Ubisoft nearly fooled me. For the first few hours of Far Cry Primal , I firmly believed this was an all-new experience. The prehistoric setting was something I hadn't seen before (no, Turok fans, those games don't count). The realistic crafting seemed to challenge me to be more creative.

It appeared to be uncharted territory for a first-person title..

..; until I realized it was sort of identical to any other Far Cry title

In the tall grass, I'm stalking the Udam as they escort a captured member of my tribe through this forested area. I'm definitely capable of taking them down; I have more arrows than I need because

Terrific world building; Controlling a creature is fantastic; Moment-to-moment gameplay is back to its best

Could've gone deeper with survival; Melee combat boils down to button mashing

I started playing the Far Cry series late. I began with Far Cry 3 after it had been out for a long time. I loved it. When Far Cry 4 came out, I bought it immediately. I didn't regret that choice. When I finished Far Cry 4 , I bought a used copy of Far Cry 2 . I also loved that.

Ubisoft's Far Cry Primal is to the Far Cry series what Assassin's Creed IV: Black Flag was to its own franchise. It bears the name, some trace elements, and a technical prowess unlike anything else of its ilk, but it draws strength from flying in the face of all conventional logic of its pedigree.

It's refreshing when a franchise tries to change up its formula. Far Cry isn't exactly the most prolific franchise on the market, but 2014's Far Cry 4 was starting to feel too familiar.

Far Cry Primal is a great diversion in the series that successfully takes you back to a simpler yet equally as dangerous era!

Far Cry Primal feels less like the prior two games in the series, and honestly compares more directly to something like Blood Dragon . Like BD, Primal is a single player only experience that tries out a new setting and offers a mix of old and new mechanics based on its theme.

It is now 2016 and, let's be honest, it takes a lot more than fancy guns and insane action to make a good first-person shooter game. Gamers want more than to run from point A to point B, shooting and blowing up everything in between. We want substance. We want depth.

It's hard to imagine any other modern first-person shooter series being able to make a 12,000 year trip back in time and arrive there with its identity still intact, but Far Cry Primal has made it work.

If there is one thing I have noticed playing Ubisoft's games, it is that they have some of the best gameplay and level designers in the world. When Far Cry Primal was originally unveiled, a lot of people understandably called it a tiring and recycled effort, however, after playing through the game,...

Breath-taking Graphics and World; Dangerous and Conniving Wildlife; Commanding Powerful Beasts; Interesting Storyline; Easter Eggs That Give You Goosebumps; Jason Grave's Excellent Music; Elias Toufexis !!

Frustrating Bugs; Gets Repetitive After a While