Far Cry 3 Classic Edition Review

"Another Definition of Insanity"

Campaign

Far Cry 3 is always highly regarded and it was the entry that really got this series going. Now that Far Cry 5 has been released for a fair bit of time, the Classic Edition of this main line third entry is now available.

This is an interesting release as it's just a port of the experience that retains only the single player content of the game. There really isn't anything done to it as I first reported a few months ago, with that confirmed here. With that, time to dive into just what to expect in this somewhat of a tropical paradise.

Your group of friends are having a blast and then all of a sudden you're locked in a cage. The group will be ransomed and through the determination of a sibling you escape by yourself into an open jungle. You meet some friends, build alliances and aim to save your group as you transform.

This is less morphing and more or less becoming a warrior. I've never actually had a game so directly speak to me personally before, it was nice. There's a decently long story and just a pile of side things to do. You can quest away or just go around taking on the many challenges. There are radio towers to secure for filling maps, supply runs and even hunting challenges to name some side activities.

Gameplay

This definitely has aged quite a bit and that shows during general gameplay. It feels somewhat stiff, yet is still a really visceral and gritty shooter. The movement is fun as you glide, drive, or use other methods to travel around. There's a full skill tree to work through that adds tattoos to your body and a store to purchase additional items. You'll have to craft storage through animal hides, that was annoying.

When it comes to visuals I wasn't very impressed, with the power of the Xbox One X and having seen Far Cry 5 I was hoping for some touch-ups. The grass is vibrant, yet mixed with the rest of the world it all seems old looking. There's lots of pop-in as you're moving around the island which takes away from the experience and the characters models I would consider to be alright at this point.

The Conclusion

Far Cry 3 Classic Edition is a great game, it just hasn't had anything done to it to improve the experience. You can essentially get the same results running it as an enhanced Xbox One X game. The multiplayer elements are removed, yet it's still a really good story. The ending is quite weird, but that's just a thing in this franchise.

The villain was charming in a terrifying way and the narrative was handled well for the most part. It's a fun island of freedom with open choice for how you tackle it. If the story isn't enough there are many side adventures to take part. It's a good time still, it hasn't aged too well though it does look fine enough. It is worth playing if you missed out on it the first time around.

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Far Cry 3 Classic Edition Review on Xbox One X
Review Code Provided by Ubisoft

Rating Overall: 7.0