Far Cry 3

It's the best game of the year, if not the generation.

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In Far Cry 3, players are stranded on a tropical island and must navigate through hostile terrain and enemies to save their friends. The game features a rich open world with diverse environments, including jungles, beaches, and ruined cities. Players can choose their approach to missions, using stealth, violence, or a mix of both, with a variety of weapons and skills at their disposal. The story explores themes of insanity, power, and survival.

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Reviews

83%

Audience ScoreBased on 35,243 reviews

story5,468 positive mentions

optimization143 negative mentions

story
13,325 mentions
41 % positive mentions
53 % neutral mentions
6 % negative mentions
The story of "Far Cry 3" is widely praised for its engaging narrative and character development, particularly the memorable antagonist Vaas Montenegro, whose unpredictable madness adds depth and excitement to the gameplay. Players appreciate the transformation of the protagonist, Jason Brody, from a naive tourist to a hardened warrior, as he navigates a dark and chaotic world filled with moral dilemmas and intense action. While some critiques mention that the story loses momentum in the latter half and features repetitive side missions, the overall experience is considered captivating and immersive, making it a standout title in the franchise.
- “What makes this setting even more engaging is its resemblance to certain parts of the Pacific, and that familiarity made the story hit closer to home.”
- “His madness makes the story unpredictable and kept me glued to every encounter.”
- “The story is magnificent even to this day, the enemies are diverse and the gameplay is thrilling.”
- “The story, which seems promising at first, loses its impact as it drags on.”
- “The story is not what you come for in a Ubisoft game; the gameplay is.”
- “The story itself has a series of issues, but I will address that in the story section.”
gameplay
4,236 mentions
51 % positive mentions
44 % neutral mentions
5 % negative mentions
The gameplay of "Far Cry 3" is widely praised for its engaging mechanics, allowing players to approach missions with a mix of stealth and action. The game features a vast open world filled with diverse activities, including hunting, crafting, and liberating enemy outposts, which contribute to a satisfying gameplay loop. However, some players note that the gameplay can become repetitive over time, and technical issues, such as crashes and bugs, can detract from the overall experience.
- “The gameplay is outstanding, offering freedom to explore and complete missions at your own pace.”
- “The gameplay mechanics are fantastic, including things like hunting animals and using zip-lines and cars, and hang-gliders to explore the map.”
- “The gameplay is a perfect mix of strategy and chaos, with a gripping story and a mind-blowing ending.”
- “There are a lot of repetitive missions, collecting/crafting, and other generally disliked gameplay elements that are copy/pasted and occasionally pad the game's runtime and waste yours.”
- “The gameplay is insufferable, it crashes nonstop, and I feel as if someone is taking a tiny tweezers and ripping out a single hair out of my bum every time I try to do something as simple as start up the Ubisoft client.”
- “The gameplay is extremely repetitive, with very few exceptions to this rule.”
graphics
3,304 mentions
63 % positive mentions
34 % neutral mentions
3 % negative mentions
The graphics of "Far Cry 3" have received widespread acclaim for their stunning visuals and immersive environments, even years after its release in 2012. Many players note that the game still holds up well against modern titles, showcasing vibrant landscapes and detailed character models, although some have experienced graphical glitches and performance issues on newer hardware. Overall, the game's graphics are considered a significant highlight, contributing to its status as a classic in the open-world genre.
- “The graphics are impressive, and the initial gameplay can be exciting, with plenty of action and exploration.”
- “The graphics are stunning, the engine runs fluidly and the story and gameplay are amazing.”
- “The graphics are beautiful, even today, the music is incredibly atmospheric and does a fantastic job of immersing you into the rook isles.”
- “The graphics on this game are very questionable, but what can you expect from an old game like this.”
- “Game crashed every hour, graphics were having weird pixels even though I checked everything in the settings, nothing fixed.”
- “Terrible performance for such outdated graphics and the FOV always returns to its default value during sliding/driving/climbing/cutscenes just makes me sick.”
music
625 mentions
46 % positive mentions
51 % neutral mentions
4 % negative mentions
The music in "Far Cry 3" has received widespread acclaim for its ability to enhance the game's immersive experience, with many players praising the dynamic soundtrack that complements both action-packed and emotional moments. Composed by Brian Tyler, the score is noted for its atmospheric quality, while licensed tracks, including contributions from artists like Skrillex, add a unique flair to specific missions, particularly during intense sequences like burning weed fields. However, some players have criticized the music for being overly loud at times, which can drown out dialogue and other important sound cues. Overall, the soundtrack is considered a standout feature that significantly contributes to the game's appeal.
- “The music, story-mode, character development, exploration, and challenges along the way make this game very special.”
- “The soundtrack is an absolute masterpiece.”
- “The soundtrack complements the game's tone perfectly, enhancing both the action-packed and quieter moments of the adventure.”
- “The music in this game is terrible - I ended up listening to Spotify any time someone wasn't talking in-game.”
- “The music can be eclectic and at the same time intense with the tempo.”
