It makes me dread the thought that in 20 years I’ll be playing a game that forces I Can Haz Cheezeburger lines down my throat over and over again. But at times if feels like the writers are winking their eyes at us too much. Everything feels pretty self-aware, and I’m sure some awkward line delivery is intentional. There’s an over-reliance on phrases culled from pop culture during the 80’s and 90’s, often ham-fisted into dialogue delivered by Biehn. While just about everything Blood Dragon does lights up my inner-child, it’s not a flawless retro effort. They’re also as ridiculous as their name implies, not only able to attack and devour anything up close, but they can also shoot a giant laser beam out of their mouth. They’re pretty much instant death early in the game, but can eventually be used as tools against enemy forces. The other big addition comes from the titular Blood Dragons, neon colored beasts resembling smaller T-Rex’s that roam the island. You’ll still encounter animals across the island, but outside of the Predator’s Path side-missions, they don’t serve much purpose.
Crafting is gone completely, as is skinning animals. Instead every level either nets you a new health slot or a new ability. You’ll still gain experience for kills and completing missions, but there’s no skill tree to customize. Other changes involve the streamlining of certain features from Far Cry 3 to Blood Dragon. The big differences come from the retooled weapons, featuring one of the best FPS shotguns I’ve had the pleasure of using this generation. You can opt to take out Omega Force with stealth or sheer power, either option remains viable throughout the course of the game. Random enemy encounters persist across the map, and there’s a number of collectibles scattered about. Rex will clear garrisons, unlock side missions, buy weapon attachments, hunt rare animals, zipline across structures, and occasionally hang-glide from one location to the next. Neon paint, sure, but the core mechanics remain the same. But the plot, dialogue, soundtrack and emphasis on action really nail that mid-80’s to early 90’s vibe.ĭespite the differences in visuals, this is clearly Far Cry 3 with a brand new layer of paint. It’s not nearly as rough around the edges, clearly benefiting from the Far Cry 3 framework it’s built off of. The Cannon logo that popped up at the beginning of films like Over the Top, Cyborg, and Masters of the Universe is as iconic for me now as Paramount, Fox or Universal.įar Cry 3: Blood Dragon feels a lot like a game Golan-Globus would have produced. And for a while this was a visit into the world that Menahem Golan and Yoram Globus built via the production company Cannon. Every other Friday when he picked me up we’d stop at the video store and comb through rentals, often letting the cover of the box sell us on our selection. When I was a kid I’d spend every other weekend over at my dad’s house.