Live Magazine : June/July issue

REVIEW
FAR CRY PRIMAL
Ubisoft’s Far Cry 3 was (and
is) a massively successful title.
Selling around 10 million copies,
it brought the long-running FPS
series to a mainstream audience,
and it was only logical that
Ubisoft would want to re-create
that same success again with
an inevitable sequel. Far Cry 4,
however, did not receive as high
praise as its predecessor, with
many critics and gamers citing
how close the overall experience
felt like Far Cry 3.
Gamers can be a frustrating and
fussy lot, and while one series
can find success releasing the
same core gameplay over and
over again for years, another
franchise can be chastised for it.
One thing was for certain though,
the same old Far Cry couldn’t
happen again, and this new Far
Cry is, well a far cry from what
we’re used to.
‘Far Cry Primal’ takes place in
10,000 CE during the beginning
of the Mesolithic period. It
is set in the fictional Oros valley,
though keen players will
recognise the layout of the map
from Far Cry 4, which Ubisoft
Montreal has largely recycled
for this game (not necessarily
a bad thing). Players assume
the role of Takkar, a hunter from
the Wenja tribe. While hunting a
woolly mammoth, Takkar’s hunting
party is wiped out, and Takkar
himself gravely injured. With no
safe haven and no allies, Takkar
makes his way to Oros.
Along the way, Takkar meets Sayla,
a Wenja woman who is also
on her own. She informs Takkar
that the Wenja are being hunted
by the cannibalistic Udam tribem
and are scattered throughout the
valley. The player must seek out
the remaining Wenja, rebuild the
tribe, and uncover the secret behind
the Udam’s actions.
Far Cry Primal’s story is delivered
quite well, told through
cutscenes that feature some
truly exceptional motion capture
and dialogue. Early cutscenes
featuring Takkar and Sayla do
a fantastic job of immersing the
player in the world of Far Cry
Primal, as Sayla’s emotions are
conveyed perfectly through her
body language. When you first
meet Sayla, she is unsure of if
she can trust you, and after the
two of you survive an attack by
a sabretooth tiger, she is understandably
shaken and frightened.
Her eyes constantly scan
for danger, her body ready to run
in order to survive.
After the player escorts Sayla
back to her shelter, her body language
differs. She motions that
she has food, but needs medical
attention. The dialogue certainly
helps, though you could easily
discern what is happening without
the speech – that’s how good
the body language and motion
capture is in this game.
Speaking of the dialogue,
Ubisoft Montreal enlisted the
help of historical linguists to create
the language spoken in Far
Cry Primal. It’s fairly impressive,
and certainly helps with immersion.
According to Ubisoft, some
of the earliest known language is
7000 years old, so they worked
with the linguists to devolve the
language even further. It’s fairly
impressive, though still feels a
little sophisticated for the era.
Ultimately, Far Cry Primal is
entertaining, but it won’t “wow”
players. It mainly serves to drive
the action of the game, and in
that regard it accomplishes its
goal. It’s a shame that the story
itself isn’t as enthralling as the
motion capture and dialogue
used to deliver it, but I believe
that largely comes down to the
game’s setting. Ubisoft Montreal
were caught between a rock
and a bronze age. I mean, how
compelling could a game about
cavemen be?
Gameplay-wise, players will feel
immediately familiar with Far Cry
Primal, which plays like any other
first-person title. Players can run,
jump, aim and shoot, though Far
Cry Primal also has a focus on