- “The music tends to kick in and out at nonsensical times, but what is there is pretty good.”
optimization
518 mentions
26 % positive mentions
46 % neutral mentions
28 % negative mentions
The optimization of the game has been widely criticized, with users reporting frequent crashes, stuttering, and poor performance even on high-end hardware. Many players have expressed frustration with the need for extensive tweaks and workarounds to achieve playable performance, particularly on modern systems, indicating a lack of proper updates from the developer. Overall, the game's optimization issues significantly detract from the experience, making it difficult for players to enjoy the game as intended.
- “Despite the performance problems, I highly recommend this game.”
- “The game is well optimized and will run well even on older hardware without looking bad.”
- “The gameplay is what makes it so satisfying, but Michael Mando's performance is what makes it worth your time.”
- “Crashing every 45-60 minutes, having to constantly tweak config files, stopping services, doing anything to prevent crashing/stuttering and none of them working.”
- “The game itself is fun, but unfortunately due to a combination of a lack of optimization from Ubisoft for their legacy games as well as Windows 11, the game likes to crash regardless if you play on DX11 or DX9.”
- “Appallingly low performance, crashes when changing scenes, loading, and even upon opening the pause menu, and of course Ubisoft's nonfunctional-despite-predatory DRM which constantly causes issues playing offline and/or claiming I 'have no proof of ownership of the game.' It is entirely unmanageable, even after all the compatibility modes, administrative running, and closing of services.”
stability
401 mentions
4 % positive mentions
1 % neutral mentions
95 % negative mentions
The stability of the game has been widely criticized, with numerous players reporting frequent crashes, freezes, and various glitches, particularly on modern hardware. Many users have expressed frustration over the game's performance issues, often requiring extensive troubleshooting to achieve playable conditions. While some players have managed to enjoy the game despite these problems, the overall consensus indicates that stability remains a significant concern, especially for those using newer systems.
- “Incredible storyline, a lot of side quests to do, no glitches that stop the gameplay.”
- “It's optimized well, runs very smoothly with no glitches or crashes in sight.”
- “But apart from that, the game is really well done, it runs great on both high-end computers and old timers.”
- “After hours of troubleshooting, I discovered that I needed to limit the number of processors to 8—an outrageous requirement for a modern system.”
- “The game sometimes just freezes and quits on you.”
- “Frequent crashes, scenery not loading in, map bugging if you got to the trials and hanging/freezes.”
humor
358 mentions
99 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
1 % negative mentions
The humor in the game is widely praised, with many players highlighting the comedic elements brought by characters like Vaas and the absurdity of various situations. The dialogue is often described as hilarious, featuring dark humor and quirky one-liners that enhance the overall experience. However, some players noted that the humor can become repetitive or annoying over time, but the game's blend of fun and insanity keeps it engaging.
- “The story itself is crazy and outright hilarious at times, and that is definitely part of the charm.”
- “The dialogues are hilarious, especially from that one guy at Bad Town constantly yapping about his love life.”
- “The villain is absolutely crazy and funny at the same time, and the pirates are just as well most of the time, despite the fact that the AI could be much better.”
- “The pacing is so off it's not funny; by the time you think you've finished, there's still half a game left. In some games, this would be great, but here it feels like you've done everything there is to do in the game, but it wants you to do more.”
- “Not funny and not interesting.”
- “As a personal opinion, there are too many collectibles, but it's not funny like Assassin's Creed.”
grinding
297 mentions
1 % positive mentions
13 % neutral mentions
86 % negative mentions
The grinding aspect of "Far Cry 3" is widely criticized for being tedious and repetitive, with many players feeling that the game requires excessive time spent on collecting resources, upgrading gear, and completing side missions. While some players find enjoyment in the grind and appreciate the open-world exploration, the overall sentiment leans towards the grinding mechanics detracting from the experience, making it feel like a chore rather than an engaging part of the gameplay.
- “You'll need a second life for grinding.”
- “A bit grindy sometimes.”
- “It looks beautiful, and the majority of gameplay isn't tedious.”
- “While 'Far Cry 3' has moments of excitement, the overall experience becomes tedious, making it hard to stay engaged for long.”
- “Exploring the world becomes tedious quickly, and the single player missions feel very bland and restrictive.”
- “The game is super grindy and feels like a 50+ hour fetch-quest.”
replayability
261 mentions
36 % positive mentions
53 % neutral mentions
10 % negative mentions
The replayability of the game varies significantly among players, with many praising its high replay value due to open-ended gameplay, multiple endings, and diverse mission approaches. However, some users feel that once the main story is completed, the game lacks substantial replay incentives, particularly in single-player mode. Overall, while there are elements that encourage replay, such as side quests and co-op modes, opinions are mixed on the game's long-term replayability.
- “Far Cry 3 offers high replayability due to its open-ended gameplay, multiple endings based on player choices, and the freedom to approach missions and exploration in different ways.”
- “The freedom to choose different paths and strategies added replayability and personalized the experience for each player.”
