Far Cry 3: Blood Dragon video shows bright colours and Contra-esque cutscenes

Ubisoft’s upcoming Far Cry 3: Blood Dragon has been leaked and some people have already been playing it. The folks at Joystiq have got their hands on some gameplay footage that gives us a better idea of what the game is about.

The game seems to have more in common with old NES and SNES action games than contemporary titles. Right from the start, the ‘cutscenes’ look like something out of a Contra or Double Dragon game. The gameplay itself seems very similar to that of the original Far Cry 3, albeit with much more colour this time around. Levels seem to be littered with neon lights, and even the protagonist’s blade is colourful.

Looks fantastically insane

Far Cry 3: Blood Dragon is making its way to Xbox Live on May 1. As of yet, the release date for other platforms is not known. According to the description of the game, the year is 2007 and you are Sergeant Rex Colt, a Mark IV Cyber Commando who’s fighting against a cyborg army gone rogue. Your mission is simple and cliché-ridden—get the girl, kill the baddies and save the world. According to Ubisoft, the game derives inspiration from Terminator, Aliens and Navy Seals.

The screenshots for the game look just as pulpy as the description. A very Aliens-eqsue aesthetic can be seen, and the developers have even gone as far as adding scan lines to give you the feeling that you’re playing a game on a CRT off a VHS tape.

The game got a teaser trailer earlier, and because of the timing, it was widely believed to be an April Fool’s joke. The trailer looks rather strange and doesn’t seem to have any of the standard Far Cry themes at all, let alone that of its namesake – Far Cry 3. The only thing it seems to have in common with Far Cry 3 is that it will take place on a tropical island, which may be one of the Rook archipelagoes.

It follows cheesy ’80s sci-fi aesthetics and looks like something straight out of a VHS tape. Even the game’s website follows the same aesthetic, and it pitches the game as a fake Far Cry movie from the ’80s.

Here is the description of the game, according to the website: “The year is 2007. It is the future. Earth has been ravaged by a nuclear war and new paths for peace must be found. A U.S. cyborg army may have found a solution: a powerful bioweapon on a distant island. A Mark IV Cyber Commando, Sergeant Rex Power Colt has been sent over to gather information and figure out what the hell is going on.”

The website also has a shop where you can buy various things from the ’80s era, but clicking the image for the “game for your home entertainment system” item opens an image that lists what appears to be achievements from the game. These achievements range from killing a number of dragons to becoming “the ultimate badass”.