then asks us to do the same. Should massacring hundreds be a great way to entertain ourselves? Maybe not. But it is.
Share on facebook Share on stumbleupon Share on reddit Share on tumblr Share on email More Sharing Services
Far Cry 3 on PC, PlayStation 3, Xbox 360
9.0
Amazing
Far Cry 3's dark story and exciting combat are equally unpredictable. Savor its incredible open world.