- “The sheer volume of content contributes to the game's high replayability.”
- “There's no real replayability other than starting a new game, but there is plenty of content between start to finish to keep you busy and entertained.”
- “Not much on the replay value, and without any achievements, it hardly seemed worth it to complete the quests after I finished the main storyline.”
- “The main story is great and the voice acting is top-notch, but after you finish it, there's not a lot of replay value if you've done all the side missions and collected everything.”
atmosphere
210 mentions
59 % positive mentions
40 % neutral mentions
1 % negative mentions
The atmosphere in the game is widely praised for its stunning visuals, immersive sound design, and vibrant tropical setting, which effectively captures the essence of the Rook Islands. Players appreciate the combination of lush environments, dynamic weather, and a haunting soundtrack that enhances the overall experience, making exploration feel both exciting and tense. The well-developed characters and engaging storyline further contribute to a captivating atmosphere that keeps players invested throughout their journey.
- “The game's stunning visuals and immersive sound design bring the island to life, creating an atmosphere of danger and excitement that keeps players engaged and on edge.”
- “The atmosphere is incredibly well done, even the music is great.”
- “Far Cry 3 blends atmosphere, character development, and powerful voice acting into an RPG world that sucks you into its beauty and danger.”
- “The atmosphere changes drastically between characters that are meant to be funny and the few minute drops of serious conversations with your friends.”
- “The biggest problems I had with this game as opposed to Far Cry 2 were the atmosphere and the realism.”
- “Atmosphere was again well done in the north island while the south island was just bland and lacked any feeling.”
character development
183 mentions
50 % positive mentions
44 % neutral mentions
6 % negative mentions
Character development in Far Cry 3 is widely praised for its depth, particularly in the transformation of the protagonist, Jason Brody, from a naive college student to a ruthless survivor. While the main characters are well-developed and engaging, some side characters lack depth, which detracts from the overall narrative experience. Overall, the game is noted for its compelling storytelling and character arcs, making it a standout in the series.
- “The character development is expertly crafted, and I witnessed Jason's transformation from a naive tourist to a fearless warrior, willing to do whatever it takes to save his friends and take down the menacing pirate leader, Vaas.”
- “The storyline, particularly the character development and the descent of Jason into the world of violence and survival, captivated players.”
- “Far Cry 3 blends atmosphere, character development, and powerful voice acting into an RPG world that sucks you into its beauty and danger.”
- “Character development lacks depth: while the game features a colorful cast of characters, some players may find the character development lacking in depth.”
- “The story is weak, the character development is predictable or non-existent for anyone other than the protagonist, and the endings are lackluster.”
- “Jason's character development felt nonsensical and obligatory, while side characters like Doc and plotlines like Jason's relationship with his friends get hardly a mention.”
emotional
172 mentions
95 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
5 % negative mentions
The emotional aspect of the game is a significant highlight, with many players expressing that it evokes a wide range of feelings, from joy to deep sadness. The narrative, centered around themes of love, sacrifice, and survival, resonates strongly, particularly through the character development of Jason Brody and the impactful presence of the antagonist, Vaas. However, some critiques point out that the emotional moments can feel rushed or inconsistent, leading to mixed feelings about the overall emotional engagement.
- “The story is incredibly compelling and deeply emotional, which kept me thoroughly invested throughout the entire gameplay.”
- “Jason's path from adrenaline junkie to emotionally void murderer makes the game go from great to an ageless classic.”
- “The emotional weight of his journey is palpable, and the characters feel real.”
- “The endgame after Vaas dies is kinda boring story-wise.”
- “Boring storyline: 'We were on holiday and got kidnapped by the bad guy, and I'm some chosen one who has to kill them and free people.' Cliché, you could predict this story so easily it's painful.”
- “Unskippable cutscenes, extremely boring story sections about characters you couldn't care less about.”
monetization
30 mentions
10 % positive mentions
7 % neutral mentions
83 % negative mentions
The monetization strategies employed by Ubisoft in their games, particularly through the Uplay platform, have drawn significant criticism from users. Many players express frustration over intrusive advertisements during gameplay, the requirement to log into Uplay frequently, and the perception that the games prioritize revenue generation over quality, often labeling them as cash grabs. Additionally, the presence of microtransactions and invasive DRM practices further contribute to a negative view of the monetization approach in these titles.
- “Not to mention, no microtransactions.”
- “This is one of the worst PC games I have seen from a AAA game developer like Ubisoft; I'd rather play Battlefront 2 from EA with the in-game purchases than this.”
- “Free, but has microtransactions.”
- “Off the top of my head: the management of 'Fall Guys': using Steam as an outlet to get a very large audience, and then removing the game from Steam to bypass the 20% revenue share after using Steam for its purpose as 'advertisement.'”
- “Putting advertisements in their games plus the annoyance of logging into Uplay every time you pause, upgrade a weapon, or open your backpack is frustrating.”
- “Far Cry New Dawn is nothing more than a shameless cash grab.”