I remember my first impressions well after starting this game. At first, "Far Cry 3: Blood Dragon" seemed overly pretentious, where everything from bright neon lights to pretentious monologues seemed to be taken from a fantasy action movie of the 1980s. But once you delve into the plot and feel the atmosphere, everything falls into place. This is a parody game, a nod to the era of VHS tapes and hissing lasers, which is a real delight.
The story of "Blood Dragon" is a deliberately cliched adventure that is squeezed to the last drop of pathos. We play as Sergeant Rex Colt, a cyber commando who must save the world in a post-apocalyptic future dotted with glowing dinosaurs, sinister enemy bases and technological wonders. Each plot twist is played out with such self-irony that you involuntarily start to smile at the absurdity of what is happening.
Dubbing is particularly worth highlighting: Alexander Golovchansky's voice, which voiced Rex, adds depth and charisma to the game. Although he was voiced by Michael Bean himself in the original, yes, Kyle Reese from the Terminator dilogy, it was Golovchansky who made the character truly alive for the Russian-speaking audience. His presentation is bright, emotional and fits perfectly into the spirit of the game.
According to the mechanics, "Blood Dragon" uses "Far Cry 3" as a basis, but with a number of changes. Character leveling is automatic here, which removes the need to plan your skills, but makes the process more dynamic. Instead of hunting animals, as in the original, the game offers to hunt down glowing dinosaurs, which not only look impressive, but also pose a serious threat on the battlefield.
Weapons and combat scenes are one of the strengths of the game. Each shootout turns into a show, where neon explosions and powerful sound effects create the feeling of participating in a movie of the videotape era. The final weapon, a kind of wonderwafl, adds crazy energy to the game: you become an almost unstoppable force, blowing everything around with special pleasure.
The tasks include both story missions and side activities. The enemies are typical clone troopers, but their aggression doesn't let you relax. Plus, glowing dinosaurs, which can become both allies and enemies, add dynamics to the game.
The neon style of graphics creates a unique atmosphere. This post-apocalyptic world literally glows with bright colors, which immediately immerses you in the world of cyber retro. The musical accompaniment, with elements of synthesizer sound, perfectly complements the overall tone of the game and emphasizes its belonging to the retrofantastic genre.
The ending is the culmination of all the madness that was in the game earlier. In a good way. Everything is pushed to the limit here: epic battles, pretentious dialogues, huge explosions and the absolute power that you get with the final weapon. It's a really bright ending that leaves you feeling satisfied and even slightly nostalgic.
"Far Cry 3: Blood Dragon" is a game that could easily become a one-time parody, but instead it turns into a powerful and exciting quest. Its setting, mechanics, and the courage to laugh at an entire pop culture set the game apart from the mass of monotonous shooters. This game is not afraid to be bright, strange and exciting, leaving behind a pleasant aftertaste, like after watching a good sci-fi action movie of the 80s of the last century. This is a case where the developers took a risk and won.
8 out of 10.
