Oxford may define insanity as seriously mentally ill and unable to live in normal society. But Vaas Montenegro has a different opinion.
If you have played the game, you already know. It’s probably one of the most famous dialogue sequences in the history of computer games. And it is from one of the best open-world RPG games ever made, Far Cry 3.
Far Cry 3 has turned 9 years old, a few days ago. This genre-bending game, introduced us to the Rook-island, governed partially by violent pirates and a native tribe called Rakyat.
In the game, you play as Jason Brody, an American, holidaying with his friends and his brother. They accidentally land on this mysterious island of Rook where they are immediately captured by this horde of pirates who plan to sell them to slavery.
Jason somehow escapes but his brother is killed and the rest of his friends including his girlfriend are captured. The story revolves around whether Jason could find his missing friends and if he is able to leave this island.
The game is known for its blending Role-playing genre (RPG) with open-world and most importantly, with first-person-shooter (FPS) genre. Very few games have been able to combine all these types and be successful.
Not only the game was able to deliver the proper mix of them, it excelled at story-telling too. It was captivating from the opening scene, which will give you zero hint about what’s to come.
The story itself is enough to keep you glued to your computer. However, Ubisoft went on to introduce several open-world elements to the game that would eventually define this game series and many others after it.
Firstly, instead of level-wise progression like typical RPG games from that time, Far Cry 3 took a different approach. It gave character skill-trees which would unlock upon gaining experience from completing missions, exploring or killing non-playable characters (NPC).
The player is exposed to the environment of Rook and needs to craft survival gears by collecting items from its inhabitants such as - animals, enemy soldiers and friendly shops.
The gameplay design was unique. In-game choices you make will have an impact on the story, which was pretty uncommon at that time.
Usually, games were linear in the story, where finishing a part would lead you to the next one, but Far Cry 3’s open-world allowed for choices that may give you a different story. Especially, the ending was a hugely popular topic among gamers as it offers different scenarios based on your choice.
Compared with the previous installations, Far Cry 3 was much easier, which made it more popular among gamers. While the game was different from its predecessors, it took a lot of inspiration from them too.
Far Cry, the first game in the franchise had a similar environment and a gripping story. On the other hand, Far Cry 2 was a bit of a dud, but the incredible game physics from it was exported to Far Cry 3.
As it was said before, it laid the pathway for the rest of the series. But the next Far Cry games were always lacking something; be it a good story or gameplay or environment, the games couldn’t bring out the balance of Far Cry 3.
It was the best feature of the game, the balance where the open-world elements such as capturing enemy bases or towers, didn’t take over the game’s priority. The story too was well-balanced to fit the narrative and the gameplay.
And of course, when we are complementing the game design, we have to talk about the graphics and aesthetics. The island of Rook was breathtaking and for its time, the graphics was advanced.
In terms of technology, the game was ahead of its time. The AI engine was advanced enough to provide random natural resources, spawn enemies and animals.
Discussions about Far Cry 3, isn’t complete if we do not talk about the legendary game villain, Vaas Montenegro. A cruel, vicious and ‘insane’ character, who gave the game its fizz. This character helped actor Michael Mando basically launch his career who can be seen playing, yet again, another villain in the famous tv-series Better Call Saul.
Even playing the game in 2021, 9 years after the game was released, would still keep you on the edge of your sit. The game offers so much, in so many ways.
Just exploring the island and doing all the side-missions, collecting all the skills and resources, will take you days if not weeks. But the story, the main element of the game, is why it’s still so very much relevant.
Fans wish that the makers will someday remake this game, the nostalgia of an entire gaming generation.
