If you‘re a PC gamer, you have an exciting opportunity right now to add the open world shooter classic Far Cry 3 to your library completely free. Ubisoft is giving away the Standard Edition of Far Cry 3 on Windows PC through their Ubisoft Connect app until September 11, 2021.
Normally $29.99, this is a rare chance to own a critically acclaimed first person shooter that still holds up remarkably well nearly a decade after release. As someone whose sunk over 40 hours into the wild islands of Far Cry 3, I highly recommend every FPS fan claims this freebie while you can!
Trust me, Far Cry 3 deserves a spot in any gamer‘s library, even today. In this guide, I‘ll cover everything you need to know about grabbing your free copy of Far Cry 3, what makes it so special, tips for new players, and more. Let‘s dive in!
What is Far Cry 3?
For those unfamiliar, Far Cry 3 is an open world first-person shooter developed by Ubisoft Montreal and published by Ubisoft. Originally released in late 2012 for PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, and Windows PC, the game has since been ported to newer consoles.
Far Cry 3 takes place on the fictional Rook Islands, a tropical archipelago in the Pacific Ocean filled with rainforests, beaches, mangroves and jungles. The setting was inspired by the landscapes of the Pacific Islands and Thailand.
The game‘s story follows Jason Brody, a tourist who gets kidnapped along with his friends by a pirate lord named Vaas who runs the island‘s criminal underworld. Jason escapes and must learn the ways of the jungle to rescue his friends and survive the island intact.
Gameplay consists of open world exploration, vehicular travel, weapon and skill upgrades, stealth, and of course, first person shooting against enemies like pirates, mercenaries, and wildlife.
How Far Cry 3 Evolved the Franchise
Far Cry 3 represented a major evolution for the Far Cry franchise, bringing the more linear first two games into a fully open world tropical setting.
The original Far Cry (2004) pioneered emergent open level design on PC with its tropical island settings. Far Cry 2 (2008) went to Africa with sprawling savannahs and jungles along with dynamic fire propagation.
Far Cry 3 expanded the scope into a 30+ hour open world shooter with RPG progression. It was a breakthrough title that took the series to new heights of critical and commercial success.
| Game | Release Year | Metacritic Score | Units Sold |
|---|---|---|---|
| Far Cry | 2004 | 89 | 2.4 million |
| Far Cry 2 | 2008 | 85 | 4.5 million |
| Far Cry 3 | 2012 | 88 | 9.5 million |
Some of the major gameplay innovations Far Cry 3 brought to the series included:
- Fully open world map instead of levels – Explorable tropical islands filled with interactions
- RPG elements like crafting, experience, and skill trees
- Intelligent hostile wildlife
- Wingsuit flying
- Deep melee combat with machetes/knives
- Signature weapons like bows, flamethrowers, and guns
- Competitive multiplayer
- Map editor
These open world elements allowed players to approach objectives how they want. Far Cry 3‘s formula has been iterated on in subsequent franchise entries like Far Cry 4, Far Cry Primal, and Far Cry 5.
Grab Far Cry 3 Standard Edition for Free on PC
Normally $29.99 on PC, Far Cry 3‘s Standard Edition is available for free right now exclusively through Ubisoft Connect on Windows. Here‘s how to secure your copy:
Download and install the Ubisoft Connect desktop app on your PC if you haven‘t already. This is Ubisoft‘s unified PC client that replaces uPlay.
Create a Ubisoft account if you don‘t already have one. This is required to claim games.
Open Ubisoft Connect and go to the Store section. Search for "Far Cry 3" and select the Standard Edition.
Click "Get it for Free" and checkout. Far Cry 3 will now be tied to your Ubisoft account library.
Install Far Cry 3 via Ubisoft Connect and enjoy! Make sure your PC meets the minimum system requirements outlined below.
The promo is live until September 11, 2021 so move quick! Keep reading to learn what makes Far Cry 3 such an iconic FPS.
