The travel brochure that enticed Jason Brody and his friends to book
their spring break-style trip to the Rook Islands probably left out the
pillaging pirates, aggressive bull sharks and lunging leopards.
The
picturesque setting of "Far Cry 3" (Ubisoft, for the Xbox 360 and
PlayStation 3, $59.99; PC, $49.99) turns out to be far from hospitable
to the naive tourist, who can barely stand the sight of blood when he
finds himself caged up in a village ruled by a sadistic drug lord.
Jason's
transition into a seasoned survivor anchors "Far Cry 3," an outstanding
open-world first-person shooter that intersperses character arc, plot
and suspense throughout a variety of action-packed firefights, stealth
sequences and side missions.
The game begins with Jason being led
out of captivity by his military-trained brother, a linear sequence that
helps introduce Jason and acclimate players to the control scheme. The
islands quickly open up after the arrival of Dennis Rogers, an ally to
the indigenous Rakyat tribe who guides Jason on his quest to reunite
with his girlfriend and fellow tourists. Dennis sees a burgeoning
warrior in Jason and entices him to help free the islands from ruthless
criminals.
Each section holds a radio tower handicapped by a
signal scrambler, and climbing a tower and disconnecting the device
opens a small part of a ridiculously expansive map that's on par with
Bethesda Softworks' recent "Fallout" or "Elder Scrolls" installments.
Freeing a tower also helps open an area to trade, which makes weapon
dealers so happy that they'll start showering you with free guns.
Ridding
an enemy outpost of bad guys provides a new location to buy and upgrade
weapons with scopes and silencers, as well as a fast travel point to
speed trips between friendly villages. But with so many ATVs, trucks and
jeeps spread throughout the islands- not to mention hang gliders, jet
skis and boats - why not take the scenic route?
Once Jason grabs
control of an enemy outpost, he can also browse the bulletin boards for
side missions that offer rewards for hunting down rare creatures or
wanted criminals. Tracking down a white belly tapir is exciting, but
hunting is also a key survival mechanism. Slaying and skinning
everything from wild boars to alligators allows Jason to craft holsters
to haul more weapons, larger wallets to carry more cash and expanded
rucksacks to carry more loot.
The various plants on the islands
are another key to survival, as they provide ingredients that boost
health and endorphins or enhance perception. And leveling up allows
Jason to unlock new skills such as takedowns involving grenades and
knives, increased health or adrenaline, and the ability to take less
damage from falls and fires.
As in most first-person shooters,
killing a bad guy leaves a body to loot, and the controls on this move
inflict the game's only significant annoyance. On numerous occasions I
found myself mistakenly swapping out a favorite gun for the enemy's
weapon when all I wanted to do is grab a little cash.
"Far Cry 3"
also has a formidable multiplayer element, with several familiar game
modes and a creative addition called Firestorm, in which a team must set
fire to the opponents' supply nodes and then escape the spreading
flames while capturing a radio transmitter.
So far I've spent
several dozen hours exploring the Rook Islands and haven't experienced a
moment of boredom. Whatever games find their way under the tree this
year, I'll probably still be playing this over the holiday break. Four
stars out of four.