Primal

[Sudz]

Anybody geeked up for this one?

https://www.ubisoft.com/en-US/game/far-cry-primal/

I loved the last 2 Far Cry games and this looks pretty damn good as well.

[TCrouch]

Big time. I didn't play the original Far Cry or Instincts/Predator, but picked it up at Far Cry 2 and it's been one of my favorite series since. The massive change in direction seems like it's the perfect breath of fresh air for the series.

[Danimal]

I was until I saw the video of the caveman riding a sabertooth tiger.

[AcemanPR]

I still need to finish Far Cry 4. I'll get this down the road for $20, just have to much to play now plus with The Division and DiRT Rally not to far away, I simply won't play it right now.

[Sudz]

Far Cry 4 was great. I finished way too quickly though.

[Sudz]

man... great looking game. Very unique... but boring as hell. I just can't get into this one at all.

[TCrouch]

I actually felt that way for the first hour or two. After a while, I started getting really into it. At this point, I've got most of the "normal" animals tamed, and switching between the Black Jaguar (stealth attacks on outposts), Sabretooth (general killing and he's fast as hell to ride), Cave Bear (mass chaos unleashing him on packs of enemies), etc., got me invested more.

I got all of my crafting stuff buffed up to have a pack that's twice as large, and now the exploration is getting to be a lot more fun. I keep meaning to play it for a few minutes before bed, and each night I seem to put another hour or 2 into it.

Initially, I was disappointed, though. Then somewhere, it clicked and it got to be a hell of a lot more fun for me. I think it was once I got a cave lion or something that made me feel a lot more powerful.

[Sudz]

I actually felt that way for the first hour or two. After a while, I started getting really into it. At this point, I've got most of the "normal" animals tamed, and switching between the Black Jaguar (stealth attacks on outposts), Sabretooth (general killing and he's fast as hell to ride), Cave Bear (mass chaos unleashing him on packs of enemies), etc., got me invested more.

I got all of my crafting stuff buffed up to have a pack that's twice as large, and now the exploration is getting to be a lot more fun. I keep meaning to play it for a few minutes before bed, and each night I seem to put another hour or 2 into it.

Initially, I was disappointed, though. Then somewhere, it clicked and it got to be a hell of a lot more fun for me. I think it was once I got a cave lion or something that made me feel a lot more powerful.

Thanks. I'll work on opening up more animals. maybe that will do it.

[TCrouch]

Certainly no guarantee, because it's still a little scattered compared to other Far Cry games. It's like "is that a main mission?" and simply trying to go from one location to another to get to a main mission, and being assaulted by thirteen events on the way makes it drag a bit from time to time.

But when I focus on something I want to accomplish (finding and hunting specific rare animals, working on crafting the next bow upgrade, etc.), it really came into its own. I dig sh*t like that, though, so I don't know. Could be complete crap for you from start to finish!

[Danimal]

Pretty much everyone I've listened to talk about this says the story is very shallow, in fact I heard someone this morning saying they finished it without even knowing they finished it.

[TCrouch]

I get that, and I'd agree with it to some extent...but the only thing that I keep coming back to (mentally, at least), is this:

How deep could a story really get in 10,000 BC? I imagine that everything revolved around hunt, eat, sleep, repeat. Or warring with another tribe or worrying about getting eaten.

I mean, they can't introduce a lot of complex relationships and storytelling in a time where the average lifespan was probably 25

I don't know, but a shallow story makes sense to me, and I can definitely see where they'd be saying something like that. It pretty much amounts to "Build village. Rescue Wenja. Defeat Udam and Izila." Pretty much the entire story there, but it's pretty fitting, considering the time period, IMO.

[Sudz]

I get that, and I'd agree with it to some extent...but the only thing that I keep coming back to (mentally, at least), is this:

How deep could a story really get in 10,000 BC? I imagine that everything revolved around hunt, eat, sleep, repeat. Or warring with another tribe or worrying about getting eaten.

