Far Cry 3: Blood Dragon

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

This is an old revision of this page, as edited by Praetor alpha (talk | contribs) at 15:32, 30 December 2013 (links to VHS). The present address (URL) is a permanent link to this revision, which may differ significantly from the current revision.

Far Cry 3: Blood Dragon
Far Cry 3: Blood Dragon digital box art
Developer(s)Ubisoft Montreal
Ubisoft Shanghai
Publisher(s)Ubisoft
Director(s)Dean Evans[2]
Producer(s)Fabrice Cuny
Writer(s)Lucien Soulban
Composer(s)Power Glove
SeriesFar Cry
EngineDunia Engine 2
Platform(s)Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 3, Xbox 360
Release'PlayStation Network'Windows, XBLA
Genre(s)First-person shooter, action-adventure
Mode(s)Single-player

Far Cry 3: Blood Dragon is a first-person shooter video game developed by Ubisoft Montreal and published by Ubisoft. It is a stand-alone expansion to the 2012 video game Far Cry 3 and the 8th overall installment in the franchise. The game, a satire of 1980s action films, takes place on a retro-futuristic open world island crawling with evil, with players assuming the action role of eye-patched cyborg protagonist Sergeant Rex Power Colt. The game was released on April 30, 2013, for PlayStation 3 via the PlayStation Network and on May 1, 2013, for Microsoft Windows and for Xbox 360 via Xbox Live Arcade. The game received generally positive reviews from professional critics on release.

Gameplay

Far Cry 3: Blood Dragon is set in a dystopian 2007. Players control a 'Mark IV Cyber Commando' named Sergeant Rex Power Colt (voiced by Michael Biehn). Ubisoft describes the game as "an 80s VHS vision of the future" where the player must "get the girl, kill the bad guys, and save the world". The game's villain is Colonel Sloan, who commands the Omega Force, a cyborg army.

Blood Dragon is a stand-alone expansion of Far Cry 3, meaning players do not need the original copy of Far Cry 3 to play Far Cry 3: Blood Dragon. Gameplay, though akin to Far Cry 3, using the same engine and general mechanics, is streamlined to provide a more linear experience. The skill tree, instead of a chosen path down three "ways of the animal", is replaced with a simpler leveling system that automatically unlocks benefits. The crafting is removed completely.

The gameplay is open world, first-person shooter, with the same vehicles from Far Cry 3. The player will find themselves using high powered explosives, heavily modified firearms, and a large knife in order to kill their way through the main missions. Side missions involve liberating garrisons, killing rare animals, and saving Nerds. Stealth is rewarded with extra Cyber Points, the equivalent of Experience Points. The game also includes a plethora of hidden collectibles which, when found, unlock helpful rewards to assist with play.

Plot

The game is set in a fictional 2007, where the world is suffering the aftermath of a nuclear war between the United States and Russia. Rex is an American cybernetic super-soldier. He and another American cyber-soldier named Spider travel to an unnamed island to investigate Colonel Sloan, an elite agent who has gone rogue. Upon confronting Sloan, he reveals his treachery, kills Spider, and knocks out Rex.

Rex is awoken by Sloan's Canadian assistant Dr. Darling, who, disillusioned with his goals, betrays him. Rex teams up with Dr. Darling to overthrow Sloan's plan to revert the world to a prehistoric-like state with his rockets, armed with the blood of the "blood dragons" that roam the island.

After liberating bases, saving scientists, and killing animals, Rex fights Sloan's assistant Dr. Carlyle, who has used the blood of blood dragons to turn humans into zombie-like creatures called "the running dead". After Rex fights Dr. Carlyle's cyber soldiers and blood dragons, Dr. Carlyle is killed by his own AI, who had been mistreated and acted out of revenge.

Rex then goes into a parallel dimension, where he fights legions of Colonel Sloan's running dead. Upon defeating them and "testing his might," Rex gets the Killstar, an arm-mounted laser gun that gives Rex the power necessary to defeat Sloan, at the cost of his own vitality. Following a training montage, Rex and Dr. Darling have sex, culminating in Darling's abduction the next morning. Rex then makes an assault on Sloan's base with the assistance of the Killstar and later, a Titanium Plated Cyber-Dragon.

