(IMPORTANT: This review concentrates on the PC-version.)
So let's talk some more about the much discussed Far Cry 3. In my experience the game has divided its players into those who absolutely hate it and to those who adore it. Personally I'm somewhere in between there, since I haven't finished the entire game yet. Nevertheless I'm hoping to give some insights to those who are struggling with whether or not to give FC3 a try. I will mainly focus on the main campaign since I haven't played online multiplayer mode yet.
Graphics: 10Simply. AMAZING. You start the game locked in a cage and when your captor crouches over you, I was personally overwhelmed by the beauty and detail of the characters. When your in-game big brother starts to undo your hands, you feel like touching his face through the screen since it is so realistic. There's not much worse to say about the surroundings, which is a combination of jungle and beaches somewhere in Thailand. I've already taken tons of screenshots and shared them on Steam, since anywhere you look you are definitely struck by the beauty of the tropics.
Sound: 6Since we are most of the time surrounded by the ruins of ancient monuments, the music has somewhat of an ethnic vibe to it. Drums are definitely a big part of the soundtrack when you're exploring the jungle, to those who appreciate rhythm over melody. Nevertheless I wouldn't call the soundtrack that special, since after you stop playing you can barely remember the Main Theme. Since you're most of the time shooting away or running around, the music stays in the background but never really stands out. The soundtrack also includes some tracks by popular artists such as Skrillex, but since I'm not a big fan of dubstep myself this is quite the meaningless effort in trying to fish for fans of the genre.
Addictiveness: 6When you're finished with all the necessary tutorials you're introduced to various activities you can do next to following the main quest. This includes hunting animals, crafting, collecting items and doing side quests. You can also play Poker with the locals which is nice, even though it gets slightly boring after a few games. Even though there's much to do on the islands, the activities start to get a bit repetitive after a short while. That's why I can't give the addictiveness more than a 6, even though I know there's many who would like to disagree.
Story: 5When you start playing Far Cry 3, you know immediately that the story isn't something you will be focusing on. After you escape the hands of the vicious pirates trying to take over the island, you're main mission is to save your friends who have also been captured. Not too deep of a story eh? As someone who hasn't finished the entire game I can't yet tell if the story gets any deeper, but so far it hasn't shown any originality.?Despite the fact that you go on a freaky shroom trip in a cave in the beginning of the game, because mushrooms are like, so cool and stuff. I bet Jason (the main character) saves his friends and then helps the locals to get rid of the pirates, and there you have your very original fps-game!
Depth: 7This game is overwhelmingly big. In the beginning you're introduced with the map of a huge island, but that is not the only island you're going to explore in this game. In total there are two big islands with three smaller ones you are going to visit. With all the side quests and plenty of places to explore this game is incredibly wide for a first person shooter. Almost makes you think you're playing an rpg instead of an fps-game.
Difficulty: 5There are four difficulties to choose from with the first two being quite casual. What makes this game easy is the fact that you have a small way to cheat around the killing quests, that could be a bit tricky otherwise. Most of the time you're mission is to kill the leader of a group of pirates. In other words, you just sneak up to the leader before getting killed and finish the mission (while probably getting killed afterwards) Dying doesn't matter, though, and you are transported to your nearest safe place with all your rewards.
Overall: 6.5Even though my overall score is as low as a 6.5, I wouldn't say a complete no to this game. It has lot to offer to those who are patient and don't get easily tired of the repetitive pattern of the side quests. Personally I bought this for a cheap price on Steam so the next time you're looking for an fps to play, think about giving a try to Far Cry 3 especially if it's on sale.