The NJ Geek

“Did I ever tell you what the definition of insanity is?”- Vaas

2012 saw a variety of major first-person shooter games released to gamers from Halo 4 to Medal of Honor: Warfighter to Call of Duty: Black Ops II. Released on December 3rd 2012, Far Cry 3 seemed to be arriving late to the gaming party.  Far Cry 3 becomes perhaps the best shooter of 2012 and among the best experienced in a long time.

            Jason Brody is like any other college graduate. Celebrating with his girlfriend, brothers, and friends, he finds himself having the time of his life in the middle of the Pacific Ocean. One tempting offer later, he finds himself skydiving over an unknown island, plunging towards the forest. When he awakens, he finds himself and his friends captured by a ruthless army of pirates, determined to make a profit off of him in human slave trafficking. He makes a daring escape out of the prison camp, falling off of a bridge and plummeting down toward a waterfall. As he loses consciousness, he sees a hand reach for him. The Rakyat warrior tribe has rescued Jason.  He learns he is on Rook Island, located hundreds of miles away from any kind of help or authority.  Past its lush beauty lies a savage faction war between the Rakyat and the pirates who have captured his friends. The Rakyat are offering to help, but Jason must do things he never knew he could do. Caught in a massive conflict thousands of miles away from home, Jason will do what he must to save his friends, and maybe himself.

            Surprisingly, the story is thrilling and stands as among the most memorable to be experienced in a shooter for quite sometime. The story has unfamiliar turns and twists, especially as Jason experiences dream-like moments in certain levels. However, this aids in the pacing and delivery of the plot, which is incredible. Players will find themselves ambitious to discover what will happen next on Jason’s quest. The characters lend plenty of emotional depth, engaging the player and giving the feeling of being integral to the events on the island. The theme of insanity delves deep into the story.  The characters all lend their particular theme of the word, especially the pirate lord, Vaas, whose chilling explanations and experiences taunt Jason. As the game progresses, the player sees Jason become less fearful of violence and more ambitious of danger. He wields more weapons, becomes more hostile, and bolder in his attempts to free his friends. It ultimately provides a very satisfying and engaging adventure about humanity, love, and power as well as how those things shape a human being in trying times.

            The game is an open-world action/shooting game. Stuck on a remote island, players will need to use its resources to survive. Players will scour the island, hunting exotic animals and plants to craft new items. Hunting animals craft bandoliers for weapons while harvesting plants craft serums that can be used to enhance your abilities and aid you in exploration, hunting, and combat. Harvesting plants is simple but hunting animals will be most challenging, as players will hunt both prey and predator. At any time between missions, players can explore the island and search for loot to sell for cash and purchase necessary weapons and items. Players are encouraged to explore the vast lands, waters, and cave systems for items.

             Rook Island is an active warzone and Jason is up against ruthless, armed pirates.  Overtime, Jason will learn close-quarters melee combat, how to use various weapons, and tactical options that use both his skills and instincts. The player is presented with choice, which plays a big part of how Far Cry 3 progresses. If player’s want were stealthy, players have access to the brutal takedown ability. If they want to be aggressive, they can attack with a variety of weapons, including a bow and arrow. The game provides plenty of opportunity in between approaches. The way it is executed creates the sensation of being a skilled warrior. With all of the activity on the island, players will have plenty to do and plenty of reward. In addition to the single player, the game features a story-based co-op campaign and online multiplayer.  

Far Cry 3 delivers a presentation that is stunning, beautiful, and intriguing. Jason will encounter many individuals on his quest, each bringing emotional, believable depth. The voice work is exceptional as characters deliver believable facial animations with charged dialogue. The island is magnificent in scale and beauty. The music, scored by famed composer Brian Tyler, blends a mix of dub step distortion, traditional scoring, and guitars to create the frantic and chaotic sensations of combat, exploration, discovery, and feeling.

Far Cry 3 represents a fine ending to 2012 in video games and represents a template for shooters to follow. Form its intriguing story, emotional delivery, gorgeous visuals, and incredible, open-ended gameplay, Far Cry 3 provides an insane, action-packed adventure that must not be missed.

Developed by Ubisoft

Published by Ubisoft

Platforms: PC, PlayStation 3, and Xbox 360

Rating 5/5

He is known as the blue blur. He has an army of very devoted fans. He is revered as a childhood hero. He’s had a gaming career that has spanned over 20 years, ranging from epic to ok, to not-so-good, and back to good again. He’s been mocked for years for his inability to surpass that other gaming mascot, Mario.

He has (essentially) been nominated for an Academy award.

You’ve read that correctly.

For the first time in entertainment history, a video game character has been nominated for an Academy Award this year, or an Oscar for the uninitiated. Sonic the Hedgehog is part of the cast of Disney’s Wreck-it Ralph. Wreck-it Ralph was released in the United State this past fall to wide positive and critical acclaim. The movie stars a fictional arcade gaming character as he traverses the gaming world, seeking a restart on his life as a video game bad guy.  The film featured multiple cameo appearances and nods to established gaming franchises.  Sonic the hedgehog noticeably appears, along with gaming characters from Street Fighter, Mario, and arcade icons such as Q’Bert. The movie is set to release in the U.K very soon.

The Oscar nominations were announced this past  Thursday, January the 10^th. Wreck-it Ralph was nominated for the “Best Animated Feature” Category. With the cast of characters in the film, this effectively means that Sonic the Hedgehog, General M. Bison, Bowser, and the other characters in the film get Oscar nominations as well. The other nominations in the category included “ Brave” “Frankenweenie”, “Paranorman” and “Pirates: Band of Misfits.”

Out of all of the films nominated, 3 of them are from Disney. There is no doubt that Disney will receive the Oscar. However, the one I feel that should receive it is Wreck-it Ralph. Not because it features gaming characters but it represents an innovative and original breakthrough on many levels.

As a movie, its is wildly imaginative, colorful, and original! It ties together the rich world of games and forms an original story. As the film encompasses many areas of the video game world, the animations and worlds created reflect a particular game’s style. For example, in Ralph’s game, Fix-it Felix Jr, the characters are based off of an 8-bit format so the characters have very simple animations and expressions. In addition, the many nods and cameos appearances of established game franchises carry the story and the world it takes place in. At its core, its reminiscent of the 1988 Robert Zemeckis classic, “ Who Framed Roger Rabbit.” Ultimately, Wreck-it Ralph becomes an engaging and terrific experience! And as a plus, the soundtrack is incredible! 

However, most importantly, Wreck-it Ralph stands as a cultural icon and a symbol of change in entertainment. Years ago, video games were not considered art. Video games were isolated and confined to a very particular audience. Progressively, video games have grown. They have expanded to more audiences, bringing forth new experiences. They have become artistic, cinematic, and interactive. And compared to years past, they are available everywhere, from the power of high definition consoles to our mobile devices like smartphones and iPhones. They re now art given life and form, giving ambitious players unbelievable experiences! The argument is still ongoing but movies like Wreck-it Ralph prove the relevancy and artistic appreciation of video games.

Finally, Wreck-It Ralph really stands out from the pack. I haven’t seen the other nominations except for Brave, which I thought was visually beautiful but creatively lacking and having a middling story.

Will these fine gaming heroes, villains, and Wreck-It Ralph, receive the most coveted and respected of cinema awards? Or will it go to the Norweigan princess that baby sat her mom who turned into a bear for an hour and a half?

The answer will be revealed on Sunday, February the 24^th on ABC.

(Source: cdn-media.backstage.com)