![\"Far](\"http:\/\/www.menstuff.co.za\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/03\/Far-Cry-Primal-4-1024x576.jpg\")
<\/p>\nEvolution is a funny thing in video games. The balance for developers to make grand changes to beloved franchises, without diverging too far from what the series stands for in the first place, is a tricky tightrope that studios and publishers have to walk.<\/p>\n
Ubisoft decided to take a massive risk with the latest instalment in\u00a0the Far Cry<\/i> series, Far Cry: Primal<\/i>, stripping away the first-person shooter franchise\u2019s, well\u2026shooting, swapping the pew pew of modern weaponry for spears and arrows, and sending the series back to the Stone Age, literally.<\/p>\n
Let\u2019s be honest about something: this clearly won\u2019t be Ubisoft\u2019s future direction with Far Cry<\/i>, as Primal<\/i>, by all accounts, appears to be an ambitious spin-off experiment for the franchise.<\/p>\n
However is it an experiment which produces something magical? The short answer: kind-of.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
While players take control of a new character named Takkar, the game plays out like any other Far Cry<\/i> entry.<\/p>\n
Fans of the predecessors will be immediately familiar with how things work in 10,000 BC, albeit with some more beards and a fictional language created specifically for the game.<\/p>\n
The large open-world, main missions, side quests, points of interest, random enemy encounters, and lighting guarded bonfires (replacing the radio towers from previous Far Cry\u00a0<\/i>games) are all standard fare, but what differs is how<\/i> you actually play the game.<\/p>\n
Weapons cannot be bought (as arms dealers didn\u2019t really exist in 10,000 BC), and are instead crafted.<\/p>\n
You\u2019ll have to hunt down the items needed for the spear, bow, trap or bomb you\u2019re trying to create, much like the unique crafting system of Far Cry 3<\/i> and 4<\/i> for weapon and ammo upgrades.<\/p>\n
The scavenging in the game helps create a\u00a0survivalist atmosphere, as you are required to observe and maintain relationships with the animals and environment around you.<\/p>\n
No longer do you need to stock up on shotgun shells from some sketchy gun dealer.<\/p>\n
![\"Far](\"http:\/\/www.menstuff.co.za\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/03\/Far-Cry-PRimal-screenshot-2.jpg\")
<\/p>\n
The relationship with the animals and world around you is further enhanced by Takkar\u2019s quasi-supernatural ability. Players can tame wildlife such as prehistoric badgers and saber-toothed cats by giving them food to eat.<\/p>\n
These animals serve as companions for players and assist them in combating enemies after being tamed. Players can also issue commands to them and different companions have different abilities.<\/p>\n
This isn\u2019t just a novelty of Primal<\/i>, as you should always keep a beast by your side as they will help protect you by chasing off other predators that approach.<\/p>\n
Depending on their abilities they can also tag enemies or warn you of their presence, as well as revealing more of the terrain around you in the main map as you explore.<\/p>\n
The addition of beast-taming gives Primal<\/em> a new dimension of gameplay that makes you think even more about how you approach a situation.<\/p>\n The story is serviceable but doesn\u2019t do too much than provide a pathway for you to kill everything in sight. There\u2019s no lovable bad guy (like Far Cry 3<\/i>\u2019s Vaas) or any outrageous tyrant.<\/p>\n Instead, the enemy-in-focus is the Neanderthalic cannibals, the Udam and technologically savvy farmers\/firebombers, the Izila.<\/p>\n Takkar\u2019s job is to tip the balance in favour of his own tribe, the Wenja. The quest to gather the scattered remains of his tribe to build a future for the Wenja is an admirable one, but it doesn\u2019t really hit home or leave any memorable moments as past<\/p>\n The quest to gather the scattered remains of his tribe to build a future for the Wenja is an admirable one, but it doesn\u2019t really hit home or leave any memorable moments as past Far Cry<\/i> games have managed to do.<\/p>\n Playing Primal<\/i> is a one-of-a-kind experience; not an unforgettable one, but a fun distraction from shooting people in the face with machine guns.<\/p>\n Perhaps if Ubisoft made Primal<\/em> its own separate franchise, gamers would be more invested in it.<\/p>\n However, seeing the oh-so-familiar Far Cry<\/i> menus, story structure, map, HUD, and quests, it\u2019s hard not to feel like something is missing from the usual Far Cry<\/i> milieu\u2026like shooting people in the face, and is that such a bad thing?<\/p>\n XCOM 2 (PC)<\/a><\/p>\n Homeworld: Deserts of Kharak Review Roundup<\/a><\/p>\n![\"Far](\"http:\/\/www.menstuff.co.za\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/03\/Far-Cry-PRimal-screenshot.jpg\")
<\/p>\nScore:\u00a07.9<\/strong><\/h3>\n
\nReview\u00a0originally published on\u00a0MenStuff.co.za<\/a>.\u00a0<\/strong><\/h4>\n
More reviews<\/strong><\/h3>\n