S&S Review: Far Cry 3: Blood Dragon

Title: Far Cry 3: Blood Dragon
Format: Playstation 3, Xbox 360, PC
Release Date: May 1st, 2013
Publisher: Ubisoft
Developer: Ubisoft Montreal
Price: $14.99
ESRB Rating: Mature

"Get The girl, Kill The BAd guys, Save the world"

Far Cry 3: Blood Dragon is a stand alone expansion for Far Cry 3, meaning you do not have to own Far Cry 3 to play this. This is a complete and total spin off from the game. Taking you back to the 80's in every way possible, so welcome to an 80’s VHS vision of the future.

Story & Presentation: 
The story in Blood Dragon does not correlate with Far Cry 3's story. You play as Sergeant Rex Colt, you are part man, part machine, all American. You are a state-of-the art Mark IV cyber-commando on a mission, of vengeance. There isn't too much story, which isn't problematic. Other than kill just about everything you see, your mission is to take down your old commanding officer. You will be sent around this mysterious acid tripped island to complete tasks or to liberate Garrisons. Rex has a bad ass American voice that cracks terrible jokes often. I have never laughed so much during a game. 

Loading screens are swapped with "tracking" screens as seen from old VHS cameras. It's the little things that add up in Blood Dragon that complete this masterpiece. Every color is maxed out with inverted neon palettes. Shot gun blasts seem like firework explosions. The weapon choice is simple but each weapon is fun to use and always leaves enjoyment when getting a head shot. Filled with everything 80's, nostalgia meters will go through the roof with this one. 

I completed the main campaign missions in under three hours, and completed everything else in under five. I had no problem with the length, it's actually a huge reason I love it. I liked the short length because once I finished the main missions, I wanted more. I didn't feel burnt out. That allowed me to do all the side missions, liberate all Garrisons, and kill everything else. 

"Blah blah blah, kill blah blah"

Game play: 
While there isn't much of a story, the game play takes cares of that in all ways. You are thrown right into action instantly when starting the game. From start to finish the action never stops. With the same mechanics, all Far Cry fans will feel at home with controls. Your super humans powers come in handy and to your advantage throughout the game. As you naturally play, you level up. With each level up you earn upgrades and perks. Which means less trips buy ammo or weapon upgrades. Playing with the difficulty on hard was a fun challenge. The harder the difficulty, the smarter the AI is. You will come across actual "Blood Dragons", these things are nasty. Giant fire breathing dinosaur like dragons murdering anything it senses. Using them to your advantage is thrilling and hilarious.

Final Thoughts:
You will laugh, you will cry, and you will kill, for America. I love everything about this game. When moments get tense, 80's techno music comes on to match the race of your heart. Far Cry 3: Blood Dragon takes you to another place. It's a disappointment that when you take a break from playing and look outside to see you aren't actually living in the world you have been playing in. Everyone should experience this spin off.

S&S Rating: 10/10

@BlanketsWilson