Recent reviews by Vampire

Far Cry Primal ended up being a lot better than I expected and I am glad I left it until after Farcry 6 as it was a palate cleanser. Moving away from guns and modern weapons could have been a risk, but the bow, spear, club, and sling work really well and make combat feel different from the other Far Cry games. Hunting animals and surviving in the world feels more important because of it.

One of the best additions is Hunter Vision. It makes finding quest items much easier and tracking animals is actually really fun instead of frustrating. It keeps the pacing moving without spending ages wandering around looking for things.

The storylines are also surprisingly good. You do have to read subtitles a lot because of the made-up caveman language, but once you get used to it, it adds a lot to the atmosphere and helps the world feel unique.

Riding animals sounded like it would be a cool replacement for vehicles, but honestly it is one of the weaker parts of the game. It feels pretty basic and a bit tacked on compared to the rest of the experience.

My favourite character is Urki. He is basically the caveman version of Hurk from the other Far Cry games and it works really well. His quests are some of the funniest and most memorable in the game.

Overall, Far Cry Primal is a really unique entry in the series with great stories, fun hunting mechanics, and some memorable characters.

I recently finished Far Cry 6 and overall I had a enjoyable time with it, even though a few of the changes didn’t quite land for me.

The world of Yara is absolutely stunning, one of the best settings in the series. It feels alive, and the improved music really helps pull you into everything you’re doing, whether it’s exploring or causing chaos. Vehicles are also a highlight. I liked the system where you find them in the wild and bring them back to camp to unlock them permanently. There are some fun options like the hovercraft and the hover helicopter/boat, but the tank is easily the best, nothing beats rolling through enemies while bullets ricochet off and you’re shelling everything in sight.

The Supremo system is a cool addition too. It acts like an ultimate ability, and while there are a few choices, the rocket launcher one you get early on is by far the most useful and satisfying.

There are some quality-of-life improvements I really appreciated, like auto-looting when you run over enemies or animals, it keeps the gameplay flowing nicely. Camps and their upgrade system also add some depth, with different upgrades spread across multiple locations.

That said, not every change worked for me. The switch from a traditional skill tree to perks tied to clothing felt like a step backwards, and I wasn’t a huge fan of the holster system either, I much prefer running around fully armed rather than having to think about putting weapons away.

The companion system has shifted more toward animal “amigos” that level up through actions. I still liked the dog the most, but overall I found myself using companions less than in previous games.

The GTA-style heat system can also be a bit annoying early on, since you can’t just go all-out without special forces showing up, although it becomes easier to ignore later in the game.

The ending is quite linear and not what I personally would have chosen, and the post-game insurgency mode replaces enemies in previously cleared areas, which takes away that satisfying feeling of fully clearing the map like in older Far Cry games. Since it can’t be turned off, it makes post-story clean up feel less rewarding.

Overall, while I still think Far Cry New Dawn is the stronger game and a great continuation of Far Cry 5, Far Cry 6 is still a fun experience with a great world, solid gameplay, and plenty of memorable moments, it just takes a few steps in a different direction that won’t work for everyone.

I’ve played a lot of Far Cry now, and Far Cry: New Dawn might actually be my favourite entry so far. It makes a lot of smart changes to the formula while keeping everything that makes Far Cry fun.

One of the biggest improvements for me is the tiered system. Weapons, enemies, and even vehicles now come in tiers, which adds a real sense of progression. Combined with the fact that enemies have health bars, combat feels more strategic, you can clearly see how effective your weapons are and when it’s time to upgrade.

The crafting system is also much easier to understand and use compared to previous entries. Resources matter more now, and that ties perfectly into the Expeditions, they’re fun side missions that send you to unique locations, and they’re a great way to gather much needed materials like motherboards and other resources for upgrades.

Speaking of upgrades, the home base system is fantastic. Being able to improve your base and unlock better gear and facilities gives the game a strong sense of progression and purpose. The map is also more convenient now because each location lists the items you can find there, which makes exploration feel more rewarding and less like guesswork.

The game is also just plain fun moment-to-moment. Little things like riding around on a motorbike with a sidecar add a lot of charm. And of course, companions return, my personal favourite was Horatio the pig, who was both hilarious and surprisingly useful in combat.

I should mention the microtransactions, which are definitely worse than before in the sense that they allow players to pay real money instead of earning things in-game. That said, if you actually play the game, you can unlock everything naturally without paying, so they never felt necessary.

Finally, the ending delivered everything I wanted from it. It wrapped things up in a satisfying way while staying true to the tone of the world.

Overall, Far Cry: New Dawn refines a lot of the series’ mechanics, adds some great new systems, and keeps the gameplay fun and rewarding. For me, it’s the best Far Cry offering to date, and it definitely has me looking forward to Far Cry 6.

I’ve spent a huge amount of time in Far Cry 5 now and came away genuinely impressed with how much the series has evolved while still keeping that addictive Far Cry formula intact.

