Far Cry Primal
I missed the first two Far Cry’s, joining the series at number 3, trying to rescue my idiot friends from an island in the middle of a civil war of sorts. Of course, I didn’t rescue my friends, no I went for the hot native chick who I was sure wanted to have sex with me. Then it was off to Nepal or somewhere to rescue an oppressed people who were linked to my family somehow. Both were a blast, mainly because you could choose your own way to do things, you know, stealthy like or just shooting shit up. I always chose the later. That’s just how I roll, sex and violence.
So when Ubisoft Montreal announced Far Cry Primal, set in 10,000 BC I was immediately concerned. How on earth would they fit vehicles and a mas of guns and exploding thingies into a cave man era?
Of course they just didn’t. Instead they delivered a game that pretty much embraces the open world gameplay in a more immersive way than any Far Cry game before it. In the last two Far Cry games you played the role of an inexperienced white guy who suddenly transforms into a Navy SEAL. Or maybe Rambo. I guess it depends on how you play. But you get the point. You were someone unaccustomed to warfare, but found yourself taking it to the oppressors. Boom boom boom, yeah I was gunnin, to quote Ice Cube.
In Far Cry Primal you play the role of Takkar, a warrior who is the sole survivor from his tribe after a mammoth hunt ends in disaster. This disaster leads him to Oros, a lush and bountiful land where he meets a female warrior from a tribe called the Wenja. You help fend off a Sabre-tooth Tiger attack and soon discover that her tribe has been scattered and is under attack from rival tribe the Udam. Seeing as you no longer have a tribe, you elect to join her in reuniting her tribe and taking on the Udam.
But in this context you are already a skilled hunter so having hunting and gathering, and brutal hand to hand combat skills is natural for you. As for any convoluted narrative, that’s it in a nutshell. You just have to gather as many Wenja as you can, including some who specialist in things like hunting, medicine etc, who can then pass on their knowledge to you.
Everything you use, from clubs to spears to bow and arrows, you craft yourself. And to craft you have to gather and hunt. There is no currency in Far Cry Primal, it’s a more holistic approach. And with the storyline being so simple, you don’t feel bad leaving your best friends captive at the hands of a madman whilst you just saunter around the map exploring. No, this is true open world gaming.
Do I miss the guns, vehicles and general explodiness? Not really. Especially when I can command wild beasts to fight alongside me (eventually) or scout out the area ahead through the eyes of my owl. Or when I can pull off the perfect silent kill with and arrow to the head.
No, despite my massive apprehension, Far Cry Primal may have just turned into the best Far Cry game I have ever played.
But don’t worry. It’s still a Far Cry game at heart and anyone familiar with the series will still feel at home with Primal. It’s just a more rugged and enjoyable home.
Rating: R16 Contains violence and offensive language.
GAMEGUIDE rating:
