For more on Far Cry 3, check out our full Far Cry 3 review. Or, for more of the best Xbox 360 games for an 11 year old, why not try our Family Game Finder
What is Far Cry 3?
Far Cry 3 is a game set on a tropical island paradise - only one that's currently somewhat less than idyllic. With a civil war raging between a group of pirates, and the island's native tribe, you take on the role of Jason, a clumsy but rich American, who accidentally parachutes into the middle of the war zone during an adventure holiday. After initially being captured by the pirates, Jason is soon rescued, and teams up with the island's tribe, known as the Rakyat, to free the island from the pirate's control.
How do you play Far Cry 3?
A first person shooter, the gameplay in Far Cry 3 is rather open ended, letting you choose to do whatever you want, and go wherever you want from the get go. While there is a story to complete, the story missions are almost entirely optional, as you can instead choose to go around the island and hunt down the collectables, or fight off the pirates, gradually taking back control of various areas. With a selection of vehicles to choose from, ranging from hang gliders to quad bikes, there are plenty of options to help you get around the island - as its huge.
How easy is Far Cry 3 to pick up and play?
As a first person shooter, it goes without saying that you'll need to be proficient with dual analogue sticks in order to survive. However, Far Cry 3 is one of the more complex first person shooters, thanks to its immense scale and freedom. While you may have objectives to complete, like taking over a base, or killing a certain character, how you actually go about doing that is up to you. The game may provide a objects you can choose to make use of, but by and large, you're left to fend for yourself - and with so many possibilities, and so many enemies, you're often dropped in the deep end.
The game also has a reliance on stealth, as several parts of the game require you to stay either completely undetected, or at least undetected for a certain amount of time. With enemies that dish out substantial amounts of damage, and a healing system that often means you'll be running around with only a third of your health full until you get the hang of it, it's nothing if not challenging.
Far Cry 3 is a game that's packed full of swearing, violence, and blood.
Combat is violent and gory - try to stab an enemy, and you'll stick your knife right through his chest, with blood spurting everywhere. Violence often finds its way into the game's cutscenes, too, with a particular example being found towards the end of the game, where you're facing someone who's tied up, and are given the option of killing them - choose to do so, and you'll slit their throat. It's not as gory as it could be, but it's pretty harrowing nonetheless. Animals, too, are fair game - if you want to do well in the game, you'll have to kill, and then skin animals of all varieties in order to produce new equipment, from tapirs to sharks, and goats. While it's not essential to kill the animals in order to progress through the game, you'll be making the game a lot harder for yourself if you don't, as you'll be missing out on upgrades, and will be incredibly limited in terms of how many weapons you can carry. While you don't actually skin the animal directly, blood flies everywhere as you run a knife down the carcass, and then put a chunk of red meat in your bag.
Meanwhile, the F word is used liberally throughout, with coarse and frequent bad language a staple of the game. In terms of sexual content, there's a pole dancing club you can visit, while one scene sees you having sex from a first person perspective - you see through the eyes of the character, as you're on top of a naked woman, with the noises and motions you would expect (although her nipples are covered by paint) - while at other points in the game, you'll come across pole dancers in skimpy underwear.
The game also features drugs such as cocaine and meth, which you can collect in your inventory, but which can't directly be used. One scene in the game, however, does see your character come under the influence of drugs, and go on a somewhat psychedelic trip. The game also features racism, with the antagonist in the game, Vaas, referring to the two main characters as "white boys" in a demeaning tone.
Age Ratings
Format Reviewed: Xbox 360
