Far Cry 3: Blood Dragon (Video Game Review)

The announcement of Far Cry 3: Blood Dragon was a bit of a mystery; many players wanted to know if it was an expansion for the original Far Cry 3 or a standalone title, while others simply wondered what in the world Far Cry 3: Blood Dragon had to do with the original game. As it turns out Far Cry 3: Blood Dragon is most certainly a standalone title that can be picked up for $14.99 or the equivalent 1200 Microsoft Points on your downloadable platform of choice, regardless if you own the original game or not. As for the other point, Far Cry 3: Blood Dragon doesn't share much in common with its predecessor in narrative, setting or gameplay balance, but there is still an open world island to explore, upgradeable weapons, unlockable skills and plenty of hidden goodies to track down that will make Far Cry fans feel right at home. Old school gamers can enjoy this one for its 80s style references and its linear missions, while a new generation of gamers will enjoy the open world and the excitement that comes with discovering a new type of enemy or hidden item.

In Far Cry 3: Blood Dragon, you are Sergeant Rex Power Colt--a cyborg with genetically and robotically enhanced powers that make him the only man that can save the post-apocalyptic world of 2007. Through a series of ridiculous NES Ninja Gaiden meets 80s action flick cutscenes, players will rescue the girl and take down an army of cybernetic freaks looking to destroy the world, led by a former brother in arms. Michael Biehn, of Terminator fame, steps into the lead role as Rex and excels as the star of the game, though it must've been difficult to keep a straight face and serious tone in a game as silly as this one. Far Cry 3: Blood Dragon is hilarious and addictive for anyone that has ever enjoyed the cheesy one liners and over the top action that was so prevalent in the 1980s. Far Cry 3: Blood Dragon rewards players for sticking through its relatively short campaign with non-stop laughs and an ending mission you've got to see to believe.



As a Mark IV cyborg, Rex has superhuman abilities that make him jump high, swim and run at incredible speeds, have unlimited stamina and nearly impossible to kill. As such, Far Cry 3: Blood Dragon is a relatively easy game even on the hardest difficulty setting. The game's arsenal includes a shotgun, assault rifle, sniper rifle, pistol and even bow and arrow for stealth and a minigun for the heavy gunfights. These too make the game feel a little too easy, but then, what classic action film doesn't star a nearly indestructible badass? Massive dragons that fire lasers from their eyes and tigers hiding among brush offer larger threats than most soldiers armed with guns or even helicopters, making the game feel a bit unbalanced as well. Killing enemies and completing missions will earn players additional experience points, credits and upgrades for weapons, which can be used to automatically level up and gain new skills, purchase additional ammo and weapon upgrades and give your shotgun quad-barrels or your sniper rifle rocket rounds respectively. Far Cry 3: Blood Dragon is absurd in every conceivable way, and we love Ubisoft for making such a fun game.

Surprisingly, Far Cry 3: Blood Dragon looks and feels almost exactly like the 2012 gem, despite being a smaller, downloadable title. This does limit the game to less than 10 hours of gameplay to complete every mission and find every hidden item, but it's definitely nice to retain the same great graphical quality of Far Cry 3, now in neon! The sound quality of Far Cry 3: Blood Dragon is excellent as well with the voice cast that includes Michael Biehn doing an excellent job of creating a futuristic world full of interesting characters. From the opening scenes of a helicopter shootout with Little Richard playing loudly over the speakers to the humorous loading screen tips, Far Cry 3: Blood Dragon is one of the funniest games we've ever played, and with an open world that looks like Godzilla barfed Las Vegas all over it waiting to be explored, we can't wait to play through Far Cry 3: Blood Dragon for a second time!

Far Cry 3: Blood Dragon is now available for PlayStation Network, Xbox LIVE Arcade and PC and can be purchased for $14.99 or 1200 Microsoft Points. Far Cry 3: Blood Dragon is rated M by the ESRB for Blood, Nudity, Sexual Content, Strong Language & Violence. For more information on the game, check out the official Far Cry 3: Blood Dragon website.

Game Features:

Single Player

Featuring the Voice of Michael Biehn

80s Retro Aesthetics and Sounds

Online Leaderboards

Trophy/Achievement Support

Game Information:
Developer & Publisher: Ubisoft
Platforms: PlayStation Network, Xbox LIVE Arcade (reviewed) & PC
Release Date: May 1, 2013

Score: 9 out of 10