Rex confronts Sloan who, having programmed Rex, prevents Rex from attacking him. However, Dr. Darling's and Spider's memories remind Rex of his humanity despite his cybernetic nature. With renewed strength, Rex impales Sloan with his robotic hand and fires the Killstar, killing Sloan. Dr. Darling appears immediately after, informing Rex of his success in stopping Sloan's plans, then proceeds to destroy the base. They embrace while looking on at the destruction, only for Darling to focus on the camera with a sinister gaze.

Development

In March 2013, Far Cry 3: Blood Dragon was found listed on a Brazilian ratings site,[3] and Xbox Live Arcade artwork was discovered.[citation needed] The idea of a new Far Cry title had credibility, as lead writer Jeffrey Yohalem said, "I'm working on something now that will be surprising, I think, when it's announced. But it definitely is a 'strike while the iron's hot' thing, and we'll see."[4] More evidence was seen on March 27, 2013, when Xbox Live achievements were found for the game. The fact that they totaled 400G suggested that the title would be standalone on the Xbox Live Arcade, as this is the standard number. On April 1, 2013, Ubisoft released a teaser video and website for Far Cry 3: Blood Dragon, leading many to believe that it was an April Fools' Day joke.[5] Suspicions that the game was real were further confirmed when retro electronica group Power Glove uploaded music from the soundtrack to music hosting website SoundCloud,[6] and in-game screenshots were leaked.

The virtual box art cover for the game was designed by James White, who had previously created artwork for the film Drive.[7]

Release

The game was leaked on April 7, 2013, due to an exploit in Ubisoft's digital distribution service, Uplay.[8] This led to the service being closed until the exploit was fixed. On April 8, 2013, the game was listed on the Xbox Live Marketplace with a release date of May 1.[9] A few days later Ubisoft officially confirmed the game's release with a new trailer, confirming that the game would be released on Xbox Live Arcade, PlayStation Network, and Microsoft Windows on May 1.[10] The trailer was animated in a 1980s style, including all the tropes of poor voice acting and imperfections designed to make the video look like a VHS tape.[11] This trailer revealed Michael Biehn as the voice actor for the hero, Sgt. Rex Power Colt.[12] A live action video was released on April 16, 2013, titled Blood Dragon: The Cyber War.[13] It was produced by Corridor Digital and introduces the "Apocalypse's Apocalypse," featuring cyborgs as a threat to the world.[14]

Soundtrack

Australian electronic music duo Power Glove composed the game's soundtrack.[15] Four tracks were made available for streaming on the music sharing site SoundCloud.[6] The soundtrack was released digitally on May 1, 2013.[16] "Long Tall Sally" by Little Richard is featured in the beginning of the game. "Hold On To The Vision" by Kevin Chalfant plays before the final fight sequence. "Friends" by Dragon Sound originally in the movie Miami Connection plays at the beginning of the credits.

Far Cry 3: Blood Dragon (Original Game Soundtrack)
No.TitleLength
1."Rex Colt"1:47
2."Blood Dragon Theme"3:04
3."Helo-73"1:16
4."Warzone"2:36
5."Moment of Calm"3:33
6."Dr Elizabeth Darling"2:49
7."Power Core"2:06
8."Protektor"1:03
9."Sloan"3:19
10."Sloan's Assault"3:30
11."Blood Scope"0:59
12."Combat I"1:23
13."Combat II"1:29
14."Combat III"1:40
15."Katana"2:25
16."Omega Force"3:43
17."Nest"3:14
18."Rex's Escape"1:58
19."Love Theme"3:19
20."Sleeping Dragon"2:59
21."Warcry"2:23
22."Cyber Commando"2:11
23."Death of a Cyborg"2:19
24."Resurrection"3:37
25."Blood Dragon Theme (Reprise)"2:51

Reception

Far Cry 3: Blood Dragon received positive reception from professional critics, and a sequel has been hinted at by Michael Biehn himself.

At gamescom 2013, it was revealed that the game had sold over 1 million copies, and Ubisoft CEO Yves Guillemot stated that physical copies of the game may be available at some point.[29]

