Far Cry Primal Reviews
With a wealth of new ideas, including taming and controlling animals, a non-linear story and an upgradable village hub, Far Cry Primal isn't just Far Cry 4 with cavemen. Much of the gameplay will feel familiar, but the additions are just about enough to keep it fresh.
Hey, sometimes you need to take it back to the old-school and remember what survival is all about – and that's just what Primal does.
But in the end, Far Cry Primal is a healthy, well-designed, immensely immersive experiment within an established franchise. Bottom line is we need more developers to take such risks. The result is indeed a fantastic experience due to the blending of multiple genres - survival, adventure, action, first-person, strategy, etc.
Far Cry Primal is a breath of fresh air when it comes to first person action games. It simplifies good old Far Cry formula but still delivers robust gameplay enriched with multitude of companions and weapon upgrades. If you like bows and spears it's a must. The only let down is heavy use of mystics and not relying on down to earth believable story.
Review in Polish | Read full review
Far Cry Primal bietet das bisher beste Setting für die Serie, verliert sich aber ein wenig im schlechten Storytelling und der recycelten Umgebung aus Far Cry 4. Das crafting und Ressourcen sammeln hat noch nie so viel Spaß und vor allem Sinn gemacht, wie in Primal. Fans von Tiere zähmen und Sachen anzünden, können hier ohne Bedenken zugreifen.
Review in German | Read full review
Far Cry Primal takes the franchise cleverly into the Stone Age era with a minor and important survival influence.
The best prehistoric experience in videogames' history, despite some important flaws...
Review in Italian | Read full review
Far Cry Primal delivers a fascinating open world to explore.
Far Cry's new world and renewed focus on survival create a tense experience true to its setting.
Despite being built on the skeleton of previous Far Cry games — its map is literally an overlay of Far Cry 4's! — Primal manages to stand apart from other open-world sandbox action games through the sheer novelty of its primitive setting. Although the emphasis on bow hunting and woolly mammoths can give a bit of a Skyrim vibe, that quickly fades as you gain full mastery over the protagonist's ability to summon a variety of deadly beasts into combat. The writing fails to make its primitive heroes anything more than one-note lunks, but the primordial nature of the game world complements the action and ultimately makes up for the underwhelming story.
Far Cry Primal is like lobster macaroni and cheese. Comfort food elevated by trying something different, and as a result it mostly succeeds. Taking out the guns and vehicles (unless you count the bears) and keeping the story simple were bold, smart choices for a franchise that could have easily wore out its welcome. Ironically, for a game set so far in the past, it's the past that occasionally holds back Far Cry Primal from true greatness. Nevertheless, this game is a breath of fresh air for both the franchise and first-person action games in general. Just keep an eye out for bears.
If you like Far Cry, there's a pretty good chance you'll like this as well. But if you're becoming exhausted by ~20 hours of leveling, skinning, leaf-collecting, trinket-finding and map-clearing after the last few installments, Primal is definitely more of the same. The setting change is effective, but this isn't going outside of the series' comfort zone as much as Ubisoft might have you believe.
Despite being built on the skeleton of previous Far Cry games — its map is literally an overlay of Far Cry 4's! — Primal manages to stand apart from other open-world sandbox action games through the sheer novelty of its primitive setting. Although the emphasis on bow hunting and woolly mammoths can give a bit of a Skyrim vibe, that quickly fades as you gain full mastery over the protagonist's ability to summon a variety of deadly beasts into combat. The writing fails to make its primitive heroes anything more than one-note lunks, but the primordial nature of the game world complements the action and ultimately makes up for the underwhelming story.
While the time period itself may be a far cry from the rest of the series, the game still manages to feel like a natural progression with some core gameplay elements intact, while also adding plenty of content that makes Far Cry Primal feel likes it own distinct experience.
The newest installment in the Far Cry franchise runs into a few hiccups, most namely its tiring combat system. The new taming/companion system is well executed and Ubisoft has crafted a respectable amount of detail with their sculpture of 10,000 BCE. While it sometimes feels like just more Far Cry, that's not necessarily a bad thing.
Ubisoft's Far Cry Primal takes players back to the Stone Age, but the gameplay and narrative feel far from prehistoric in this primitive, open-world game.
Whether by accident, design or an emotive response to criticism of Far Cry 4, Ubisoft, via Primal, has given the franchise a huge new shot of vitality and freshness.
As you may have gathered, it is all thoroughly enjoyable.
The decision to take Far Cry to the Stone Age is a strong one. It feels like Far Cry Primal is a refresh of the series that we didn't know it needed. Basic combat makes you think more about your approach, while the addition of animals makes you feel powerful.
Far Cry Primal presents an interesting take on the series' formula by going way, way back in time. The change in environment helps freshen up familiar mechanics that can get stale in a more modern setting while also making the game seem far more brutal and visceral. Folks who feel queasy at the sight of bloody animals and people might not be able to stomach Primal's prehisotric immersion. Gamers looking for a different open-world experience, however, will likely appreciate the change in setting.