One of my favourite additions is the updated map, which now shows individual map stats. For the completist in all of us, this is fantastic. Being able to clearly track what you’ve done and what you’ve missed makes clearing regions far more satisfying and kept me playing long after I’d finished the main story.

Visually, the game is a huge graphical improvement over previous entries. Hope County is absolutely beautiful, from dense forests to open farmland and mountain ranges. It’s one of those games where you’ll often stop just to take in the scenery before causing absolute chaos five seconds later.

The addition of planes is another highlight. Taking to the skies adds a whole new dimension to traversal and combat, and dogfights or strafing runs on cult outposts never stopped being fun.

Companions now play a huge part in the game, and unlike in previous titles, you actually want to use them. Running around with Boomer spotting enemies and a sniper companion picking off targets made me feel like part of a proper resistance team. They’re useful, fun, and add personality to the experience.

I absolutely hated the wingsuit, about 95% of the time it just got me killed. Maybe that’s user error, but it rarely went the way I intended and became more frustrating than fun.

I was also sad to see the addition of microtransactions, specifically the option to pay real money for silver bars to buy prestigious weapons. Thankfully, it doesn’t affect the game if you choose to ignore it, which I did, but it still makes me sad that it was added at all in a full-price single-player game.

Story-wise, I really enjoyed the ending I chose. It wasn’t the so-called “good” ending, but it was the one I was happiest with and felt memorable and impactful. The only downside is that when you continue playing afterward to clean up the additional things you missed, it doesn’t really make sense in the context of that ending. It almost feels disconnected, which honestly makes it clear why Far Cry New Dawn exists as a follow-up.

Overall, Far Cry 5 is an excellent entry in the series. It looks amazing, plays brilliantly, and adds meaningful new features like improved tracking, planes, and genuinely useful companions. Despite a few frustrations and the disappointing presence of microtransactions, it’s a game I had a fantastic time with and would highly recommend to any Far Cry fan.

Far Cry 4 is everything I love about the Far Cry series, wrapped in one of the most visually striking and culturally rich worlds Ubisoft has ever created. Set in Kyrat, the game has a strong Tibetan/Indian feel, and it really shows in the details. Hearing NPCs speak Hindi as you move through villages adds authenticity and immersion that makes the world feel alive and grounded.

One of the things I appreciated most is how the game evolves as you progress. Outposts don’t just stay the same, they scale in difficulty. Adding more alarms, making stealth and planning more important later on. It keeps the gameplay fresh and prevents things from becoming too easy or repetitive.

Traversal has also been improved in a big way. The addition of the grappling hook adds a whole new dynamic, allowing you to reach new heights and approach objectives from creative angles. On top of that, the new vehicles are fantastic. The hovercraft is great fun on water, and the little helicopter, called the Buzzer is an absolute game changer for exploration and freedom.

The quest structure has shifted to more of a GTA-style format, with different characters having their own story arcs. This makes the world feel more connected and gives you meaningful choices along the way. I personally chose what felt like the best ending killing the main villain only to discover this is considered the “bad” ending, which was a surprising twist and definitely got me thinking afterward.

There are also lots of smaller additions that really enhance the experience. You can now upgrade your house, which gives a nice sense of progression and ownership. Vehicles have auto-travel, meaning you can sit back and enjoy the scenery while your car drives itself. Some enemies can even control animals instead of using weapons, which adds some unexpected and chaotic encounters.

Of course, the real highlight is the sheer fun factor. Riding an elephant and smashing through enemy outposts never gets old, it’s worth playing the game for that alone.

While I did feel that the NPCs and storylines weren’t quite as strong as in some previous Far Cry games, they’re still good enough to keep you engaged. The weapons themselves haven’t changed much from earlier entries, but since the core gunplay was already solid, that’s not necessarily a bad thing.

Overall, Far Cry 4 is an incredibly fun open-world experience with tons of freedom, great new mechanics, and a beautiful, immersive setting. The scaling difficulty, new traversal tools, and vehicle additions keep things fresh, and the world is an absolute joy to explore.

Highly recommended for anyone who enjoys open-world chaos and freedom.

If you’re on the fence about Far Cry 3: Blood Dragon, let me just say this upfront: I went in thinking it was just a lazy neon reskin of Far Cry 3… and I was completely wrong.

First off, yes, a lot of the regular wildlife basically has glowing eyes and a radioactive makeover. On the surface, it does look like a stylish rehash. But once you actually start playing, it quickly becomes clear that this is its own beast.

The storyline, while much shorter than the main Far Cry 3 campaign, is surprisingly solid. It doesn’t overstay its welcome, and it knows exactly what it wants to be. The writing leans heavily into over-the-top 80s action satire, and it absolutely nails it. The added maturity and humour give it a playful, self-aware tone that makes the whole experience feel fresh rather than recycled. It doesn’t take itself too seriously, and that’s part of the charm.

One of my favourite touches is near the end of the game, they hand you an overpowered weapon and just let you go wild. It’s not about balance at that point; it’s about fun. You can tear through enemies, clean up side missions, and run around collecting all the collectibles without feeling restricted. It’s pure power fantasy, and it feels intentional.

