Four Reasons ‘Far Cry 3′ Has The Potential To Be Great

There are a lot of gaming titles coming up in the next four months, and many of them have enormous potential. But the one I’m starting to look forward to the most is Far Cry 3.

It’s especially odd because I wasn’t a big fan of the original game, and thought the reboot/sequel was a bit iffy.

But Ubisoft has been showing they’ve got a mix of good ideas and a willingness to try new things that may make it stand out, especially in a crowded genre.

Here’s what I’ve been seeing that catches my attention.

#4) So Far It Has Just the Right Balance of Gritty and Ridiculous

This is a game where you struggle for your life against armed, dangerous terrorists… and also a game where, if you go swimming, you’ll probably wind up punching a shark. You’ll be fighting scary mercenaries… and also explore an elaborately design ancient temple. It’s a bit like Michael Bay’s idea of Heart of Darkness.

#3) You’re Not a Marine, Cyborg, Or Other Superhero

You’re a tourist whose friends have been captured by an insane terrorist drug dealer. Ubisoft has also made it clear that by the end of the game, your character is going to be a very, very damaged and scary person. And that’s great. You so rarely see in-game actions having a genuine emotional effect on your character. It could be cheesy as hell but at least they’re trying.

#2) You Have Multiple Ways of Solving Problems, Including Feeding Enemies to Bears

I’ve mentioned before that having multiple ways to complete an objective is important in modern games. So far we’ve seen our hero sic a bear on terrorist, leave a bunch of land mines lying around for them to find, stealthily kill everyone in a compound, and walk in guns blazing.

In short, you make your own fun.

#1) Restoring Health Has Potentially Serious Risks

One of the odder aspects of the game that Ubisoft has been discussing is the fact that your character, not to put too fine a point on it, trips balls.

It turns out there’s a reason for that:

In other words, restoring health is not about pressing a button and filling a meter. There’s a cost and a potentially huge risk. It’s a small change, a seemingly minor mechanic, but it forces the player to either find a place to hide until the effects wear off, or have to fight with a severe disability.

That’s something I didn’t know I wanted until I saw it. That mechanic changes how to play the game completely, because being a tank now carries much more risk.

It shows there’s a level of thought here that’s worth looking at. The game comes out in early December, and I’ll have a review for you then.