What Makes Far Cry 3 Special – Even Today
It‘s rare for a 9+ year old first person shooter to still hold up. Yet Far Cry 3‘s solid gameplay foundations paired with strong art direction help it remain an immensely fun tropical playground.
Here are some key aspects that make Far Cry 3 stand out even today:
The tropical island setting – Roaming an open world tropical archipelago filled with jungles, lagoons, mangroves, and ancient ruins is a breathtaking backdrop for chaotic FPS action. The exotic locale pops with color and vibrancy even today.
Fluid, emergent gameplay – Far Cry 3 gives you flexibility in how you approach objectives. Snipe from afar, go in stealthily, or whip out a flamethrower – the choices are vast. The open design leads to memorable unscripted moments in the jungle.
Memorable villain – Vaas Montenegro – The psychopathic pirate lord Vaas became an iconic Far Cry villain thanks to his manic, erratic personality and famous "definition of insanity" monologue. Actor Michael Mando‘s performance was a highlight.
Satisfying progression – Unlocking new skills and equipment continues to feel rewarding. Upgrades like heavy duty takedowns and improved mobility open up new tactics. Looting items and cash gives a sense of progression.
Diverse side activities – Beyond the 30+ story missions, you can explore ruins, hunt rare game, compete in wanted dead bounties and racing challenges, play poker, and much more at your own pace.
A fun arsenal of weapons – Far Cry 3 offers an enjoyable mix of FPS standards like shotguns and snipers alongside exotic weapons like a bow with fire arrows, a cell-phone triggered explosives, and a signature recurve bow for stealth kills.
The fact Ubisoft continues to remaster and re-release Far Cry 3 is a testament to how its immersive open world FPS gameplay remains compelling today.
Far Cry 3 PC System Requirements
Given its age, Far Cry 3 doesn‘t require a bleeding edge modern gaming rig to run smoothly. Here are the official minimum and recommended PC specs:
Minimum
- OS: Windows XP SP3, Windows Vista SP2, Windows 7 SP1
- Processor: Intel Core2 Duo E6700 @ 2.6 GHz or AMD Athlon64 X2 6000+ @ 3.0Ghz
- Memory: 4 GB RAM
- GPU: NVIDIA GeForce 9600 GT or AMD Radeon HD 5570 (512MB VRAM)
- Storage: 15 GB available space
Recommended
- OS: Windows 7 SP1, Windows 8
- Processor: Intel Core i3-530 @ 2.9 GHz or AMD Phenom II X2 @ 2.6 GHz
- Memory: 4 GB RAM
- GPU: NVIDIA GeForce GTX 460 or AMD Radeon HD 6970 (1GB VRAM)
- Storage: 15 GB available space
The Far Cry games do tend to be more demanding thanks to their lush open world environments. For 60 FPS at High-Ultra settings I‘d aim for a modern mid-range GPU like a GTX 1060 or RX 580. Far Cry 3 supports up to quad core CPUs and is compatible with SLI/Crossfire.
Tips for New Players
If you‘re new to the tropical paradise of Far Cry 3, here are some helpful starter tips I wish I knew from the get-go:
Unlock the map ASAP – Climb radio towers to reveal sections of the map. This should be a top priority.
Do supply runs first – Complete the Supply Run side quests to expand your loot carrying capacity.
Get headshot upgrades – Skills like Marksman and Death from Above make you deadlier.
Do weapon challenges – Completing weapon specific challenges permanently boosts capacity.
Buy the ammunition belt – Carry more ammo for all weapons. It will save you trips to vendors.
Activate hunting quests – Animal hunting side quests reward unique upgrades.
Sell animal skins – Use a bow for clean kills. Sell skins at vendors for quick cash.
Tackle outposts at night – Less visibility and tighter guard patrols make nighttime assaults easier.
Enable fast swapping – Quickly swap between weapons mid-combat without having to pause.
Following these tips will help you get off to the right start in exploring and conquering the islands of Far Cry 3.
How Does Far Cry 3 Compare to Other FPS Games?
Even years later, Far Cry 3 remains one of the best examples of a first person shooter with emergent open world gameplay. How does it stack up against others in the genre?
