Welcome to the show Should You Buy, where we take an objective look that will hopefully
help you make the decision on whether this game is good and worth picking up. Were rounding
up what the critics are saying in their reviews, any controversial news regarding the release,
and what the fans are saying online. Today were looking at Far Cry Primal, the stone
age brutal open world game. This isnt my opinion, its just the news and facts. So does this
game provide anything new to series? Lets take a look.
Far Cry Primal is out after only being revealed a few months ago. Its currently sitting at
a 79 on OpenCritic with a few mixed reviews. Its in the 7 to 8 range with a lot of major
sites like IGN, Destructoid, Playstation Lifestyle, and EGM. GamesRadar and Shacknews were the
harshest critics giving at a 60. Daily Dot, Gadgets 360 and Gaming Nexus gave it high
scores of a 90.
Far Cry Primal has you playing as Takkar who is part of a tribe of people called Wenja.
You have to build up your tribe and make them strong enough to fight against competing tribes.
It has Ubisoft's tried and true open world formula but with the stone age setting and
combat.
Its a little disappointing seeing as the previous game, Far Cry 4, had much better scores overall
with an 84 on OpenCritic. Since the game was announced people were saying, Its just going
to be Far Cry 4 with a different skin. So is that the case? Possibly. It seems like
the issue is really that there just arent that many stand out features. In IGNs review
they described the game as a signature Far Cry game, but the game doesn't have the depth
that you would expect.
It took me around 20 hours to get through Primal�s main campaign and just some of
the available side quests, and the story does retain Far Cry�s now-signature supernatural
flourishes, but it lacks any real twists, intrigue, rollicking set-pieces, drama, or
depth. Primal simply hums along sedately until culminating in a pair of standard-issue boss
fights.
IGN gave it a 7.9 overall emphasizing strong character design, terrific atmosphere, and
addictive gameplay loops. It doesnt surprise me that the atmosphere is very strong and
representative of its time. Ubisoft did release a trailer that showed how they worked closely
with historians and created an accurate setting and a unique language specifically for
the game.
The close quarter combat has a lot more brutality this time around. And although you are using
primitive weapons, theres a lot of options for fun and tactics.
Crushing enemy camps is a familiar experience but theyre generally the best showcase for
Primals brand of close combat. As usual you can always opt to stalk the perimeters, tag
enemies, and sneak in seeking stealth takedowns but when things get loud Primal demands a
dynamic approach to skirmishes.
Daily Dot's review emphasized that it's just fun and raw aggression to attack people with
blunt objects. Far Cry Primal�was generally funny to me
in a way I don�t think the developers intended. There was something outrageous about the raw
aggression of picking up a stone club and bashing in a caveman�s head. After about
an hour, killing people with stone clubs stopped feeling strange, and that�s when�Far Cry
Primal�got me thinking about the nature of first-person shooters in general.
GamesRadar also had very positive things to say about the combat. The game is aggressive
and without using guns it changes the way you approach enemies.
Takkar�s got a club, a bow, and a spear, plus a prehistoric toolkit of traps and primitive
bombs. This limited selection turns Primal into a far more aggressive game than its predecessors,
forcing you out of stealth and into melee combat almost constantly.
The combating along with controlling Primals various beasts are really the highlight of
the game. The Beast Master abilitiees were some of the first gameplay footage shown off
by the developers and its arguably the most interesting part of the game.
Beast Master abilities are the embodiment of Far Cry Primals strengths. Learning the
unique abilities of each animal, and taking the time to experiment with them, is essential
for your survival. After a while, your predator allies become an extension of yourself. They
become the powerful weapons otherwise absent in the abrasive wilderness.
One of the highlights of the Far Cry series has always been the menacing bosses. They
were memorable and just plain evil.
But unfortunately most reviewers are saying that the villain isnt as strong as the previous
game. In IGNs review they said
Of course, one of Far Cry�s real fortes is its ability to make up for its ho-hum leads
with some truly scene-stealing antagonists, like Far Cry 4�s sadistic Pagan Min or,
better still, Far Cry 3�s frighteningly unpredictable Vaas. Regrettably Primal falls
flat here too; neither of Primal�s main villains are a patch on a character like Vaas.
A considerable letdown for a series that�s carved out a reputation for fascinating and
nuanced bad guys.
Overall many reviewers were left with a mixed feeling. Nice visuals, strong combat, but
not enough compelling elements to care about as far as characters and story.
The result is a game that feels lacking in most respects. It lacks a clear villain, it
lacks a deep enough armory, it lacks direction. Far Cry�s set-up is such that you�ll always
be able to make your own fun - and, in the moment, it can be a beautiful, violent thing
- but for a game in which characters talk constantly about being remembered by history,
it�s a sad irony that - unlike their series forebears - they most probably won�t be.
Far Cry Primal has at least 20 hours in the main campaign and a predictable Ubisoft open
world formula. However, this may be the last of Ubisofts formulaic and frequent game releases.
In a recent press release for investors, Ubisoft demonstrated how they are moving more towards
a service approach with strong unique games that have a continuing release of content
throughout the year. As opposed to releasing new physical games annually. They're still
focusing on volume as they have more open world games total than any other publisher.
What do you think of Far Cry Primal? Is it a step up from Far Cry 4? Let us know in the
comments and subscribe to the skilled channel for latest news on game releases.