Far Cry Primal adds Expert mode and fixes in day one patch

Where most games' day one patches simply have a list of bug fixes and optimizations in store, Ubisoft's Far Cry Primal adds an extra-hard setting simply dubbed Expert mode.

With its prehistoric twist on the Far Cry formula - which means no guns and a focus on animal companions such as saber toothed cats - it's hard to imagine anyone being an "expert" already. Still, Primal keeps the feel of previous entries in terms of movement and objectives, so if you're familiar with the Far Cry series' gameplay, you might stand a chance.

In Expert mode, player health and damage output is reduced, aim assist is all but gone, enemies shoot 33 percent faster, and they do not appear on the mini-map until they have been tagged. It will also take enemies a longer time to calm down from an alert state and forget your hiding positions.

Should you decide to go for broke and tackle Expert difficulty, be sure to take in the sights and watch a wooly mammoth fight or two, as Ubisoft has also added general performance tweaks and new animations in the patch. What, you didn't think the day one patch would just be the new mode, did you?

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Sam Prell

Sam is a former News Editor here at GamesRadar. His expert words have appeared on many of the web's well-known gaming sites, including Joystiq, Penny Arcade, Destructoid, and G4 Media, among others. Sam has a serious soft spot for MOBAs, MMOs, and emo music. Forever a farm boy, forever a '90s kid.