I mean, they can't introduce a lot of complex relationships and storytelling in a time where the average lifespan was probably 25

I don't know, but a shallow story makes sense to me, and I can definitely see where they'd be saying something like that. It pretty much amounts to "Build village. Rescue Wenja. Defeat Udam and Izila." Pretty much the entire story there, but it's pretty fitting, considering the time period, IMO.

maybe I just don't feel any attachment to the rest of my "tribe". That could be part of the issue.

[10spro]

Players may find the first couple of hours tedious because you have not much in your hands and you do need some crafting and upgraded skills to get Takkar going. It's about survival right? You try to liberate a post and on the way you always seem to run into vicious Foxes, Dholes, Bears, Jaguars. But you get a great satisfaction at taming them and your objectives becomes much easier to accomplish when they are on your side. Those same annoying dholes don't come near you when you have your best friend nearby.

I have my Owl strategically scouting while doing some damage to the enemies which cuts my work quite a bit at times especially when you go stealthy. The idea of tagging an enemy thru the bird's eye is brilliant.

That same club, arrow and spear can do serious damage in the later stages as they become sharper and stronger. Hunting for a specific beast to get your weapon upgraded is a mission within a mission on its own and I enjoy that. I also find myself going for an extra hunt even when the clock is way past midnight.

The game plays slower than other FC games mostly because you don't have the vehicles or parachutes that used to carry you from point A to B. But we are talking 10.000 BC here. I hope people realize that when they bought the game.

I thought FC 3 and FC 4 were brilliant in execution and while Primal may lack some of the action found in those earlier versions, there's plenty to explore and enjoy here.

[10spro]

I get that, and I'd agree with it to some extent...but the only thing that I keep coming back to (mentally, at least), is this:

How deep could a story really get in 10,000 BC? I imagine that everything revolved around hunt, eat, sleep, repeat. Or warring with another tribe or worrying about getting eaten.

I mean, they can't introduce a lot of complex relationships and storytelling in a time where the average lifespan was probably 25

I don't know, but a shallow story makes sense to me, and I can definitely see where they'd be saying something like that. It pretty much amounts to "Build village. Rescue Wenja. Defeat Udam and Izila." Pretty much the entire story there, but it's pretty fitting, considering the time period, IMO.

maybe I just don't feel any attachment to the rest of my "tribe". That could be part of the issue.

And that's almost the same with all FC games. The story despite the great narratives feels secondary or gets lost in translation after all to the exploration.

[Danimal]

And that's almost the same with all FC games. The story despite the great narratives feels secondary or gets lost in translation after all to the exploration.

I don't really agree with that, I'd have a hard time finding anyone who didn't know that FC4 story had ended. I get that there can't be an intricate story, but at some point crafting a taking over animals seems like it will get old.

I got the impression this game was going to compete with all the online, open world survival games but in a single player environment. Based on everything I have read and heard it doesn't sound like that at all.

[TCrouch]

And that's almost the same with all FC games. The story despite the great narratives feels secondary or gets lost in translation after all to the exploration.

I don't really agree with that, I'd have a hard time finding anyone who didn't know that FC4 story had ended. I get that there can't be an intricate story, but at some point crafting a taking over animals seems like it will get old.

I got the impression this game was going to compete with all the online, open world survival games but in a single player environment. Based on everything I have read and heard it doesn't sound like that at all.

Well, most of the open world survival games are nothing but sandboxes with no quests to do anyway (and no story). So it competes pretty well against that. The only thing you're missing is worrying about hunger and thirst.

But regardless, it's all just filler time until the Division comes out for me. After that, I'll likely never touch Primal again for a year.

[Danimal]

Well, most of the open world survival games are nothing but sandboxes with no quests to do anyway (and no story).

Well those games have other players so the story is what happens in those interactions. So when you take out the players you kind of need a story IMO. I haven't even played the game yet so I'm not trying to trash it but I was planning on buying it on the PC Tuesday and now I'm second guessing that.

[TCrouch]

Right, but if it's supposed to be a single player competitor to the open world hunting/survival sim...it really doesn't miss that far off the mark, there. I think it's a fun game, but I can definitely see where people would dislike it. It's scattered and not really focused.

And compared to other games coming up (The Division), you might want to hold off if you're in doubt.

[Danimal]

Yep only 11 days to The Division, not that I'm counting