References

  1. ^ Phillips, Tom (April 8, 2013). "Far Cry 3: Blood Dragon gets release date and... '80s film star Michael Biehn?". Eurogamer. Retrieved April 9, 2013.
  2. ^ Hernandez, Patricia (April 11, 2013). "Far Cry 3 + Neon Skin + Awesome Soundtrack + Stupidity = Blood Dragon". Kotaku. Retrieved April 22, 2013.
  3. ^ Yoon, Andrew. "Far Cry3: Blood Dragon Rated". Shacknews. Retrieved 23 April 2013.
  4. ^ Kubba, Sinan. "Far Cry 3 lead writer hints at upcoming continuation [Update: Blood Dragon?]". Joystiq. Retrieved 23 April 2013.
  5. ^ Good, Owen (April 1, 2013). "Whatever It Is, Far Cry 3: Blood Dragon is Looking More and More Bizarre". Kotaku. Retrieved April 19, 2013.
  6. ^ a b Gaston, Martin (April 5, 2013). "Far Cry 3: Blood Dragon screens and soundtrack hit the Internet". GameSpot. Retrieved April 9, 2013.
  7. ^ Plunkett, Luke (April 16, 2013). "The Man Behind Blood Dragon's 80s-Drenched "Box Art"". Kotaku. Retrieved April 16, 2013.
  8. ^ "Ubisoft's Uplay Service Hacked, Far Cry 3 Blood Dragon Leaked". Game Informer. Retrieved April 11, 2013. {{cite web}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
  9. ^ Kubba, Sinan (April 8, 2013). "Far Cry 3 Blood Dragon listed on XBLM for May 1, stars Michael Biehn". Joystiq. Retrieved April 19, 2013.
  10. ^ Kubba, Sinan (April 11, 2013). "Far Cry 3 Blood Dragon breathes neon onto XBLA, PSN, PC on May 1". Joystiq. Retrieved April 19, 2013.
  11. ^ Yoon, Andrew. "Far Cry 3: Blood Dragon's animated trailer is a retro throwback". Shacknews. Retrieved 23 April 2013.
  12. ^ Kubba, Sinan. "Far Cry 3 Blood Dragon breathes neon onto XBLA, PSN, PC on May 1". Retrieved 23 April 2013.
  13. ^ Savage, Phil (April 17, 2013). "Far Cry 3: Blood Dragon's live-action trailer is as silly as you might expect". PC Gamer. Retrieved April 19, 2013. {{cite web}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
  14. ^ Yoon, Andrew. "Blood Dragon: The Cyber War live action short features ninja cyborgs". Retrieved 23 April 2013.
  15. ^ Budmar, Patrick (April 18, 2013). "Ubisoft talks about 80s nostalgia with Far Cry 3 Blood Dragon". PC World. Retrieved 2013-04-23.
  16. ^ "Far Cry 3: Blood Dragon (Original Game Soundtrack)". iTunes. Apple Inc. Retrieved May 5, 2013.
  17. ^ "Far Cry 3: Blood Dragon - PC". GameRankings. CBS Interactive. Retrieved May 5, 2013.
  18. ^ "Far Cry 3: Blood Dragon - PS3". GameRankings. CBS Interactive. Retrieved May 5, 2013.
  19. ^ "Far Cry 3: Blood Dragon - X360". GameRankings. CBS Interactive. Retrieved May 5, 2013.
  20. ^ "Far Cry 3: Blood Dragon - PC". Metacritic. CBS Interactive. Retrieved May 5, 2013.
  21. ^ "Far Cry 3: Blood Dragon - PS3". Metacritic. CBS Interactive. Retrieved May 5, 2013.
  22. ^ "Far Cry 3: Blood Dragon - X360". Metacritic. CBS Interactive. Retrieved May 5, 2013.
  23. ^ Whitehead, Dan (April 30, 2013). "Far Cry 3: Blood Dragon review". Eurogamer. Eurogamer Network. Retrieved May 5, 2013.
  24. ^ Bertz, Matt (April 30, 2013). "Far Cry 3 Blood Dragon". Game Informer. GameStop. Retrieved May 5, 2013.
  25. ^ VanOrd, Kevin (April 30, 2013). "Far Cry 3: Blood Dragon Review". GameSpot. CBS Interactive. Retrieved May 5, 2013.
  26. ^ Dyer, Mitch (April 30, 2013). "Far Cry 3: Blood Dragon Review". IGN. Ziff Davis. Retrieved May 5, 2013.
  27. ^ Gies, Arthur (April 30, 2013). "Far Cry 3: Blood Dragon Review". Polygon. Vox Media. Retrieved May 5, 2013.
  28. ^ Dane, Patrick (2013-12-07). "'Grand Theft Auto V' Tops Spike VGX 2013 Award Winners List". Game Rant. Retrieved 2013-12-07.
  29. ^ MacGregor, Kyle (September 8, 2013). "Far Cry 3: Blood Dragon sales surpass 1 million mark". Destructoid. Destructoid. Retrieved September 8, 2013.

External links