It’s the third game of the franchise. I must say I haven’t played the first one but I’ve put a fair amount of hours in Far Cry 2 and now Far Cry 3. Far Cry 2 is a very good game but the third game really takes the cake and deserves all the awards and recognition it gets on top 5 and top 10 lists all over the web. And there’s me, I seriously can’t get enough of it.

You may be able to deduce from previous posts on this website, posts which are much too infrequent, that I have taken up a hobby which entails me playing computer games and uploading that footage with commentary to YouTube. I have a running series of Far Cry 2 gameplay (click here to check that out) but I’m more and more tempted to drop that series and just play Far Cry 3 instead. I have been recording some side quests in Far Cry 3 (check it out), but it’s a crummy feeling to have to go back to Far Cry 2 after the awesomeness of Far Cry 3.

So what makes this game so damn awesome?!? It’s the open world-ness of it. The open world is a common theme in the Far Cry series. Far Cry 2 does it too, but the world itself is just so much more pleasant to be in than Far Cry 2. Far Cry 2 is in Africa, and in Far Cry 3 you get to explore some pacific islands filled with wildlife that you can attack and sometimes attacks back, and hard. And in Far Cry 2 you had the damn illness. The Malaria thing did put a damper on things. Back to the open world issue, the awesome part of this is, compared to most other first person shooters, is you can approach your target from almost any angle and in almost any style that you like. Apart from the main quest bits which are more story driven, you can just roam the island, hunting for animals and humans alike. You can storm enemy encampments or spend your time circling them for hours taking them out stealthily, one by one.

Other bits that add to the awesomeness is the skill tree and weapon unlocks which make you more of a badass over time- and then make you cry like a baby when [slight spoiler] at one point they take all your weapons away. You “liberate” parts of the islands from the pirates and return it to the local inhabitants who are on your side. If you follow the main story line you also rise in their ranks and gradually become their hero warrior. And I mustn’t forget, the awesome mind trips and drug-induced hallucinations and gorgeous.

Anyway, go play Far Cry 3. I’ve got a few little videos on YouTube that you can check out and see both Far Cry 2 and 3 in action.

• Far Cry 2 Let’s Play
• Far Cry 3 Side Quests