| System: PC, PS3, Xbox 360* |  |
| Dev: Ubisoft Montreal | |
| Pub: Ubisoft | |
| Release: May 1, 2013 | |
| Players: 1 | |
| Screen Resolution: 480p-1080p | Blood, Nudity, Sexual Content, Strong Language, Violence |
And it doesn’t stop there. The GUI, although it functions almost exactly the same, has been spackled in an 80’s glaze as well. Add to that a barrage of witty jokes, hilarious weapon descriptions, and comical character bios and what you have is an amazingly crafted menu system crammed with 80’s pop-culture and attitude. Hell, navigating the menu system is almost as much fun as playing the actual game. Almost.
Completing the visual package, 8-bit cutscenes pace the action beautifully, taking intense action and tempering it with ludicrous comedy. If they weren’t intentional these cut scenes would have been a travesty against modern gaming, but their worth was proven every time I completed a mission, and I found myself looking forward to them every time.
However, amazing retro graphics aside, what really makes Blood Dragon an amazing experience is the sound.
Sound is gaming’s most overlooked aspect and it can make or break, any game. Thankfully, it absolutely defines Blood Dragon. The ambient music created by Power Glove sets the 80’s action-flick tone immediately and never slows down. Add to that other iconic songs from the decade and what you get is a soundtrack that transplants you directly to the 80’s.
The music is amazing, sure, but the audio really shines through the voice acting. Michael Biehn (Aliens, Terminator, and The Abyss) makes Rex “Power” Colt come to life, as an obscenity-wielding walking action cliché. His one liners are sure to stick in your head as is his frustration with his HUD. His HUD torments him throughout the game, prompting Rex to respond in comedic fashion. This truly adds to the overall quality of the game, filling slower gameplay with much needed laughs, but also adding a level of insanity to already frantic action sequences.
The culmination of amazing sound, throwback 8-bit cutscenes, excellent graphics, spotless presentation, and enough details from the 80’s to pack a game twice this size; Far Cry 3: Blood Dragon delivers on every front near flawlessly. I can’t count the number of times I threw my head back in laughter, wreaked mass destruction upon my enemies, or did a double-take at an 80’s reference that took a while to sink into my thick skull. None of this is typical DLC fare, and to the folks at Ubisoft I say this: Thank you.
In short, Far Cry 3: Blood Dragon is one of the best pieces of DLC I have ever seen hit the market. The fact that it doesn’t require the original Far Cry 3 is a huge bonus for gamers, and at the admission price of only 15 bucks, you simply can’t lose. Buy this game.
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By Joshua Bruce Video Director Date: April 30, 2013 |
Game Features:
