Far Cry Primal puts you in the shoes of Takkar, a member of the Winja tribe that has been gradually reducing in number. It has been however been prophesied that the strong one will come and unite the tribe and claim the land of Oros with his brethren. You will play this role while eliminating members from rival tribes that seek to exterminate your tribe.
As the game takes place in 10,000 BC, this is the first Far Cry game to not feature explosives or guns. The absence of which is not felt at all thanks to enjoyable combat enabled by clubs and bows that feel a lot more up close and personal. Animals are a big part of the game and early into the game you get the ability to tame many of them thanks to a hallucinatory trip you take after drinking blood given to you by who appears to be a prehistoric shaman.
Once you tame an animal, it can perform multiple tasks for you. It can scout the area and mark targets, keep you safe from weaker wild animals that want to attack you and kill beasts or humans.
Far Cry Primal managed to keep me hooked because of how easy it is to get into the game and out of it. Whenever you re-enter the world of Oros, the game gives you a small cinematic recap of what the story has been like so far that immediately gets you back into the thick of things. This is a feature I believe every game with a campaign of over ten hours should have as it encourages returning to the game after you have lost track of things.
The game has the usual open world elements of collecting resources, upgrading your base and capturing outposts. If properly paced between story missions, these side activities can be a lot of fun. These outposts, when captured, offer you fast travel points and locations where you can access your reward stash. Capturing outposts is also one of the things you can do to increase your population. Increasing your population helps in completing objectives and rewards you with resources that you would have to normally gather yourself.
The environment and sound are perfect for the setting. The game is filled with beautifully crafted environments, detailed character models and appropriate sound that make the game even more enjoyable.
The team behind Far Cry Primal took a big risk by moving into the prehistoric era, a move that has paid off. The game delivers an enjoyable experience to series' veterans and newbies alike in a setting that has not been explored a lot in mainstream video games. The gameplay, straightforward story and new elements fit together perfectly to provide a game that has very little to complain about. I enjoyed my fifteen hours of gameplay and I am looking forward to spending a lot more exploring the beautiful world of Oros.
