Ubisoft is taking a break from the main Far Cry series and presenting "Far Cry: Primal," a spin-off that promises a refreshingly new setting this time around, when human evolution was still in its infancy and almost only one thing mattered – survival! Our review will tell you whether the game more than lives up to its big name and doesn't need to hide behind its predecessors.
Eat or be eaten…
Barely having entered the game, we find ourselves in the middle of a mammoth hunt – we have to separate one of the smaller animals from the herd, cornering it further and further, in order to secure the next meal together with our tribesmen. Spears and arrows fly, we are almost trampled, loud roars surround us… all up close from a first-person perspective. An exciting and dangerous undertaking, which is unfortunately interrupted by a saber-toothed tiger who sees us as his meal. It was more luck than skill that we aren't already in his stomach, something other tribesmen unfortunately can't say the same for. Our tribe, the Wenja, are significantly weakened, shattered, and scattered in all directions after this spectacular start, and so the adventure can begin.
Like all previous Far Cry games, "Far Cry: Primal" features an open-world concept and a non-linear story where you can do as you please. The relatively small land of Oros lies at your feet, where our hero Takkar initially only needs to find a safe haven, craft primitive tools, and attend to his own health. Once he's established himself somewhat at the edge of a cave, he'll receive some guidance from the gatherer Sayla, who will give him his first quests. These quests primarily involve rebuilding his village, uniting other Wenja tribes, and ensuring their protection.
"Far Cry: Primal" doesn't just rely on one story, but on several interconnected plotlines that build upon each other and are spread across the entire country. While you can certainly stick to the main missions, you'll quickly discover that you often need to contribute to other objectives to reach your goal. As is typical of Ubisoft games, more and more tasks and secrets will appear on the map as you travel, encompassing strategic management, hunting, combat, rescue, and survival – all with a level of gameplay depth that is second to none.
Evolution in just a few hours…
You'd think you were experiencing hundreds of years of evolution in just a few hours of gameplay. Initially, we cobbled together a makeshift club just enough to keep the wild animals at bay. Soon after, we're masters of tracking, able to tame wild beasts, and communication with each other works like a charm. The first few hours of "Far Cry: Primal" are filled with a wealth of knowledge, especially from a gameplay perspective. A glance at the menu is enough to get a sense of how to become king of the jungle. True craftsmanship is required in the form of crafting and constantly improving weapons; instincts and skills can be learned and honed; and entire villages must be built and secured. The most important thing is to collect everything you can, because you can never have too much loot.
All of Oros is brimming with treasure, and as befits a true Stone Age person, everything around you can be useful. Deadly arrows are crafted from grasses, feathers, and hardwood; hunting and skinning animals not only ensures your own survival, but also protects you and your tribe from the nighttime cold, provides building materials for new houses, and supplies vital medicine, as almost every conflict takes its toll in the form of dead and wounded. The more you engage with these activities and the more time you invest outside of the main missions, the more vibrant your small tribal community becomes. It's reminiscent of the popular economic system from Assassin's Creed, where you rebuild entire villages and make them increasingly attractive to new Wenja, who will then join your ranks. This diligence will, of course, be rewarded, because the stronger your tribe is, the easier and greater the chances of success in your raids or wars, and the safer the land becomes for you.
In harmony with nature…
Nothing in "Far Cry: Primal" happens without a reason, simply because you're thirsting for blood or want to increase your kill count. Every gift of nature, be it killing for food, is met with gratitude. Nature and the wilderness are endlessly brutal, so why not use that strength to your advantage?
Thanks to the wisdom of the shaman Tensay, our warrior learns the gift of taming wild beasts and harnessing their strengths. With a little bait, you can sneak up on the most dangerous predators and unite them with your spirit through a spiritual connection. Saber-toothed tigers, wolves, bears, or lions thus become valuable companions and defenders on your raids. Each tamed beast also has its own individual strengths and weaknesses, can gather resources for you, warn you of approaching enemies, or mark targets. It's one of the most interesting gameplay features that "Far Cry: Primal" has to offer, and one you should definitely take advantage of, as it saves you an incredible amount of work that would otherwise be quite tedious and time-consuming.
On the other hand, your own strengths and abilities are also crucial, even if the wild life of the Stone Age shouldn't automatically encourage you to run like a madman through the jungle, killing everything in sight with your spears. The tactical component is particularly important when raiding rival tribes and camps. Quite early in the game, you can utilize the powerful owl's abilities to scout the area or mark enemies. Before attacking, create a distraction, creep ever closer through the dense grass, and then launch a devastating ambush. The game's possibilities greatly encourage a variety of approaches, and you can often use the environment or other wildlife to eliminate your enemies.
Beautiful “Stone Age”…
The visual aspect of "Far Cry: Primal" leaves a rather mixed impression. While on the one hand, it presents a dense and rich game world, whose flora and fauna couldn't be more diverse, crisscrossed by giant sequoia trees and boasting wildlife that you wouldn't find in a zoo these days, on closer inspection it already seems somewhat dated, especially when standing directly in front of rock faces. It's the typical stigma of open-world games, which simultaneously have to be vast, offer a lot, and exhibit the highest possible level of detail. The compromise in "Far Cry: Primal" is a somewhat exaggerated, colorful look, slightly plasticky, and not entirely contemporary, especially when compared to, say, "The Division," also from Ubisoft. Personally, I would have preferred a photorealistic approach that would have further emphasized the authenticity of this dangerous world. Ultimately, everyone's expectations vary. However, “Far Cry: Primal” shines with an absolutely smooth performance, in which there is not the slightest thing to criticize despite these many details.
What might not be visually appealing is more than compensated for by the impressive soundscape, where the Wenga's own fictional language, developed specifically for the game, truly stands out. With so many dialogues, it's hard to imagine how difficult it must have been to create them, yet they blend in so convincingly and seamlessly. The only downside is that it makes it slightly harder to fully enjoy the cutscenes, as you're forced to follow the subtitles. This acoustic backdrop is rounded out by the ever-present drum music, the typical sounds of the jungle, and the exotic wildlife, all of which captivate the player every minute of "Far Cry: Primal."
Developer: Ubisoft Montreal
Publisher: Ubisoft
Release: February 23, 2016
Official homepage: www.far-cry.ubisoft.com
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