Far Cry Primal really impressed me this week in London, and it comes down to two important features. For starters, the game feels like a Far Cry game – with the usual structure and gameplay loop that you’ve come to expect from the franchise. The second is the way it tries its best to alter that formula, but instead manages to turn Far Cry into something familiar with a strong twist.
Beast Mode is the prime example for this in Primal, and it’s the biggest change the game will feature. Instead of just hunting wildlife around you, beast tamer Takkar can bait and tame the savage creatures of prehistoric days to his will. Beast almost act as another weapon arm, featuring all sorts of traits and stats that make choosing them just as vital as collecting them.
They’re your budding AI partners in battle, and Creative Director Maxime Beland and his team at Ubisoft Toronto have been having a great time bringing them to life.
Maybe even more interesting is the way Far Cry Primal combines its various controls over beasts in a seamless way. As Beland explains, Takkar is able to issue attack orders to his selected companion from the sky, while surveying the area with his owl.
“You can actually gives orders to your beast through the owl. So if you’re flying above an area, maybe a bonfire where a couple of enemies are, you can mark the enemies that are there, you can send your best or you could do a dive attack and take an enemy out.”
There’s certainly for more to see when it comes to Primal’s beasts, and especially the way they further integrate with the game’s staple RPG mechanics over the course of the game. But Beasts add another essential layer to Primal, so that it feels welcoming but new at the same time. Far Cry Primal is out in February next year.
Here’s the gameplay premiere from the Game Awards last night. We;ve got some of our own, hands-on gameplay coming up later.
Last Updated: December 4, 2015
Admiral Chief - CHAAARGE!
December 4, 2015 at 10:00
You went to London?
Hammersteyn
December 4, 2015 at 10:12
East London
Admiral Chief - CHAAARGE!
December 4, 2015 at 10:14
Still, seems nice. Getting out of Kakteng
VampyreSquirrel
December 4, 2015 at 11:37
You’d know he did if you had a twitter account 😛
RinceThis
December 4, 2015 at 12:00
He isn’t allowed one, can you imagine his OCD and spelling? He’d fucking die of starvation correcting the internet hahahahah
VampyreSquirrel
December 4, 2015 at 12:16
hahahahaha!
Alien Emperor Trevor
December 4, 2015 at 10:06
Surveillance owl!
Captain JJ 4x
December 4, 2015 at 10:29
lol
RinceThis
December 4, 2015 at 12:00
You don’t look a thing like this owl…
Admiral Chief - CHAAARGE!
December 4, 2015 at 10:11
On a sidenote, we have two openings at our Cape Town branch, but I’ll not post details here, so if you are interested, let me know, and we’ll chat on Steam or Skype
Hammersteyn
December 4, 2015 at 10:17
Friggin sold. Bears, sabertooths or wolves as companions? Would be nice to have a velociraptor as one
Admiral Chief - CHAAARGE!
December 4, 2015 at 10:25
Just as long as they don’t come with a silly movie
Hammersteyn
December 4, 2015 at 10:30
Very Silly. I felt betrayed
Admiral Chief - CHAAARGE!
December 4, 2015 at 10:33
Don’t tell Stardust, he LOOOVES that movie
Hammersteyn
December 4, 2015 at 10:56
I think we broke him
Original Heretic
December 4, 2015 at 10:24
Oh hells yeah! Was rather doubtful about this (ANOTHER Far Cry game….), but those beasts are making it look amazing now.
Admiral Chief - CHAAARGE!
December 4, 2015 at 10:28
I could go for a glass of Oros now
Admiral Chief - CHAAARGE!
December 4, 2015 at 10:29
Wait. I just realised something….this dude is BraveStarr!!!
Captain JJ 4x
December 4, 2015 at 10:30
Wait wait wait wait.
We cannot just leave this here.
I think we need to discuss something very serious.
We need a BraveStarr game. Open world, with those towns, the bandits and all.
Admiral Chief - CHAAARGE!
December 4, 2015 at 10:30
Agreed
Hammersteyn
December 4, 2015 at 10:32
http://www.reactiongifs.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/04/lebowski1.gif
Captain JJ 4x
December 4, 2015 at 10:36
Imagine Thirty/Thirty as a companion!
A horse, perfect for roaming the wastelands and storing stuff, but at the same time he doubles up as a shotgun wielding bro to fight alongside you. I mean seriously, nothing can compete with that.
Admiral Chief - CHAAARGE!
December 4, 2015 at 10:43
Imagine Roach transforms and whips out a big-ass gun
VampyreSquirrel
December 4, 2015 at 11:39
Roach would use a big ass crossbow or sword tho 😛
Francois Knoetze
December 4, 2015 at 14:10
EEEK!! the kid in me just crawled out of my skin!! I WOULD SO PLAY THE CRAP OF OF THAT!!!
RinceThis
December 4, 2015 at 12:02
Ohhh, this looks awesome. So, do I need to buy the actual game now?