Tuesday, October 15, 2013

Far Cry 3: Blood Dragon Review - Back to The 80's

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Dragons and Lasers and Robots, Oh My!
Enter the Blood Dragon
Dinosaurs with laser beam eyes. Synthesized background music and neon colors. A cyborg on a mission to save the world. Sound like a trip right out the 80’s? Well it’s not. It’s actually the premise for Far Cry 3’s standalone expansion, Blood Dragon. While Blood Dragon may not have been constructed during the era of VHS tapes, emerging tech-pop and bright colors, it certainly pays homage to it.
A Man on a Mission
Meet cyborg commando Rex Power Colt, an overpowered cybernetic killing machine, whose physical appearance resembles a crossover of Terminator and RoboCop, and is on the hunt for rogue war veteran Colonel Sloane. Rex never tires from running, has no need for breathing and hates tutorials. He’s also full of witty jokes, bad puns and bucket loads of attitude. Whether he’s chaining knife kills, shooting laser machine guns or unleashing an impossible barrage of grenades, he’s a real American hero at heart.
The Nitty Gritty
As soon the player gains control of Rex on the ground, the first thing to notice is that Blood Dragon plays out just like Far Cry 3 itself. Stealth kills are still available, as well as kill chains which are accomplished by stabbing one enemy, then another, and having the ability to end the streak with a thrown shuriken. Of course, a first person shooter wouldn’t be complete without guns. Probably the most fun is found in the plethora of over-the-top weapons such as the scoped rocket launcher or the quadruple barrel shotgun that dispels burning shells.
Once an enemy is dead, Rex can then walk over the body to acquire ammo, or take it a step further by ripping out the poor bastard’s heart with his hand. Why would anyone do that? The hearts are actually used as dragon bait for the blood dragons themselves. These overgrown gila monsters shoot (freakin’) laser beams from their eyes and are sore menaces to face. With the hearts on hand however, Rex can redirect the dragon’s wrath on unsuspecting groups of foes, ending in a satisfying scene of glorious robot-on-dinosaur warfare.
An 80’s Trip
It’s no secret that game developers hide Easter eggs and homages to eras, icons and themes throughout their works. Blood Dragon does not do this. Instead, it slaps the user in the face with them. The heavily synthesized beats resemble those of the Saturday morning arcade days, and players are submerged in almost familiar tunes.
The graphics are also a testament to this. Explosions and laser blasts on the screen come in bright pinks and radioactive yellows, while the blood dragons look like some psychopath glued crimson colored glow-sticks to their bodies. Players will notice the vastly different graphics than that of Far Cry itself; where clear blue skies decorated the screen above, the sky is now a cloudy grey, filled with bright crystal glyphs. Muddy, dulled textures and smoky filters have been added to the game to give it a feel that is reminiscent to Metal Gear and the game begins with a “scanning” loading screen.
Cutscenes aren’t spared either. In an era of HD, 3D, and advanced motion capture, Blood Dragon ditches all of these in favor of 2D, 16-bit graphics, akin to those 30-year-old fan favorites of the day, told via grainy images, complete with cutoff edges. These cutscenes still tell a story, and with voice actors like Michael Biehn (appearances in Terminator, Aliens) talking, it’s hard not be thrust back to that time of Cold War, pixelated games, and intense action films.
Stupid Fun or Just Plain Stupid?
Aside from the countless references to pop culture, media and social icons, Blood Dragons goes overboard in every area. Loading screens have helpful hints such as “grenades explode,” and the very beginning of the game displays Rex’s distaste for tutorials, which continue on and on, eventually downright asking the player if they’ve become annoying.
This also bleeds into the dialogue. Commando Colt’s full of one-liners and quotes, but things like overhead announcements are heard saying “penetration in the rear.” While charming and admittedly funny at first, the dialogue does become tiresome and rehashed part of the way through. By the time the expansion is completed, a taste of cliché will have set in.
Overall, Blood Dragon is one of the most entertaining expansions to be released to date. The gameplay is fun and rewarding, while keeping the player on their toes. Fans of the 80’s culture will probably have a deeper appreciation of what’s going on about them, though the far-fetched gameplay is entertaining enough, even for players born in the nineties and beyond. Fans of the Far Cry series will like the familiar controls and environments, while newcomers can come for the thrill, stay for the laughs. Anyone interested in a playful detour, and taking a step away from the “serious, run and gun” genre should grab Far Cry 3: Blood Dragon before It moves on like oversized hairdos and popped collars have.
OVERALL: 4.5 out of 5

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