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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