Review / My Thoughts: Far Cry 3

Is this game worth paying out for at the moment or is it something to find in a bargain bin in the near future? Ultimately, this purely depends on the type of gamer you are. If you are looking for a engrossing single player adventure then Far Cry 3 should be your choice without doubt. If you are looking for a multiplayer gunfight, then your best option is probably with Call Of Duty: Black Ops 2.



Graphics/Gameplay: Graphics aren't the be all and end all of a game but they help tremendously to a games appeal and sticking power and especially when it comes to this game. The main reason it is so important here is because the environment is an active part of the game itself. It feels alive. You could be hunting anything from a tiger, to a pig, or a Komodo dragon, or be on the verge of storming an encampment when suddenly something random happens that changes your plans. The game surprises you.

There are certain aspects that you may find repetitive and tedious, however there are many different options and ways in which you can play so it is very easy to move onto something else should you wish. There is the main storyline, but then you can also storm encampments, hunt animals, do time trials or go around collecting things. Your attention can be grabbed by something new quite easily.

Co-op: Good for a mess around and a nice little adventure but this can get highly repetitive. Kill pirates, move along a bit, kill pirates. Kill more pirates. The thing is, because you don't have the different things to do than what you do in single player, this gets old rather quickly. It's nice to have the option for split-screen however as most games do not include any kind of local splitscreen support these days, which is a real shame.

Multiplayer: Standard stuff really. No real difference from its predecessor and so it results in being a rather dated feeling affair. With the mechanics that we find in Battlefield and in Call Of Duty, it feels subpar, but it still stands as an adequate experience none the less.

Overall: Buy it if you liked the previous one as it has only improved, and if you like games such as Just Cause for their single player experience. If its multiplayer that you seek, seek elsewhere.

Saints Row vs Grand Theft Auto

Which one is for you if you could only pick one? Both games, in essence, are the same type of game. An open world environment where you are free to live it and cause havoc, to the best of your ability (whether this be getting a six star wanted level or perhaps getting involved into the gritty plot lines).

I know, I know. Although these games are 'similar', they could also not be further apart in the direction they take when creating the gameplay. Grand Theft Auto is serious (mostly) with realistic graphics, gritty backdrops and fulfilling plot lines. Saints Row however is somewhat different and takes a more laid back approach to the whole affair, making fun almost at the differing aspects of the genre, but it is definately invested in raw fun, rather than complex realism and to this end, is onto a winning formula. At the end of the day, we play games to have fun.

Which one would you want if you could only have one? I've lost count of the amount of times I have become bored with GTA and so would purposely create a four star wanted level and recreate a chase like you want see on TV. If not that, but with the use of cheats, you could fly high above the cities, invincible, with unlimited ammo and guns. A careless fun element adding fun which you find more in Saints Row. So I guess, if you couldn't input cheat codes, would it be Saints Row or GTA?

Personally, GTA will always be my choice. From playing the best in series, San Andreas, I have been a fan ever since, and await anxiously the release of GTA V.