Alex I’m really enjoying it. Likely about five hours in. It’s a bit like far cry without the uncomfortable glorification of psychopathy.
Tbh a lot of the stuff I find a little uncomfortable with recent Far Cry games (and this is very much my own take, not something I think others will agree with ) like the hunting of endangered species, really really fits well here.
The Ubisoft tower system isn’t really here. It’s more of a literal fog of war system. Which is a big plus imo.
The world is frankly fantastic. The soundscape is really effective and is not a pre recorded one. Every sound is apparently the sound of a plant or animal doing something or reacting to something out there, which is really cool imo.
My daughter (who is studying zoology) is really enjoying that side of the game as you benefit quite a bit from understanding the ecosystem. Some plants are best gathered at certain times of day or in rain for example. They also have little nuances to how you gather them, although that can be turned off if you find it annoying. I find it quite involving.
Movement feels weird initially because of the way you charge jumps but becomes very natural and fluid quite quickly.
I really like the combat. The bow feels great to use and you need to understand weak points to be effective, a bit like Horizon. I’m finding it difficult at the moment but that’s because I’ve skipped most side quests to get to the point where I unlock flight.
So I need to go back and do some of those and get a bit beefier.
But yeah. I like it a lot.
Massive have managed to make a much better Far Cry game than the Far Cry devs 😉
Makes me excited for that Star Wars game that’s coming.