
"Even when Far Cry 3's story eventually falls short of its promising start, you won't have as much fun hunting tigers, crashing hang gliders, and stabbing pirates in any other game."

Far Cry 3 is an open-world which tells the story of Jason Brody (Character) and his friends, as they mistakenly land on Rook Island, a tropical paradise that is inhabited by brutal pirates, slave traffickers, and deadly animal predators. The game was developed by Ubisoft Montreal for Xbox 360 (Platform), PlayStation 3 (Platform) and PC (Platform) using an updated version of the Dunia Engine used in Far Cry 2 (Game). The multiplayer part of the game was developed by Ubisoft Massive. It was released on November 29, 2012 in Europe, Africa and Middle Eastern territories and December 4, 2012 in North America.
Far Cry 3 is set on a tropical island archipelago. Gameplay involves battling various island factions as well as the occasional wildlife. As with the previous installment, missions can be accepted from various NPCs throughout the world. Side missions such as running deliveries and hunting can be completed for extra cash. Animals that can be encountered include tigers, bears, sharks, deer, and komodo dragons. The player also has multiple vehicles at their disposal, including jeeps, ATVs, jet skis, and hang gliders.
Various towns and outposts are scattered across the island. Attacking and securing enemy outposts allows the player to take control of them. In addition to acting as fast travel hubs, controlling outposts opens up missions in the surrounding area and gives the player access to shops. Weapons and upgrades can be purchased here, and items discovered in the world such as animal skins can be sold as well. Players are given a strong incentive to reset radio towers throughout the island in-order to unlock new weapons in the shops. Resetting radio towers also results in a more detailed mapping of that part of the island, similar to the "syncing" mechanic in the Assassin's Creed series.
Far Cry 3 rewards players with experience for completing missions and executing various kill moves, which then feeds into a skill tree system. Players can choose to spend skill points in three separate trees, each pertaining to a different style of play. Spending skill points allows the player to unlock perks, such as increasing the amount of health Jason has, increasing reload speed, and unlocking a myriad close quarters kill moves.
Like other games in the series, Far Cry 3 has no ties to the previous stories told in the Far Cry franchise. The characters, locales, and plot are all self-contained.
Jason Brody and his friends head to a remote tropical island while on vacation, but things take a turn for the worse when they are all kidnapped by pirates, who are led by the insane & sadistic Vaas Montenegro. Jason narrowly escapes, and soon finds himself caught in the middle of a bloody power struggle for the island between the native Rakyat population and the occupying pirate forces.
Jason quickly allies himself with the natives after being saved by Dennis Rogers, who introduces him to Citra (Vaas' sister). She informs him that while Vaas is certainly an enemy, the real threat is Hoyt Volker, a brutal human trafficker that is using the islands for his smuggling ring. He has corrupted Vaas with drugs and money, and has given him control of the entire northern island. Jason vows to kill Vaas and free his friends, and one by one he brings his friends to Doctor Earnhart, a man who agrees to help Jason and his friends. They find an old broken down boat nearby, and as Jason progresses through the story, they stay back and make repairs.
As time goes by, the Rakyat (and to certain extent Jason himself) start to believe that Jason is the reincarnation of the Rakyat's mythical warrior ancestor. Citra and her followers revere him, and implore him to stay and liberate their people. Jason agrees, and eventually hooks up with Willis Huntley, a CIA operative working on the island who helps him track down Vaas. Once Vaas is killed, Willis sends Jason off to the south island to connect with Sam Becker, another operative who is in deep undercover working directly with Hoyt. Sam helps Jason get close to Hoyt, and Jason is able to destroy Hoyt's smuggling ring and kill Hoyt in a knife fight, and save his brother Riley from captivity.
Jason & Riley go back to Earnhart and the boat, only to find everything on fire, his friends missing, and Earnhart mortally wounded. He tells Jason that Citra is responsible, and when Jason confronts Cirta at her temple, the player is given a choice to end the game; kill his friends and stay on the island forever, or free his friends and leave behind the Rakyat people.
The protagonist of Far Cry 3, Jason Brody (Character) is a 25-year-old from Los Angeles. He starts out with no real combat experience, and has to learn and adapt to the island's dangers in order to survive.
Vaas Montenegro (Character) is the leader of the pirates, who deals in murder, torture, and slave trading. He's sadistic and more than a little bit crazy. His men control most of the northern island.
