Far Cry "Primal" and the Trending Surge in Prehistoric Game Settings

The next Far Cry has been unveiled as "Far Cry Primal," Ubisoft's newest endeavor in a gritty, ongoing series of survival games.

Primal feels, at its surface, almost a little like Turok – just without the dinosaurs and 1997 graphics. The game sees a visit to 10,000 BCE, the Stone Age, and places emphasis on the prevalence of “massive beasts” like mammoths and sabertooth tigers. Given Far Cry's history, it seems like a prime opportunity to revitalize integration with HairWorks or other fur-enabling technologies, though there's presently no confirmation of this. We're hoping to visit graphics tech with Ubisoft in short order.

Far Cry Primal starts players off in Oros, where we're told the player character is the “last surviving member of his hunting group.” That character, named Takkar, will “journey as the first human to tame the wilderness and rise above extinction.”

It's certainly an interesting setting for a game. ARK: Survival Evolved set us up in a similar prehistoric setting – though has taken a few liberties, what with its Pterodactyl riding – and has proven the concept to be deeply unique and entertaining. I'm positive that Primal will have its usual faction-driven engagements involving other human AI, but a potentially bigger focus on combatting the wilds would make for a refreshing take on a mature series.

As we've discussed before, the industry ebbs in waves of thematic trends. We've seen the rise of city builders and strategy in the 90s, the rise of MMOs, the rise of MOBAs; we've seen the recent surge in space games, the surge in open world games. Now, we're seeing a rise in popularity of games visiting an older era – moving away from the guns and explosives with which we've all grown familiar.

Time and gameplay will tell whether Primal lives up to its potential, but on the surface of things, the concept is a strong starting point for a refresh to the FPS/RPG slant of the series.

You will find some initial Far Cry Primal screenshots, concept art, and the announcement trailer below.

The new Ubisoft title has a posted release date of March, 2016 for PCs and February 23, 2016 for PS4 and Xbox One. 

- Steve "Lelldorianx" Burke.