Far Cry Primal finds itself in an awkward position. It doesn’t know whether it wants to be a full sequel or a shorter spin-off like Blood Dragon. The result is a game which lands somewhere in the middle, not fulfilling requirements of either category. It’s clear the ideas behind the game were meant for a tighter and more focused package. Yet they are stretched far beyond their limits to meet the needs of a full-priced game, resulting in an unnecessarily bloated experience.
Primal is set in 10,000 BC and it is pretty much the same game, in a different setting. Guns have been replaced by bows, clubs and spears while wildlife now consists of mammoths and sabre-toothed tigers. You play as Takkar, a member of the Wenja tribe who must help his people survive and eventually conquer the land of Oros.
A highlight of the game is the ability to tame wild animals who can then fight alongside you. This can be done by throwing bait and holding a button till you get control of the creature. Tamed animals can be called upon at any time from a menu but players must revive them with meat if they fall in battle. Meat also acts a regular healing item which players can carry in plenty, making health less of an issue.
Far Cry 4 was rightly criticised for being more of an expansion of Far Cry 3, but given the gap between the releases, Primal feels way too familiar in the worst way possible. Players follow the same old formula of hunting animals for skins and collecting plants as well as rocks to craft better equipment and consumables.
A lot of the skills available in the progression menu also function the exact same way. There are more resources to gather than ever before and they can now be used to upgrade NPC huts which gives you access to special items.
The developers have expanded upon the crafting system but they have simply introduced more items and resources without making it more interesting. This results in another seemingly endless quest to craft better gear which has become overdone by this point.
Unfortunately, they did not expand upon the combat which, due to the time period, is dialled back multiple levels. Players now have fewer tools and options, which also negatively affects the encounter design.
Mission design also suffers; the game has too many quests. I did like the addition of the pet owl which lets you tag, kill or drop bombs on enemies. So in many ways, Far Cry Primal is a step back from Far Cry 4.
All of its elements are just weaker versions of those present in Far Cry 4 and the overemphasis on collecting and crafting disturbs the delicate balance established by the previous games.
The Stone Age setting neither presents the player with new or interesting combat opportunities, nor tries to tell even a remotely-engaging tale.
