Available on PS4 (tested), Xbox One and PC
Far Cry Primal release date: February 23, 2016 (PC, March 2016)
I'll be frank. The idea of an FPS game without the shooting and the guns intrigues me. It's not just that I'm bored of writing weapons' guides for such games, it's more the fact that it's a refreshing and welcome change in a society that seems so centred on guns – both in games and in the news.
So when Ubisoft made the surprise Far Cry Primal announcement I was both excited and impressed. It's a daring move for a series that's had such a focus on weapons like flamethrowers and AK47s.
As the name suggests, Far Cry Primal is the first in Ubisoft's open-world sandbox series to be set in the Stone Age. It takes the premise of Far Cry – being a character that is at the edge of a beautiful, lawless and savage frontier – and takes it right back to the very first human struggles. It's 10,000 BC. It's a time when woolly mammoths and sabre-tooth tigers roamed the earth. And humans aren't at the top of the food chain.
Watch the Far Cry Primal trailer
Far Cry Primal drops you into the land known as Oros, and to begin with, there's just one goal: "survive in a world where humans are the prey". And Oros is as beautiful as it is savage. Unspoilt by advanced human civilisation and particularly cars, it instinctively feels like you've wandered into the past.
Just taking time to listen to the world around you really pays off in Far Cry Primal. Sounds of predators and their prey fills the air: the calls of birds; deep, warning purrs of big cats; and strange barks of deer make up the soundscape. Even in this alpha gameplay, I'm totally immersed as I stand among the tall trees listening.
And the pre-historic feel is taken further in the details of Far Cry Primal. For example, instead of kilometres or miles to a destination you've marked on the map, the distance is measured in footsteps.
Related: PS4 backwards compatibility – Can I play PS4 games on my PS3?
image: http://img.worldinout.com/img/201512/15/160138854.jpg
Then, instead of strongholds, outposts take the form of a small huddle of tents, packed to the brim with cannibals who will blow a bone horn to call in other tribe members as soon as they spy you. Nothing is high-tech here after all, and as the enemies are plentiful, it's not surprising that certain tribes have turned to cannibalism to stay alive.
According to Ubisoft Toronto's Creative Director, Max Beland, there are actually three tribes in the game. The first is the one you're part of, which we know very little about at this stage. The second is made up of those who have only just survived the Ice Age and are very primitive – potentially the cannibals I came up against in my preview session. But then there's the third tribe, from the South, who are a little more advanced – by Stone Age standards – and more well-established than their Northern counterparts.
Related: PS4 vs Xbox One
image: http://img.worldinout.com/img/201512/15/160138364.jpg
You play as Takkar, who's a bit of a turn for the books for a Far Cry hero. Instead of being naive and lost in this new world as in previous titles such as Far Cry 4, Takkar is a seasoned hunter who's very familiar with the terrain and nature of Oros. The game starts out with Takkar becoming the last remaining member of his hunting group, and it's now up to him to re-establish himself with his tribe.
Of course, despite the new setting and lack of traditional weapons, this is still a Far Cry game. There's still all the traditional RPG elements to tackle. You'll need to hunt for food and skins, master fire, craft new weapons and ammo, and learn how to be a survivor in this this Stone Age land.
Takkar has an extensive skill tree, with skills spread out across Survival, Gathering, Beast Master, Hunting, Fighting and Crafting traits that you'll have to choose and upgrade as he levels up. There's also a couple of other categories that are obviously story related, and a complete mystery to me at this point.
The preview session I got to play dropped me into a section a little later on in the game, which allowed me to see some of the game's best features first-hand, and have a few more skills at my disposal.
Related: Xbox One backwards compatibility – How can I play Xbox 360 games on Xbox One?
image: http://img.worldinout.com/img/201512/15/160138804.jpg
As there's not a gun in sight, it was interesting to see what weapons were in my inventory – accessed by hitting L1 on the PS4. And, fear not, there's plenty of them. There's spears, which you can jab at an enemy at close range, or throw from afar. Or more conventional bows and arrows. But there's also single- or two-handed clubs, which can be set on fire if you're willing to spare one or two for an attack with increased damage. And I expect this is just the beginning for the hand-created weapons on offer in Far Cry Primal, especially with all the horns, tusks and skins around – if you're brave enough to take on the animals they belong to.
