Far Cry 3: Blood Dragon

Far Cry 3: Blood Dragon is a separately sold spin-off that borrowed both the engine and the core mechanics from the previous game but wrapped them in a parody of 1980s action movies and video games. The player takes control of the cyborg Rex "Power" Colt, who fights mutant soldiers and the titular blood dragons on a neon-glowing island full of VHS aesthetics, synthesizer music, and deliberately over-the-top, self-aware one-liners. In terms of gameplay it's a streamlined version of Far Cry 3 - a smaller map, a shorter campaign, but the same system of towers, crafting, and open-world progression, enriched with laser weapons, explosive-tipped darts, and fully automatic killer drones. The main character's voice was lent by actor Michael Biehn, known for 1980s action films, which only underscores the deliberate cinematic parody the game leans on from first minute to last.

The visual style, with its pink-and-blue neon filter and stylized explosion effects, was unusually bold for its release year, and the game used it as a central joke - referencing films like The Terminator or RoboCop and the aesthetics of early video games and 8-bit comics. A short, focused campaign without unnecessary padding and self-assured humor made it a beloved lighthearted title among the series' larger entries, one that can be finished in a single long gaming evening.

At the time of release, Blood Dragon was praised precisely for its willingness not to take itself seriously and for showing how much fun recycling an engine into a different genre outfit could be. The overall impression was reinforced by a striking synthesizer soundtrack that consciously imitates the music of 1980s action and sci-fi films and became one of the game's most memorable elements. Today it's remembered as one of Ubisoft's most successful stylized side-projects and an inspiration for a number of later retro-neon indie titles that adopted a similar nostalgic humor and visual style years afterward.

Why play it: For its willingness not to take itself seriously, its unforgettable synthesizer soundtrack, and its influence on later retro-neon indie titles, Blood Dragon is worth trying even as a short detour.