By Rob Dolen
staff writer

“Far Cry Primal” is familiar ground for fans of the “Far Cry” series, but stands on its own as a relatively fun experience aside from a pretty basic campaign.

“Far Cry Primal” is an open world, first-person action game set in 10,000 BCE. The player takes on the role of Takkar, the beast master of the Wenja tribe. After a hunt gone wrong, Takkar finds himself alone in the province of Oros, a fictional place based on prehistoric Central Europe.

After meeting up with several Wenja tribesmen, Takkar is tasked with rebuilding the Wenja tribe in Oros and defending the village against the cannibalistic Udam tribe. The player meets many different characters that can enhance Takkar’s abilities and weapons, strengthen your tribe and expand your village.

What’s typically par for the course in the “Far Cry” series is virtually removed from “Far Cry Primal,” but it doesn’t detract from the experience. Without any guns, vehicles or wingsuits, the player feels much more down to Earth and vulnerable, creating an authentically difficult experience. Reduced to just a bow and arrows, a spear and a club, weapons never give you an advantage over your enemies.

The gameplay is nearly identical to “Far Cry 3” and “4” as you march through the world, liberating bonfires (the stone-age euphemism for outposts) and exploring the extra locations in between. The player also gains items and resources throughout the world that are used to craft better and stronger equipment. This all adds up to gaining experience, which is once again implemented into a skill-acquisition system that adds different mechanics to the game that enhance your experience as you maneuver throughout Oros.

“Far Cry Primal” also features the supernatural motifs that the series is known for, featuring many different escapades from normal gameplay centered around a specific beast, which in turn teaches you the ability to tame a specific animal.

The “Far Cry Primal” story is a bit lacking in comparison to the rest of the series as it attempts to move away from mostly linear storytelling.

The player doesn’t really learn anything substantial about Takkar, other than that he can tame animals and is a good-guy protagonist. The basic synopsis of “Far Cry Primal” is that Takkar and the Wenja tribe are fighting for dominance over the Udam tribe. Most of the filler in between is uninteresting and forgettable.

Nevertheless, these plot shortfalls take a back seat to the violently satisfying combat of “Far Cry Primal.”