Citra is Vaas' sister, but she has strong connections with the native Rakyat, and makes herself an ally to Jason in fighting against Vaas.
Dennis Rogers (Character) is the man that saves Jason after he initially escapes from Vaas. Dennis also gives him his first bit of cash and introduces him to the Rakyat people and their struggle.
Earnhardt is a dubious ally of Jason's. He provides shelter, medical assistance, and supplies, but is also deeply involved with the more psychedelic aspects of island life.
Willis Huntley (Character) is an ex-CIA operative living on the island. Although he has long lost contact with his superiors, he is still gathering intelligence about Hoyt and Vaas, and is able to help point Jason in the right direction, eventually introducing him to Sam Becker.
Sam Becker (Character) is a CIA operative in deep cover within Hoyt Volker's slave trafficking ring. He is located on the Southern island, and agrees to help Jason get to Volker after being referred by Willis.
Hoyt Volker (Character) is a brutal slave trafficker who controls the southern island, backed up by an army of well-armed mercenaries.
Jason unlocks skill points by gaining XP throughout the game. Each point can go into one of three branches in the skill tree, and each one has unique abilities and takedowns.
Mobility and long ranged takedowns.
Healing and assault takedowns.
Survival and stealth takedowns.
| Name | Real World Equivalent | Price ($) | Attachments | Stats |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| M1911 | 1911 (Kimber Warrior variant) | $60 | None | |
| 6P9 | Makarov PB | N/A | * Sound Supressor
| |
| .44 Magnum | <p style="" data-right-indent="0" data-left-indent="0">Smith andamp;amp;amp; Wesson Model 629 | $950 | * Sound Supressor
| |
| D50 | <p style="" data-right-indent="0" data-left-indent="0">IMI Desert Eagle Mark XIX | $1,300 | None |
| Name | Real World Equivalent | Price ($) | Attachments | Stats |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| A2000 | Agram 2000 | $600 | * Extended Magazine
| |
| MP5N | <p style="" data-right-indent="0" data-left-indent="0">Heckler andamp;amp;amp; Koch MP5N | $900 | * Sound Suppressor
| |
| BZ19 | <p style="" data-right-indent="0" data-left-indent="0">Izhmash PP-19 Bizon-2 | $1,800 | * Sound Suppressor
| |
| Skorpion | <p style="" data-right-indent="0" data-left-indent="0">Skorpion Vz. 61 | N/A | * Sound Suppressor
| |
| Vector .45 ACP | <p style="" data-right-indent="0" data-left-indent="0">TDI Vector (Object) | $1,420 | * Sound Suppressor
|
| Name | Real World Equivalent | Price ($) | Attachments | Stats |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| SPAS-12 | Franchi SPAS-12 | $1,600 | * Extended Magazine
| |
| M133 | Baikal MP-133 | $860 | None | |
| 1887 | Winchester Model 1887 (Object) | $130 | * Extended Magazine
|
| Name | Real World Equivalent | Price ($) | Attachments | Stats |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| AK-47 | AK-103 | Free | None | |
| F1 | FAMAS F1 | $1,450 | * Sound Suppressor
| |
| ACE | Galil ACE 53 | $2,250 | * Extended Magazine
| |
| P416 | HK416 | Free | * Extended Magazine
| |
| STG-90 | SIG SG 552 (Object) | Free | * Extended Magazine
| |
| MS16 | M14 | $1,700 | * Red Dot Sight
|
| Name | Real World Equivalent | Price ($) | Attachments | Stats |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| M-700 | Remington M40A1 | * Sound Suppressor
| ||
| SVD | SVD-M Dragunov | None | None | |
| Z93 | Zastava M93 Black Arrow | $3,400 | * Extended Magazine
|
| Name | Real World Equivalent | Price ($) | Attachments | Stats |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| MKG | FN Minimi | $2,800 | * ACOG Sight
| |
| PKM | PKM (Object) | $1,125 | None | |
| U100 | STK Ultimax 100 Mark 3 | $1,950 | * Optical Sight |
| Name | Real World Equivalent | Price ($) | Attachments | Stats |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| GL-94 | GM-94 | Free | None | |
| RPG-7 | RPG-7 | Free | None | |
| Flamethrower | LPO-50 Flamethrower | Free | None | |
| Recurve Bow | ? | * Red dot sight
|
| Name | Real Name | Unlocked | Attachments | Stats |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| AMR | Anti-Material Rifle | $4,800 | * Extended Magazine
| |
| Bull | Baikal MP-133 | $3,010 | * Extended Shell Capacity
