Rex starts out so strong, in fact, that his upgrade tree (a linear, simplified version of Far Cry 3's) isn't terribly rewarding. “Of course, things get back on track the moment the action begins again, because this overpowered badass is so entertaining to play. But what occasionally brings Blood Dragon's pace to a halt most is its cutscenes – the 16-bit story scenes have a habit of overstaying their welcome. Certain gags get reused more often than would be ideal, which can stall the comedic momentum. It isn't able to keep the A-material jokes coming the whole time, though. These silly mission objectives, which reference everything from Die Hard and D20s to Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles and Aliens, are a rare delight in first-person shooters. Knowingly awful writing, rich with eye-rolling puns and delightfully inappropriate profanity, is a reminder that the dopey dialogue of ‘80s action movies is still a special sort of hilarious. He doesn’t get tired from running at inhuman speeds, he doesn’t need air to breathe, he can survive any fall, and he rattles off more one-liners than a Paul Verhoeven anthology – all to the tune of a groovy synth soundtrack. The hero, cyborg commando Rex Power Colt, has no limits. Or my mind at age 25, honestly: These are action figures and super-powers come to life for an action-packed six-hours of open-world first-person shooting.

It's like entering the imagination of a nine-year-old boy.

Blood Dragon is philosophically, tonally, and mechanically the fundamental opposite of its straight-faced predecessors. Don't go in expecting a traditional Far Cry game.

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