Far Cry Primal

Far Cry Primal applies the series' open-world formula to 10,000 BC, placing the player in the uncharted wilderness of Oros, a spectacular prehistoric valley home to fierce sabre-toothed tigers, woolly mammoths, cave bears, and warring tribes. The player takes on the role of Takkar, a member of the Wenja tribe who becomes the last surviving hunter in his clan after his tribe is brutally murdered, and is therefore required to rebuild it and bring the scattered survivors together to face off against the hostile Udam (cannibalistic inhabitants of the mountains) and the more advanced Izila (farmers who worship fire).

The main element of the game is based on primal survival and the development of the tribe: the player must hunt animals for food and to obtain crafting materials, collect wood and stone to make weapons and tools, and recruit other Wenja to grow their village, each new member giving access to additional crafting recipes and combat assistance. The world contains no modern technology—there are no guns, no vehicles, and no radio towers—instead it features a grappling hook for moving vertically, a range of animals that can be ridden (including sabre-toothed tigers and mammoths), and a beast-taming system which enables Takkar to form friendships with and take control of wild animals so that they become his permanent companions.

The day-night cycle heavily affects the game: predators become more aggressive at night, visibility drops sharply, and nocturnal animals such as dire wolves come out of the caves, meaning the player must use fire as both a tool and a weapon. The combat in Far Cry Primal is intense, very physical, and based either on close-quarters fighting or the use of projectiles, making use of a variety of prehistoric weapons—such as spears, bows, clubs, axes, and shards—that have to be made from resources picked up from the environment and can be improved using the hut system in the village.

The crafting system is essential because animal skins, bones, and teeth are used to increase inventory pouch size, improve weapon durability, and produce special ammunition (for example, fire bombs and arrows tipped with poison). At the same time, rare materials such as ocher and flint are needed to obtain higher-grade equipment. Stealth is given a great deal of importance, as players can throw bait to divert predators, hide in bushes and thick grass, and carry out devastating takedowns with bone knives; however, because there are no silent ranged weapons, each time a bow is fired or a spear is thrown, there is a risk of warning off enemies nearby.

The Owl Spirit acts as a form of reconnaissance—Takkar can temporarily take control of a tamed owl so that it can fly over the area, spot enemies, and even drop beehives or firebombs onto unsuspecting camps from above, thus giving a strategic view from the air without the need for modern drones. Taming animals adds a tactical element: players can order their animal companion to attack, distract or explore, with each type of animal having its own particular usefulness—wolves for fighting, badgers for dealing poison damage, and mammoths for breaking through enemy fortifications.