I remember the '80s. I remember the weird, disjointed remains of the CCCP as a collapsing threat, and the last vestiges of the terror of nuclear war. I remember thinking that corporations were going to soon be able to own people, and I remember those last, fleeting touches of a dead future.

Far Cry 3: Blood Dragon is more than just a parody. More than simply a mockery of an age, a tribute to ten mad years when we were trying to leave the past behind with lasers and robots. It is possibly the most cathartic experience I have ever had playing a video game. It's simple, yes. It's linear, yes. It has all the flaws and laudable elements of the initial release of Far Cry 3.

When most games want to build up to a climactic fight, they present you with a challenge. I see now that this is the wrong attitude. There should be no challenge. No huge game-topping boss battle where you struggle hard to apply everything you've learned and done throughout the game.

You should be an invincible sociopath with unlimited ammo. You should mow down waves of those who stand before you, cackling madly at their ineffectuality. You should play the end of most games like you play all of this one.

I was at the right age in the '80s to imagine myself as someone not unlike Sergeant Rex Power Colt. I found that the experience did not disappoint.

I remember the '80s. I remember the weird, disjointed remains of the CCCP as a collapsing threat, and the last vestiges of the terror of nuclear war. I remember thinking that corporations were going to soon be able to own people, and I remember those last, fleeting touches of a dead future. Far Cry 3: Blood Dragon is more than just a parody. More than simply a mockery of an age, a tribute to ten mad years when we were trying to leave the past behind with lasers and robots. It is possibly the most cathartic experience I have ever had playing a video game. It's simple, yes. It's linear, yes. It has all the flaws and laudable elements of the initial release of Far Cry 3. When most games want to build up to a climactic fight, they present you with a challenge. I see now that this is the wrong attitude. There should be no challenge. No huge game-topping boss battle where you struggle hard to apply everything you've learned and done throughout the game. You should be an invincible sociopath with unlimited ammo. You should mow down waves of those who stand before you, cackling madly at their ineffectuality. You should play the end of most games like you play all of this one. I was at the right age in the '80s to imagine myself as someone not unlike Sergeant Rex Power Colt. I found that the experience did not disappoint.