If you want a wild blast from the past, Far Cry 3: Blood Dragon is a completely ridiculous, neon-soaked title you simply cannot skip. Originally released as a standalone expansion, it quickly became one of the most beloved PC games around thanks to its unapologetic love for 1980s action movie cliches. The best part is that you do not even need the base game to play it. It takes the familiar open-world shooter mechanics and wraps them in a retro-futuristic package that never takes itself seriously. If you need a break from gritty, hyper-realistic modern shooters and just want to destroy evil cyborgs while blasting a killer synthwave soundtrack, this is the perfect palate cleanser for your weekend.
Storyline
The plot is a hilarious, over-the-top tribute to the VHS era, taking place in the dystopian, apocalyptic "future" of 2007. You step into the combat boots of Sergeant Rex "Power" Colt, a badass Mark IV Cyber Commando voiced by 80s action icon Michael Biehn. Your objective is wonderfully simple and cheesy: track down your rogue former commanding officer, blow up his evil army, get the girl, and save the world. The entire narrative is packed with cheesy one-liners, 16-bit cutscenes, and sarcastic dialogue that perfectly mimics classic low-budget sci-fi blockbusters.
Gaming Experience
The moment-to-moment action is fast, chaotic, and ridiculously fun. Because Rex is a super-powered cyborg, you get to sprint at crazy speeds, take zero fall damage, and chain together brutal stealth takedowns right from the start. The island is packed with enemy garrisons to liberate using a customized arsenal of overpowered laser weapons and shotguns. The real stars of the show, however, are the Blood Dragons themselves—giant, glowing dinosaur-like beasts that shoot literal lasers from their eyes. You can fight them head-on or cleverly toss cyber-hearts to lure them into enemy outposts to wipe out the guards for you, making every single firefight wildly unpredictable.
