Takkar does get to meet some great characters – Batari, the female leader of the Izila, manages to be both homicidal and alluring, and many of the Wenja characters have hilarious eccentricities, such as Sayla’s penchant for collecting the ears of dead Udam – but unlike previous Far Cry games, there’s no arch-villain providing a focal point and, ultimately, the story fizzles out in a vaguely unsatisfying manner (although it sets itself up well for extension via downloadable content).įar Cry Primal is, however, a huge, sprawling source of great gaming joy, and wisely, Ubisoft resisted the temptation to shoe-horn in any dubious multiplayer modes. You can pick all manner of allegory out of Far Cry Primal’s story but, when viewed in pure gaming terms, it fails to be as satisfying as the storylines running through previous iterations of the franchise. That process proves surprisingly thought-provoking: has tribal conflict always been hard-wired into mankind and, if so, what did it take for tribes to start working together for the greater good? Udam attacks feature from the beginning of Primal, and the responsibility for fighting back against both tribes, and ultimately making them fear the Wenja, falls squarely onto Takkar’s shoulders. The narrative also takes in Wenja’s interaction with two other local tribes – the warlike, basic Udam from the mountainous north of Oros and the more sophisticated Izila, masters of fire, who occupy the marshy south. Big set-piece hunt missions let you tame extra-savage beasts, which prove more or less essential allies when the story reaches its later, more frenetic stages. As you build up experience points and progress through Takkar’s skills-tree, he becomes able to tame (and even, in some instances, ride) the likes of sabretooth tigers and giant bears. But more importantly, Takkar can tame animals that will accompany him on his peregrinations and take down enemies. He acquires a pet owl, and has the ability to see through its eyes, which makes it a handy scout as it can tag enemies – and even, when upgraded, attack them.
Tensay, the shaman, is perhaps his most important guru: he makes Takkar drink a foul brew which induces distinctly psychedelic visions, after which he learns how to tame animals. Early on, he rescues Sayla, a hunter and warrior who identifies missing members of the clan for you to track.įrom these quests Takkar assimilates an incredible array of skills. Your role is to build up your nascent village, established in a province called Oros, by helping out the scattered local Wenja tribespeople. You play as Takkar, an unapologetic alpha male in the otherwise peaceful Wenja tribe. Unlike its forebears then, you can’t describe it as an open-world first-person shooter – it’s still first-person and open-world, but all guns, vehicles, explosives and gadgets have been summarily ripped out. This time around, Ubisoft Montreal has certainly created a startlingly different Far Cry game, simply by setting it in the Stone Age – 10,000BC, to be precise. Far Cry 4, for example, was certainly accused of being too much like Far Cry 3, and the more you play Primal, the more it feels like an elaborate attempt to challenge all the assumptions around sequels and spin-offs. Have a Far Cry 6 question or want more information? Head to our frequently asked questions page for some quick info.īe sure to tag your spoilers wrapped around arrows and exclamation points.F inding a game disappointing because of its similarity to last year’s instalment is one of the great complaints levelled at the modern industry and its love of annual franchises.
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