Far Cry 3: Blood Dragon

Blood Dragon is to the 80s what Fallout is to the 50s. [July 2013, p.78]

If this is what Ubisoft is capable of in ts "spare time", it deserves more time off. Inject this glorious blue neon goop into our veins. [June 2013, p.82]

This game is pure irony: story, dialogue, music, graphics... everything recalls the craziest clichés of the 80s.

Far Cry 3: Blood Dragon is a true manifesto of vintage culture, of 16-bit gaming and trash cinema: a gem of rare beauty!

Fans of Far Cry 3 should not miss this fantastic experience, and anyone who grew up watching films like Terminator, Aliens and Commando owe it to themselves to play this, as it was certainly crafted by people who understand the culture.

Thanks, Ubisoft Montreal, for getting this right on the first try, because this is undoubtedly the only time it will be fresh and exciting. Still, the degree of creativity and the load of ideas on display really demonstrates which ways you can treat your source material inventively via spin-offs or DLCs. I really could get used to that.

What could’ve so easily turned out to be disastrous piece of self-indulgent trash, replete with dumb “hey, remember the 80s, they were so 80s!!” referential humour, succeeds in paying worthy tribute to its subject matter. It’s trash alright; sublime, entertaining trash that lifts the desert chrome absurdity of VHS action movies and dumps it all over a compact version of Far Cry 3‘s open world and open choice combat.

Fueling creative energy with frayed Neuromancer paperbacks and worn out Terminator VHS tapes doesn't typically qualify as a safe investment, but Blood Dragon absolves its endearing risk by leveraging Far Cry 3 as its base and then running away to celebrate 80's cinematic excess. Ubisoft wins, Blood Dragon's creative team wins, Michael Biehn wins, and, most importantly, the consumer wins. Why can't all games be like this?

Ubisoft should be commended for creating this crazy world — it’s just a shame that the gameplay doesn’t live up to its own premise.

Far Cry 3: Blood Dragon is 80's dumb and great at it. Far Cry 3's stealth is still in place but gives space to straight action and power fantasy - and ballads. [June 2013]

Blood Dragon is a reminder that a story about one man killing thousands is just silly. That’s fine though, because games don’t always need to be serious. Games should just be fun, and that’s exactly what Blood Dragon is.

Packed with entertaining action and hysterical writing, Far Cry 3: Blood Dragon is an '80s-inspired blast.

Far Cry 3: Blood Dragon is a tribute to the trashy action cinema of the 80s and early 90s. With all the quotations and references to popular movies and franchises Blood Dragon is a feast for nostalgics. Although the gameplay mechanics here and there suffer from the same weaknesses like Far Cry 3, this is a must-have for fans with a lot of content at a reasonable price.

It’s the small things that you might not notice if you are unfamiliar with the specific decade, things that show that whoever had this crazy idea at Ubisoft (basically, creative director Dean Evans), knew exactly what he was doing. [June 2013]

It's Far Cry 3 dressed as trashily as you can imagine; the joke only goes so far, but it's definitely fun to play. [July 2013, p.90]

Although it wasn't meant to be taken seriously, Far Cry 3: Blood Dragon is a surprisingly good game.

Decent Far Cry 3 mechanics merged with a tongue-in-cheek setting absurd to a point of genius. You either love or hate this homage to the 80s. [CD-Action 06/2013, p.62]

It´s a poor man's Far Cry 3 without the stunning vistas and cut mechanics, but it´s also a fun homage to the 80s and Action Hero movies, all while delivering a nice and straightforward shooter.

This '80s action movie twist on the Far Cry 3 mechanics has a killer aesthetic, but it flinches a little too often, resulting an a game that oscillates between dumb B-movie tropes and a self-awareness that prevents the look and tone from working as well as it should.

Blood Dragon is art.

I really thought that Blood Dragon would quickly become too much, but I'm surprised that it was able to make me laugh all the way through this heavily deformed and 80's enriched Far Cry 3. It goes in all directions, and at great length, to charm all over-the top, punchline riddled, references fans. A smart and refreshing stand-alone take.

Far Cry 3: Blood Dragon is a downloadable, stand-alone title that could stand with many AAA offerings on the shelves. It's not as deep, it's not as long, it's not as developed — but at 15 bucks, it doesn't need to be.

Blood Dragon is a different beast – and it’s something you shouldn’t miss.

At the core of all of Blood Dragon's delightful silliness lies a solid shooter mechanic bereft of the biggest strength Far Cry 3 had: Its invitingly vibrant world.

Far Cry 3: blood Dragon is a huge trip in the 80's that the developers have allowed themselves by modding the awesome Far Cry 3. Only sold online through Steam, the PSN and Xbox Live for 15 miserable euros, this game is a true acid trip that finally puts the humor as the central point in the storyline hence a game which is incredibly fun to play. Combining the strength of Far Cry 3 in its original form with a creative surge from a game designers with balls, Blood Dragon delivers what we were expect if since long ago: some pure unadulterated fun and that was clearly the objective of Sgt Rex Power Colt whose presence is enough to make this game one of the best investments of the year.

Blood Dragon’s distinctive concept provides some lively visuals and some funny jokes. But in its rush to cash in on the popularity of Far Cry 3 and the popularity of ’80s nostalgia in gaming in a general (and after Hotline: Miami in particular), Ubisoft released a game that lacks the cohesion between tone, art direction, and gameplay required to make it truly memorable. It’s a good gimmick — perhaps at that price point, a great one — but it’s still a gimmick.

Just like Halo 2, the last Alone in the Dark and Hotline Miami, Far Cry 3: Blood Dragon is not worthy of its heavenly soundtrack.

Fans who just want more Far Cry 3 or have particular nostalgia for the 80′s could certainly find worse ways to spend a rainy Sunday afternoon, but you’ll have to hear some terrible jokes to get there.

Blood Dragon is one of the most original expansions I have ever come across. The developers have succeeded in smuggling absurd atmosphere into Far Cry 3 and create a really funny parody. Unfortunately all the main assets of Far Cry 3 have been lost in the process and the game quickly becomes monotonous. Making fun of trending themes is great up to a point, when Blood Dragon becomes boring. What we have is a really funny missed chance.