4 Reasons Why You Should Play Far Cry 3 (Even If You Did Not Enjoy Far Cry 2)

With a Far Cry 3 video review in the making (expect it sometime around next week), I thought I would take this chance to talk a bit about the game, and let you know, dear gamer, why you should play Far Cry 3 even if you did not enjoy Far Cry 2.

Although Far Cry 2 was a solid game with a lot of great features, many people - myself included - thought that it could have used something extra. The story could have been better. The mechanics could have been sharper. Stealth could have actually been functional.

The list just goes on.

Well, Far Cry 3 fixes most of this and adds some really great features into the mix that have historically worked, and worked well. So, without further ado, here is why you should play Far Cry 3 even if you did not enjoy Far Cry 2.

1) Stealth Works
One of the most fundamental flaws of Far Cry 2 was that it was being sold as an amazing, mind blowing open world game that allowed you to tackle your missions in any way you saw fit. You could run into the fray guns blazing, or you could sneak in, picking your enemies off one by one. The only problem was that the stealth system simply did not measure up. It was finicky and buggy and sneaking was a chore.

Far Cry 3 changes all that. It features an intuitive stealth system where foliage breaks your enemies' line of sight, where sneaking up to a pirate from behind is an exhilarating experience every time as you hope he does not turn around before you can take him down. You have the ability to mark enemies on your minimap, enabling you to track where they are, you have silenced weapons, and to top it all off, there is a takedown system (which is another way of saying "stabbing your enemies silently") that is very fun, exciting, and rewarding. Takedowns reward more experience than a regular kill, and they are exhilarating.

In short, you've got the stealth system that everyone was expecting in Far Cry 2, and it works great.

2)Loot! And Crafting!
The obsessive looters out there will be glad to hear that Far Cry 3 is filled to the brim with chests and bodies to loot. Every outpost you visit, every abandoned shack has chests. These chests can have money or items that you can sell for money.

It's a simple system, and most items you pick up have no real use besides being sold, but it's fun and makes collecting money for weapon upgrades just a bit more fun.

Each time you see a chest, you feel a bit of excitement as you wonder what could be inside.

To top it off, there is also a rather intuitive crafting system that not only fits in perfectly with the game's theme, but also makes hunting and gathering a necessity, which adds a lot to the whole "survive the island" idea. The crafting system enables you to create various items that make your character a bit stronger. These include syringes that you can make out of various plants for buffs (the RPG fans out there will recognize this as a modernized version of alchemy or herblore), and bags, ammo pouches, weapon holsters, wallets, and several other items that increase your carrying capacity, made out of animal skins.

This loot and crafting system combine quite well, and the result is rather great. Throughout the game you get to collect items, and convert them into money or helpful items.

Fun.

3)Character Development And A Personal Story
Far Cry 3 features character development - in both a storytelling and gameplay sense - along with a story that focuses a lot more on the personal side of the characters, as opposed to the political conflicts that we saw in Far Cry 2. There are some moments in this game that will likely give many a gamer chills - just because the facial expressions of the characters are so well done, and the subject matter is so macabre.

What you have here is a great gameplay mechanic - which is essentially a perks system that you update for new abilities as you level up - that ties in with a story of self discovery that our protagonist, Jason Brody, slowly progresses through.

It is an interesting mix, and enhances the gameplay in more ways than one.

The upgrade system represents a series of tattoos or "tataus" as the game calls them, that enhance your abilities as a warrior each time you add a new one. This could mean better hip fire accuracy, more health, a new type of takedown, etc. There are a slew of features to choose from. It is a fluid system that ties in well with the story.

Such is the path of the warrior.

4)Radio Towers - AKA The View Points From Assassin's Creed
Last but not least, we have the Radio Towers. The concept is simple, and anyone out there who has played an installment of the stellar Assassin's Creed franchise will feel exactly at home here.

Basically, there are a slew of Radio Towers scattered across the world map in Far Cry 3, and you have to climb them and disengage their scramblers to reveal a portion of the map and all the surrounding quests and locations. Not only does the game look beautiful once you reach the top of these towers, it is also a challenge in and of itself to get to the top of these towers.

Yes, there is even a bit of platforming in Far Cry 3. It is not overly challenging platforming, nor is it a very major part of the game, however you face a bit of a challenge every time you wish to scale one of these towers, and it makes for a nice change in pace from the gun fighting and explosions as you try to figure out how to scale a tower.

And the zipline ride down is always enjoyable.