| |
| Bushman | Patriot Ordinance Factory P416 | * Deactivating all 18 Radio jamming towers
| ||
| Cannon | Smith & Wesson Model 629 | uPlay Bonus | * Extended Barrel
| |
| Ripper | FN Minimi | * Completing 6 Trails of the Rakyat
| ||
| Shadow | Kimber Warrior | * Defeating a set # of enemy strongholds
| ||
| Shredder | TDI Vector | Locating a set # of relics | * Reflex Sight
|
| Target Type | Ability | Icon |
|---|---|---|
| Normal | Regular enemy. |
|
| Charger | Fast moving enemy that attack you. |
|
| Sniper/RPG | Enemies that attack from long range. |
|
| Heavy | Strong, defensive heavy armored enemies. |
|
| Herbivores | Non-aggressive animal that can be hunted for its skin, some can attack but gives low damage. |
|
| Predators | Dangerous animals that attack if near or player are visible to their sight. |
|
In addition to the single player campaign, Far Cry 3 features competitive online multiplayer, as well as a co-op campaign mode, which supports up to four players. Certain in-game actions will result in player rewards, similar to the kill-streak system in the Call of Duty (Franchise) series. A 'Battle Cry' can also be performed as a boost to nearby teammates.
A new feature introduced in multiplayer is Decoding. Players earn data sources such as hard drives, DVDs, and memory cards for completing matches in multiplayer and co-op. Once a data source has been acquired, the player can proceed to the Decoding tab to begin the process. Initially the player has access to one Decoder, but two more can be unlocked through leveling up and visiting the game's website. Once a Decoder is selected, a list of acquired data sources appears, and one can be selected. The Decoding process takes differing amounts of time depending on the probability of receiving a high ranking weapon mod or XP. Once the item is selected, the countdown begins, and continues even when the game is not on.
Domination - A conquest type game mode where you capture and hold 3 different points on a map.
Team Deathmatch - The standard one team vs the other, most kills win game mode.
Firestorm - A mode that tasks players with setting fire to two of your opponents bases at the same time. after this, teams have to make it to a radar dish while battling the ever-spreading fire, which blocks routes and paths.
Transmission - Each team attempts to obtain and control propaganda transmitters located all across the map. In order to win, your team must race to each transmitter as it is becoming active and hold it as long as possible.
A completely separate plot from the main single player story, the 4 player co-op takes place 6 months before Jason Brody arrived on the island. Four people, Callum "the Scottish Thug", Leonard "the Crooked Cop", Mikhail "the Russian Hitman", and Tisha "the Ex Soldier" are left on a cruise ship that the captain sold to the Rook Island pirates. The four players battle their way out and follow the captain onto the island, intent on getting their revenge and stealing his money. There are 6 total missions in the co-op, with an additional 2 missions available exclusively to PlayStation 3 players in the High Tides DLC released in January 2013.
Another feature carried over from the previous games is an in-game map editor, allowing players to create their own custom single player & multiplayer maps. These can then be shared online with other players, and the development team will curate the best maps and cycle them into the online rotation for all players to use.
Brian Tyler composed Far Cry 3 soundtracks and it was released as a digital download on December 4, 2012. Violinist Serena McKinney was featured in track 17 called "Further."
| Track Number | Title | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | Far Cry 3 | 5:34 |
| 2. | Heat | 3:33 |
| 3. | The Rakyat | 3:54 |
| 4. | Monsoon | 2:52 |
| 5. | Falling Into a Dream | 2:19 |
| 6. | Journey Into Madness | 2:55 |
| 7. | Rook Island | 5:21 |
| 8. | We Are Watching You | 3:33 |
| 9. | Treasure of Zhang He | 3:35 |
| 10. | Fever Dream | 4:10 |
| 11. | Call of the Wild | 3:43 |
| 12. | Bad Trip | 5:00 |
| 13. | Path of the Warrior | 7:10 |
| 14. | Lost Child | 3:54 |
| 15. | Broken Compass | 3:20 |
| 16. | The Giant's Head | 2:09 |
| 17. | Further (feat. Serena McKinney) | 4:03 |
