Ubisoft's Far Cry 3: Blood Dragon is a fascinating game in a series rife with interesting and formidable titles. Released as a standalone expansion for Far Cry 3, which is arguably the most influential entry in the broader series, Blood Dragon positioned the Far Cry formula in an entirely new light, showing that it can be an exceptional experience when its developers are free to run wild.
Far Cry 3: Blood Dragon's premise is rather simple: take the overworld of Far Cry 3 and inject it with pulpy sci-fi action tropes inspired by 1980s films like Repo Man and Total Recall. The story of Blood Dragon is, quite frankly, nonsense, but that's a big reason why it is so beloved: it isn't trying to be serious, subversive, or pretentious. In addition to not taking itself too seriously, Blood Dragon's neon-drenched aesthetic and streamlined gameplay systems made it a nice palette-cleanser after the content-rich, expansive Far Cry 3. In a sense, it is a more digestible and high-octane spin on the Far Cry formula, cranking up the dial on the series' power fantasy elements and freedom, and leaning away from the self-serious narratives and granular gameplay systems of its predecessors.
Ubisoft seems to have retained some fondness for Blood Dragon, as a 2016 DLC for Trials Fusion serves as a spin-off of the game, and the Netflix series Captain Laserhawk: A Blood Dragon Remix was released in 2023. However, a true sequel remains unseen.
An Unlikely Far Cry Sequel Could Take Animal Encounters to New Heights
Although not currently on the table, one possible Far Cry follow-up could take a path that elevates the series' use of animals to greater lengths.
Far Cry: Blood Dragon Should Make a Comeback
A New Blood Dragon Game Could Be Just What Far Cry Needs
Much like Assassin's Creed before the transformative Assassin's Creed Origins, the Far Cry series has been criticized for lacking innovation and being too risk-averse. Indeed, like many for-profit companies, Ubisoft understandably favors what has already been proven to work, and in the case of Far Cry, that's been the formula established by Far Cry 3. One could, in fact, view every post-FC3 release as an attempt to recreate the success of that seminal 2013 title.
But this commitment to tradition has led to diminishing returns, with many fans of the franchise viewing each new release with increasing levels of exhaustion and disappointment. Even those who enjoy the likes of Far Cry 6 will readily admit that it does little to further the IP in any meaningful, creative way, sticking to the rubric outlined in Far Cry 3, sometimes to the point of self-plagiarism. There have been rumblings about potentially controversial mechanical changes in Far Cry 7, but a proper successor to Blood Dragon could really hammer home this push for innovation.
A Blood Dragon Successor Doesn't Necessarily Need To Be 'Blood Dragon 2'
In the interest of innovation and ingenuity, perhaps the best route for a Blood Dragon revival would be more of a spiritual successor than a direct one. After all, if Far Cry is receiving criticism for its lack of creativity, a simple rehashing of the first Blood Dragon's ideas wouldn't do much good. And if Ubisoft were to develop a more loosely connected sequel, it would allow for much-needed improvements on the original's bold ideas.
Maybe the next "Blood Dragon" could actually offer a high-fantasy spin on the Far Cry template, or a more robust science-fiction world to engage with. One of the most heavily critiqued elements of Blood Dragon was its somewhat juvenile, grating sense of humor, so perhaps a pivot in tone could be advisable as well. Whatever route Ubisoft were to take in this hypothetical scenario, it's clear that there's potential in more outlandish Far Cry spin-offs, so the studio shouldn't pass up the chance to realize it.
Far Cry 3: Blood Dragon
- Released
- April 30, 2013
- ESRB
- M For Mature 17+ Due To Blood, Partial Nudity, Sexual Content, Strong Language, Violence
- Developer(s)
- Ubisoft Montreal
- Publisher(s)
- Ubisoft
- Engine
- Dunia 2
WHERE TO PLAY
Welcome to an 80s vision of the future taking place on a bizarre open world island crawling with evil, now on the current generation of consoles. Become Sergeant Rex Colt, a cyber commando. Get the girl, kill the bad guys, save the world.
- As Sergeant Rex Colt, you are part man, part machine, all American. You are a state-of-the-art Mark IV cyber commando on a mission of vengeance.
- Experience updated graphics and gameplay for modern platforms to allow players to experience every cliché of this VHS-era vision of the nuclear future.
- Take down the enemy with ninja stars, guns, or even just good old explosives. Your battle. Your way. Their tough luck.
