The Price of Freedom in Far Cry 3

Originally I wanted to compare Far Cry 3 and 4 as it was Far Cry 3 that set the thematic standard for the next two mainline games in the series. However, that quickly turned into a one-sided comparison where I spent two pages raving about how great Far Cry 3 was and the rest pissing on Far Cry 4 for not being as good. Which wasn’t fun, interesting, or worthwhile, so let’s step back the concept. When I set out to compare and contrast, it was to find the Controlling Idea within Far Cry 3 and see what changes it undergoes in other games. So let's focus on that element of the game, as it's far more interesting than just whining about sequels. Once we identify that, we can see how everything from the story, characters, and gameplay branch off that Idea.

At the heart of Far Cry 3, two dominant themes take center stage. The first is survival, and the other is personal freedom. So if we turn them into a Controlling Idea, it would be something like this: “What is the price of freedom, and how do you survive with it?” So now that we have identified the core, let’s see how well elements are layered onto it.

First, look at the relationship between the player character Jason Brolly and the villain Vass. It’s the interplay of these characters that pushes the survival element out of the gate. As Vass hounds Jason throughout the island, forcing him into increasingly dangerous and violent situations where Jason is pushed to the wall. So, Jason is forced to accommodate and get stronger, strong enough to defeat Vass and his pirates, a motif tied into the gameplay and the narrative with the Tato on Jason’s arm. It is the mechanical explanation for how Jason grows stronger in a gameplay sense by unlocking new abilities. However, it's rooted in the game's story as the Tato is the mark of the Rajat Warriors and grows as the warrior becomes stronger. How do you grow stronger? You survive. You take down enemy camps; you weaken their command structure; you hunt animals to craft better gear. Survival drives Jason and the player to do all these to ensure they won't die on this island Hell.

In the beginning, Jason only cared about finding his friends and brother and escaping the island. However, as he is sent down the path of survival and the warrior, he finds freedom in it. On the island and with the Tato, he is empowered to do anything he wants, and that desire for freedom quickly overshadows his desire to return to California. Where he’s a college dropout who’s done nothing with his life until coming to the island; if I had to point to a turning point, it would have to be in the mission where you save Liza. After escaping both a burning temple and a small fleet of murderous armed pirates, Liza has the normal reaction of piss terrified while Jason is getting ready to go again once he’s whipped all the gun power and entrails off of his shirt. Survival was why Jason started down the path of a warrior, but the freedoms it brought with it kept him on it. Even after seeing what total freedom does to a man.

From the beginning, Jason has been told that on Rook Island, he can do anything, and throughout the game, Jason sees examples of this. Not only in villains like Vass, Buck, and Hoyt but also in the Rajat themselves. Each believes their interest trumps all others because they are the most powerful because that is how it goes on the Island. Hence, Agent Willis is adamant about reminding himself that in his home, he’s in America—removed from the rules of the jungle so that they do not succumb to them. This paranoia becomes more reasonable as Jason ignores the warning of his friends and adversaries and slowly becomes more and more of a monster.