In our chat, we discuss the crazy cast of characters that define the Far Cry 3 experience, their origins, and how Ubisoft took an actor centric approach to crafting the people protagonist Jason Brody (pictured up top) meets in his quest to survive the island.

What makes the characters of Far Cry 3 unique?

Outside of Vaas, Dr. Earnhardt and Brody, what can players expect from the game’s other key characters?

How many “insane” characters will we meet in Far Cry 3?

Jason’s on this island for a long time, “a few weeks to a few months” according to Purdy, and of course this experience is what will change him along the way. For more on Brody’s progression and transformation, check out our Far Cry 3 interview with Producer Dan Hay.

Do we get to see the character’s past?

Purdy continues, explaining why the theme of “insanity” worked for the story of Jason Brody, a young man in this twenties who has finished school and is exploring the world. They needed a “catalyst” to launch the story around the idea of Jason being an ordinary guy, but how they came about the focus on characters who are incredibly eccentric, yet believable and gripping, was not intentional from the beginning and was evolved out of casting.

Once they started shooting, they kept re-doing and re-doing the scenes until they got something perfect. Out of that came the demo video showcased during the Ubisoft press conference at E3 2011, a monologue about insanity.

They then began researching war-torn areas of the world, infamous warlords, even the sorts of cases Vice works on. They even brought vice into the studio and they felt they had met the types of characters in real life who were crafted for Far Cry 3.

What’s the story behind Vaas and what are his goals?

There are warlords vying for power, but the game’s characters are not broken down into factions where players pick one side or the other a la Skyrim. The island is absolutely in turmoil and its residents are in conflict, whether it be the natives trying to survive, Vaas (pictured just above) doing his thing, natives doing their own thing, and other characters with their own agendas.

Where were characters like Vaas inspired from?

In the demo we see Jason talking over the radio to a character named Willis. Who is Willis?

Jason has zero background experience, but like your or I, he’s seen his fair share of action movies and played action video games so he knows which way to point the gun and where the ammo goes. “The further he goes the more comfortable he gets,” seemingly hinting at the experience and RPG elements of the game.

Do any characters from the previous Far Cry games play into Far Cry 3?

How does the progression and experience system affect the player and Jason?

By mark, look towards the tattoo on Jason’s arm which will be key in representing Jason’s experience on the island. For more on that, again, read our interview with Producer Dan Hay.

Is Jason being set up as a franchise character?

Far Cry 3 will releases on September 6, 2012, for the PC, PS3, and Xbox 360.

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