The slight issue may be that all your weapons can be depleted. Use your spears too much for jabbing in the guts of enemies and they'll break. Waste all your arrows and you may be caught short in the middle of a battle with a woolly rhino. Or beat someone with your club too much and they might just end up clubbing you to a grisly death.
Everything is craftable and there's plenty of material around if you're conscientious with your gathering and collecting.
Related: Best PS4 Games
image: http://img.worldinout.com/img/201512/15/160138834.jpg
But there's a whole other way to attack enemies and scout out a new area. You might have marvelled at the ridable elephants in Far Cry 4, but at the end of the day, they were more than happy to toddle off into the wildnerness as soon as you'd leapt from their backs.
With Far Cry Primal, it's time to take that animal bond a lot further. In fact, Takkar is the first human (according to the Far Cry Primal storyline) to actually tame wild animals for the first time. And the more you level up your beast master skills, the more extensive the list of animals at your command becomes.
It's not quite like the upcoming PS4 exclusive WiLD, where you can have an entire pack of wolves at your heel. Instead, you'll be able to have one animal companion by your side at any one time, but it's certainly quite the experience.
I started out my preview session with a beautiful wolf pal, who decided (rather ungracefully) to cock on the campfire I happened to spawn beside. Cheeky thing.
But that was just the first instance of my animals companions behaving just as a real-life animal would. If I stayed standing still he scratched himself, stretched, even howled a little with impatience; while coming up to him face on allowed me to give him a little scratch under the chin. It's official. I'm in love.
Related: Best Xbox One Games 2015
image: http://img.worldinout.com/img/201512/15/160138394.jpg
And I became even more so when I realised what a killing machine he could be. Aiming with the left trigger and then pointing at an enemy with R1 sent my wolfie sprinting towards them, and leaping straight for the jugular. He also started taking out any enemies that I hadn't yet got to with a well-placed arrow. Such a good boy.
If he, or any of your animal buddies, gets injured you can heal them by chucking them a chunk of meat, which will be greedily gobbled up. But, and here's the kicker, they can "die". Well, they will die if you don't get to revive them in time. Do not fear though, as they can be brought back to life once more using red leaves from the beast menu that sits on the left arrow of the D-Pad.
It's then that I realised that the wolf isn't the only animal buddy I can have. I've apparently already tamed a few other beasties, but now it's time to take on a real predator, and one that's really iconic for a game set in the Stone Age – the sabre-tooth tiger.
As they were in Far Cry 4, all the animals' usual habitats are marked on the map, and I just happened to be dropped in right near his lair.
To tame a beast you need to equip bait as your weapon within the L1 selection menu, and then when you're in an appropriate area, chuck it into the open with R1. Any nearby predators might just be lured by its tasty whiff and be drawn to it. I was lucky enough to get the sabre-tooth first time, and tamed it by approaching it and holding square while it growled menacingly at my out-held hand.
Related: Best Games 2015
image: http://img.worldinout.com/img/201512/15/160138464.jpg
Ubisoft has cleverly made it so that while you're running through the stunning landscape of Oros, your beast companion is always just a step ahead of you. Sprinting through the undergrowth with a sabre-tooth tiger just in front of you is one of the best feelings I've ever had in a game. Never before have I felt so powerful. Especially when I started setting him loose on some unsuspecting enemies.
You'll also get an owl at some point in the game, and although the sound of having a feathered friend might pale in comparison to a sabre-tooth tiger, he certainly has his uses. You can access your owl by holding down up on the D-Pad. The camera angle is moved to his back, between the wings, and then you can use him to soar above enemy bases and tag your foes from a safe distance. Heck, you can even take out one of them using the owl's talons and sharp beak. You can't say that about many games.
First Impressions
I've only played Far Cry Primal for an hour and I'm already hooked. It manages to blend all the RPG, open-world sandbox elements that have made the Far Cry games so successful, with a fresh setting and new angle. Beast taming is seriously impressive and the animals all feel like real beasts with distinct personalities. And you can't beat having a sabre-tooth tiger as a pet. I can't wait to see what happens in the storyline to see if it matches the impressive scenery and gameplay features.