Performance-wise, since it runs on the same engine as Far Cry 3, I had heard that some people ran into stability issues. To avoid that, I injected LAA (Large Address Aware) into the executable before launching. After doing that, the game ran from start to finish with zero issues for me. Smooth experience the whole way through.

Overall, this isn’t just a cosmetic spin-off. It’s a tightly focused, neon-drenched, tongue-in-cheek action ride that understands exactly what it’s parodying and why it’s fun. Short, sharp, and packed with personality.

Highly recommended if you want something playful, explosive, and unapologetically ridiculous.

I honestly can’t say enough good things about Far Cry 3. It took everything that made Far Cry 1 and Far Cry 2 great and polished it into something truly special. The gunplay feels tight, the exploration is rewarding, and the open world is absolutely alive. This is what a true open-world shooter should feel like, freedom everywhere, but with a strong, engaging storyline that keeps pulling you forward.

The story completely hooked me. Between the unforgettable villain and the constant sense of danger and progression, I was so immersed that I almost completed the game in a single day. I just didn’t want to stop playing. Clearing outposts, hunting, upgrading gear, it all feeds into that perfect gameplay loop.

I did hit one frustrating issue though. About 21 hours in, on the last island, the game suddenly started crashing constantly. I tried tons of fixes and nothing worked. Just when I thought I wouldn’t be able to finish it, I discovered Large Address Aware (LAA). After patching the DirectX9 executable, the crashes completely stopped. From that point on, the game ran flawlessly, and I was able to finish the story and even clean up some remaining achievements.

Technical hiccup aside, this is an incredible game. A beautifully crafted open world, a gripping story, addictive gameplay, and tons of content. Once the crashing was sorted, it was smooth sailing to the end.

Absolutely a great game, highly recommended.

Far Cry 2 is a bold and fascinating step in a completely different direction from its predecessor. Rather than following on from the first game’s story, it surprised me by delivering a completely new storyline with a fresh setting and tone. At first that was unexpected, but it ends up being one of the game’s strengths.

You can really feel it taking early “baby steps” toward the open-world formula the series would later perfect. It’s not fully freeform, but it blends open environments with strong storyline direction, giving you space to approach missions in your own way while still keeping a clear narrative focus.

The vehicle and boat selection is somewhat limited, but what it lacks there it more than makes up for in its weapon variety. The arsenal feels grounded and impactful, and combat has a raw, immersive edge to it.

And the fire effects? Still some of the best I’ve seen in any game. Watching flames spread dynamically through dry grass, forcing enemies out of cover or changing your tactical approach, is incredibly satisfying and ahead of its time.

Overall, Far Cry 2 feels like an ambitious transitional entry, experimenting with open-world design while keeping a strong narrative backbone. It may not be a direct continuation of the first game, but it stands confidently on its own with atmosphere, realism, and some truly memorable mechanics.

It’s impressive how playable Far Cry still is after 21 years. For a 2004 game, it runs well, feels responsive, and still delivers a strong experience.

This isn’t an open ended sandbox, it’s a narrative-driven, point A to point B shooter. Each mission pushes you forward through the island with clear objectives, and the story keeps things moving at a steady pace. The structure is straightforward, but it works.

Even on Easy, the later levels can become surprisingly difficult. Some sections demand pinpoint accuracy, careful positioning, and patience. It has that classic old-school shooter challenge where mistakes are punished quickly, which makes progress feel earned.

One annoying issue is the AI, sometimes enemies seem to shoot you through solid walls, which can feel unfair and frustrating. It doesn’t completely ruin the experience, but it’s definitely noticeable.

Overall, for a 21-year-old game, Far Cry remains highly playable, challenging, and worth experiencing, especially if you enjoy focused, story-driven shooters that don’t hold your hand.

I can’t say enough good things about Stardew Valley. What starts as a cozy, casual farming game somehow turns into a 400+ hour journey that you never want to end. It’s the definition of “just one more day”, you go to bed in-game thinking you’re done, and suddenly it’s 2AM in real life.

This is casual gaming at its absolute best. You can play at your own pace, set your own goals, and completely shape your experience. Want to grow crops and profits? Go for it. Want to fish all day, decorate your farm, build relationships, explore the mines, or just wander around Pelican Town? You can do that too. The amount of content packed into this game is honestly incredible.

I put in 450 hours, completed most of the achievements, and still felt like I had more to do. Realistically, I could have easily put in another 200 hours to 100% everything and it wouldn’t have felt like a grind. That’s how deep and thoughtfully designed it is. Every system connects to another system, and there’s always some new long-term goal pulling you forward.

If I were ever going to make a game myself, it would be something like this. That’s the biggest compliment I can give. It perfectly balances relaxation and progression. It respects your time, rewards creativity, and never forces you into a single “right” way to play.

Few games manage to be this comforting, this content-rich all at once. Stardew Valley isn’t just a farming sim, it’s a world you move into for a while. And honestly? You won’t want to leave.