BioShock – Both feature memorable exotic locations and compelling narratives. Far Cry has more player driven freedom and exploration.
Call of Duty – CoD provides bombastic, scripted FPS experiences. Far Cry shines with organic open world gameplay.
Borderlands – Similar blend of FPS action and RPG loot mechanics. Borderlands has more in depth role playing.
Deus Ex – Both offer player choice in playstyles with stealth and action. Far Cry‘s world is more immersive and interactive.
Crysis – Crytek‘s open jungle shooter pushed GPUs graphically. Far Cry focused more on world building and gameplay.
To this day, Far Cry 3 remains one of the most well rounded and enjoyable first person shooters set in an exotic open world brimming with action and exploration.
Far Cry 3 Mods and Customization
On PC, Far Cry 3 supports modding and customization for enhanced graphics and gameplay perks. Here are some top mods worth checking out:
HD Textures – Massively boosts texture resolution for crisper environmental details. Makes the game pop on modern PCs.
Reshade – Adds visual effects like SSR reflections, HDR, bloom, sharpening and more for free. Dramatically improves fidelity.
Ziggy‘s Mod – Includes gameplay tweaks like harder enemies, no headshot outlines, new takedowns, and more.
Far Cry 3 Redux – An overhaul mod with updated graphics, 4K support, enhanced weather, and gameplay changes. Must have mod!
FOV Slider – Adjust first person field of view. Useful for reducing motion sickness.
Modding can take Far Cry 3‘s graphics and gameplay to the next level. Be sure to browse Nexus Mods and ModDB for the latest mods.
Far Cry Series Retrospective
Far Cry 3 marked a new era for Ubisoft‘s open world shooter franchise. Let‘s take a quick look back at the series so far:
Far Cry (2004) – The original Crytek developed PC shooter that sparked the series with its open tropical island levels and emergent gameplay.
Far Cry Instincts (2005) – Brought the series to consoles with a new story and evolutionary abilities involving feral instincts.
Far Cry 2 (2008) – Ambitious sequel focused on immersive realism, fire propagation, malaria affliction, and gun degradation in African locales.
Far Cry 3 (2012) – Breakthrough 3D open world entry and shift towards crafting/RPG mechanics with the fan favorite villain Vaas.
Far Cry 3: Blood Dragon (2013) – Standalone 80s throwback expansion with a neon sci-fi spin.
Far Cry 4 (2014) – Iterated on FC3‘s formula with new weapons, competitive multiplayer, and 4 player co-op.
Far Cry Primal (2016) – Prehistoric spin taking the series to the stone age with beast taming.
Far Cry 5 (2018) – First entry set in America with more player customization and freedom. Joseph Seed served as the main antagonist.
Far Cry New Dawn (2019) – Post-apocalyptic spin-off sequel to Far Cry 5. Introduced Expeditions and new progression.
Far Cry 6 (2021) – Mostly recently entry set in the tropical region of Yara. Added resolver weapons and fully customizable gear.
Ubisoft has confirmed they will continue making new numbered Far Cry games as long as fans keep enjoying the open world mayhem.
Why You Should Add Far Cry 3 to Your Library
I hope this guide has outlined why Far Cry 3 remains absolutely worth playing even in 2022. The game‘s breathtaking tropical setting, open ended gameplay, and compelling villain in Vaas cement is as one of Ubisoft‘s finest open world shooters.
There‘s really no good reason not to add Far Cry 3 to your PC gaming library while you can get it entirely free. Just be sure to claim your Standard Edition copy via Ubisoft Connect by September 11th.
Once you‘ve experienced it for yourself, I have no doubt you‘ll gain an appreciation for why Far Cry 3 is still so fondly remembered by FPS fans nearly a decade later. It remains a hallmark in Ubisoft‘s long running open world shooter franchise and a must-play entry overall.
So what are you waiting for? Do yourself a favor and let Far Cry 3 whisk you away to its beautiful and dangerous tropical paradise. Just watch out for Vaas!
