There's a lot to be said for a game when, once you put the controller down, you immediately want to pick it up again. Such was the case with Far Cry 3 when I attended this years Eurogamer expo. Fifteen minutes of hands on free roaming exploration never seemed enough, and when stuck on what to do next, I instinctively headed for Ubisoft's Far Cry booth. It was of particular joy to me that Far Cry exceeded my expectations on all accounts, after the second game left me feeling unfulfilled. Part of what allows Far Cry to succeed the way it does is thanks to the large, ambient world that manages to feel like it is actually alive. One of my biggest complaints about Tomb Raider was that it felt drab and lifeless, perhaps I had just been spoiled by Far Cry 3. Getting lost in the sheer thrill of exploration and discovery pushes you onwards. Talking to others after they had played the game, all starting from the same point, resulted in a multitude of different experiences. My first run through saw me take part in a knife throwing mini game with a village local. I zip-lined off of a radio tower and crashed my jeep into the sea. While I was doing that a friend of mine had cleared a fort of mercenaries, found a hang-glider, and skinned a shark. The combat is equally satisfying. During subsequent play-throughs I got to mess around with the games bow, and sub-machine gun. Aiming is smooth and the weapons feel like they pack a punch, especially as bullets fly and grenades produce some breathtaking explosions which send both enemies and scenery flying. The bow in particular is a versatile weapon with different ammo types. While I didn't get to play around with them too much, I know someone who, unbeknownst to him, had swapped to explosive arrows which resulted in an impressive display of overkill. He later went on to set some pigs on fire with an incendiary arrow. This ties into the games crafting system. Collecting materials while on your travels will allow the play to create ammunition, health items and equipment. More complicated items will require the player to use more experience points to develop their skills. The upgrade system itself ranges from being able to cook a grenade to having more health, to creating better weapons. It means that along with your experiences within the game, your character will also differ from other people's, depending on your play style. Out in the wild you're free to do your own thing. While you could undertake one of the game's myriad of missions, there are radio towers to capture, animals to hunt, checkpoints to clear and challenges to undertake. One challenge saw me try to kill as many re-spawning enemies as I could within a certain amount of time, with blue explosive barrels lending more time to the clock, meaning I could rack up more impressive combos. While Far Cry 2 may have been a tough slog due to its insistence for realism, Far Cry 3 admirably remembers that it is still a game, and provides over the top, worthwhile and engaging experiences to balance out the main story. While this demo wasn't story based, instead focusing on the free roaming elements, from what the trailers and other demo's have shown is that there are some mighty interesting and crazy characters involved. After going back to this game again and again I cannot wait to get my hands on it for real. Are you excited for Far Cry 3? Share your thoughts below.