Far Cry Primal, Xbox One and PS4 review: ‘a gamble that pays off’

Bloodshed is rife, with raids, cannibalism, and genocide a daily occurrence as the three tribes – Wenja, Udam and Izila – fight for power.

In fact, the level of violence on display in Primal makes it easily the most brutal of the series. Clubs make skull-shattering impacts. Spears lodge themselves into abdomens and necks. Arrows make gut-wrenching 'thuds' on impact as they burrow their way into flesh. You get the idea. Primal makes Mel Gibson's Apocalypto look like an episode of Power Rangers.

But tribes aren't the only enemy. Oros is full of wildlife, from wolves and bears to sabre-toothed tigers and woolly mammoths that can kill in seconds.

So much time and effort has been made to capture each one accurately, and there's an undeniable sense of a living virtual ecosystem.

Deer will flee if they spot a predator, while wolves and other hunters come out at night to search for a meal. Sometimes the most fun you can have in Primal is sitting back and enjoying the world tear itself apart.

Thankfully, though, Takkar soon learns how to tame these beasts. From a trusty owl that can be used to scout ahead, to the white wolf and bear who can be sent in to wipe out entire tribes, the system works brilliantly, commands issued with a simple button press.

Each one has its own strengths and weaknesses, so you quickly learn what creature is best for a given situation. They can die, but if that happens a lump of meat usually revives them – or you can finish them off and take their pelt to make a hut roof.

Takkar isn't exactly incompetent, though. From the get go, he's armed to the teeth with clubs, spears and a bow and arrow. All weapons can be upgraded, new items can be crafted by gathering resources from the world, whilst others can be set on fire.

The latter function comes incredibly handy when exploring the world at night. Fire can also be used to evade pursuit – ignite bushes and grass to watch it go up in flames.

A lot of the missions see Takkar raiding rival camps, looting and trying to persuade other tribe members to join his cause. Whilst this can get repetitive, there are so many ways to approach a mission that it rarely gets boring.

In fact, the only part where monotony kicks in is when the player is forced to start building a village early on. These quests involve running around hunting for animals and materials – they’re tiresome, but persevere and Takkar will receive new quests, abilities and skills.

The skills tree is tackled in a very similar way to the last two Far Cry games - with ability points rewarded through an XP system. Skills include enhanced healing and scavenging, all the way through to takedowns and the ability to tame larger beasts. It's all familiar enough to grasp quickly - even for Far Cry newbies.

Primal on console is a mixed bag, with a few signs the Dunia 2 engine is starting to show its age.

While characters look stunning in cut-scenes, their jaws jolt up and down like Punch and Judy when conversing in-game. The world itself is mostly beautiful, especially the more woody areas, but is let down by some low-resolution water and textures.

There's also too much red hue, which was so garish that it I had to turn down the colour on my TV. The framerate is solid, though - with very little slowdown even during the more hectic moments.

Visuals are given a kick by some fantastic audio. Impressively, the characters speak a language that was made for the game - which is based on Proto-Indo-European. Players may even start to pick some of it up as they progress through the game. The score is equally impressive, consisting of deep jungle drums bellowing on in the background as you head into battle.

Primal is a success – not only as a game, but as a statement to the other big studios that gambles can pay off. Just because a game shares a name it doesn't mean it has to be rigidly locked to that mould. Call of Duty, take note.

PS4 version tested

Far Cry Primal is released on PS4 and Xbox One on February 23