Ubisoft’s Far Cry Primal is only weeks away and ever since I played it at PSX, I’ve been itching to get back into that world. That world, by the way, takes place during the Stone Age, featuring new threats and gameplay that are truly unique within the Far Cry series.
Now I’ve heard plenty of folks say that this game really only serves as a re-skinned Far Cry 4, but I still believe that there are plenty of reasons for why you should be excited about this game. In fact, here are my reasons for why YOU should be excited about Far Cry Primal.
Taming the Beast
Have you ever tamed or domesticated a saber-toothed tiger? Well, I haven’t either, but Primal will be the closest I come to actually doing that. It’s actually a big deviation from previous games in the series. The closest we came to this mechanic was in the Shangri-La missions of Far Cry 4, in which you had an animal companion.
Taming an animal is pretty simple. You throw out some bait, cautiously approach the animal, and execute a button prompt and BAM, you’ve just tamed a wild animal. Some of the animals that you can tame to do your bidding include wolves, saber-toothed tigers, bears, cave lions, and fearsome badgers.
Exploring a pre-historic world
Primal is set in 10,000 BCE, during the dawn of the Mesolithic period. In other words, it’s one of the harshest times for humanity. Yet, it’s a fascinating time, as well. If you’re like me, you’ve become accustomed to the generic settings that video games typically have – war-torn cities, post-apocalyptic lands, alien planets, etc.
But this game offers a setting that has rarely been visited in video games. History buffs, like myself, will get a real thrill out of this. Still, even if you don’t care much for history, this will be a refreshing outing for you.
Goodbye guns, hello clubs
When you think about it, it’s pretty crazy how many games we play that involve shooting at stuff. Granted, shooting aliens in Halo feels a lot different from blowing up mutants in Fallout 4. Still, it’s nice to know that I’ll be fighting against other tribes and animals with weaponry that I’m not as familiar with.
Spears, bows and arrows, a giant club – it’s going to be fun to fight with and upgrade those tools. It certainly makes for a more vulnerable experience.
Bottom of the food chain
Speaking of being vulnerable, Far Cry Primal is all about survival. Animals can quickly overpower you and enemies can surround and punish you in no time. As the character Takkar, you start out alone without much standing amongst your tribe. Throughout the game, you will work your way to the top of the tribe, but something tells me that accomplishing that’s going to be way easier said than done.
At its core, it’s still a Far Cry game
Clubs instead of guns. Taming animals. Pre-historic world. Sure, there’s a lot that’s different here, but at the end of the day, this is 100% a Far Cry experience. You’ll still be using the environment to give you aid in battle, hunting to upgrade your supplies, building alliances, capturing territory, and tackling missions in a variety of different ways.
As you can tell, I’m intrigued and excited about Far Cry Primal. I think there’s going to be a perfect blend of freshness and familiarity. Plus, I really want to have an army of fearsome badgers at my disposal.
How do you feel about this game? Let us know in the comments below!