Using the most basic of weapons at the start.

While Takkar is a great warrior, the player only helps to increase his abilities. It’s a bold move from a triple A studio game. Primal goes against the grain of what most are familiar with in terms of atmosphere, danger, and weapon use.

While the game takes the mold of the prior entries and maybe even uses similar assets at times and gameplay mechanics (I’m looking at you grapple hook) I’m of the mind that it’s not about what is re-used, but how it’s used. Watch towers to climb? Ok that one is completely gone from this entry, though now just taking over encampments serve as fast travels instead. Everything from the past Far Cry games are here. Gameplay in Far Cry Primal is going to feel roughly the same upon first playing. If the story had been set up as anything more elaborate, I’m not sure it would do the time period justice. It’s fitting, it makes sense, and while some might find it boring, I was completely sold on the idea. Survival is the key aspect of it and overcoming the obstacles in the way is ultimate goal is. What we have is a game that goes back to the basics of storytelling, which is extremely fitting for the time period. If players come into Far Cry Primal expecting a plot that is both over the top or overly complicated in a time period set in the past, think again. Man fought for food, for survival, and strength in numbers. The story in and of itself is simplistic in nature. Taking on the role of a Wenja warrior named Takkar, players are forced to come to terms with not only surviving the wilds and nature itself, but two opposing tribes, that includes cannibals, as they try to wipe out the Wenja clan.

Primal takes us back to the earlier days of man, 10,000 ago, warts and all. A bold, unique, and rather risky move in today’s gun filled first person genre. The latest iteration, dubbed Primal is a huge step in a very different direction for the franchise. First came 3 with another island tropical adventure, then the crazy, 80’s style Blood Dragon, followed by mountain escapades in 4. Another year, another Far Cry? It would seem as if this franchise is starting to appear more often and frequent than ever before.

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