The Far Cry series accustomed us to certain expectations: magnificent settings and engaging supporting characters were always accompanied with exciting gameplay, which may get tiresome. Primal does not deviate much from these traditional principles, but the game is defined by its own atmosphere and the realisation that we are not only a hunter, but also a possible victim.
The sense of hounding follows us almost from the start, indicating that the Stone Age was not an easy time for the then-humans. Primal is about the conflict between tribes, but it’s also about the conflict with nature – deadly creatures and the cold of the north. The writing, on the other hand, is unquestionably the weakest link in the newest Far Cry. We take on the role of Takkar, a mediocre hunter, and begin the game by extending the hamlet of the Wenja tribe, hunting for people who can help the tribe grow. Throughout the voyage, we meet a variety of intriguing people, some of them are more memorable than others, such as Pagan Min. Against this backdrop, the Udam chiefs do slightly better, although this is not the level seen in prior portions. Beginnings consist primarily of executing duties for local residents. These tasks attempt, among other things, to improve structures and attract new residents, and all of this is accompanied by a continual need to collect resources, which rapidly becomes a crucial component of the game.
We obtain a lot of plants, stones, and wood from reward dumps, which are specific sites in conquered areas. Every day, they create some resources. However, it is usually more beneficial to venture into the field on your own, especially when you have developed your gathering talents. The acquisition of resources is essential to extend residences and create and improve equipment, without which combat against some animal species is difficult, if not impossible. In the field, the character is first quite weak and sometimes unprotected, especially at night, when dangerous animals come out to eat. Although gathering can seem tiresome at times, when the character is well-developed and wolves or jaguars are no longer a threat, the game’s novelty returns. We lose our fear and feel like masters in our own garden. Also, the plot becomes more engaging later on, when the community has already been created. The issue of tribal fighting becomes increasingly exposed and fascinating. In addition to the main narrative, which provides up to fifteen hours of entertainment, there are a plethora of side tasks. The preceding portions’ theme of taking over camps and other locations reappears, along with the typical necessity to “clear” a specific region of adversaries.
However, it looks a little different in Primal since, instead of firearms, we have a bow, clubs, or a spear at our disposal. So frequently, you should choose direct confrontation, which isn’t always fun. Long-distance battles with throwing knives, bee swarms, and the aforementioned bow are more entertaining. We can also toss clubs or spears and then collect them from the enemy’s body. Much more fascinating side chores turn out to be instructions from random people, such as the necessity to investigate what is contaminating the village’s water. The hunter’s vision, a particular vision mode that helps you to spot critical items faster, is then used. We hunt down and eradicate the source of the problem by following the traces. Optional missions are generally identical to one another, yet they are typically far more creatively constructed than those in the main plot. We occasionally rescue Wenja who has been imprisoned by Udam’s foes. We raise the number of villages in this way.
Taming the toughest creatures, such as a sabre-toothed tiger or a mammoth, is an exciting and time-consuming process. It combines tracking, trapping, and fighting. The prize is taming such an animal and being able to ride it if we have the necessary skills. Most animals can be tamed. We’ll need bait to toss around the animal for this. At the same time, we are undetectable, so we approach the creature devouring the meal from behind. Later on, the predator might assist us in the struggle by just obeying basic directions.
The existence of the scout owl, which rapidly proves to be a highly handy buddy, is an intriguing addition. We take command and glance around the place. This makes it simpler to mark foes over time, even allowing you to strike them from above. The hero’s evolution has been somewhat altered and enlarged. We only have access to certain talents when we bring the correct man to the community, who is in charge of hunting, collecting, fighting, or any other field. After creating specialised houses and fulfilling objectives, we will learn the finest skills. All of these components contribute to the game’s engagement and encourage the development of the main character. This fuels the impulse to explore increasingly perilous areas, hunt dangerous types of animals, and seek for uncommon resources. The gameplay, with its novelty and mood, provides unexpectedly high levels of delight. Both players who are familiar with the Far Cry franchise and those who are discovering it for the first time will be happy. The absence of guns, grenades, rocket launchers, and automobiles is rapidly forgotten. It’s simply a shame that the plot is so bad, something in exchange for something I suppose. The hills and mountains that can only be accessed with a bone hook; there are also bigger and smaller reservoirs, rivers, and caverns that hold numerous mysteries. There are no traditional highways in our world because the action takes place ten thousand years before our time, thus we are continually going along more or less well-trodden tracks.
The entire game is adorned with a fantastic graphic design. Although there are certain aesthetic simplifications, all such subtleties are hidden by sophisticated treatments. We’re mostly talking about volumetric lighting and a wide spectrum of colours. This becomes increasingly apparent when we travel to the furthest reaches of the map. The areas in the south, north, and east are totally diverse from one another, despite the fact that the planet is much smaller than in earlier portions. The surround sound is very excellent. Even when the evenings are brilliant, they may be frightful. We will occasionally hear howling wolves and the roaring of a grizzly. You may find yourself concentrating on stealth and become alarmed by the noises of your own animal. It’s been a long time since video game audio has sounded this nice.
Going back over 12,000 years is a wonderful Far Cry series premise. The gameplay is immensely enjoyable, especially in the game’s final stages. This permits you to overlook poorly developed mechanical and story flaws. Far Cry Primal is an excellent development cycle. The game has the potential to keep you riveted to the screen for hours.