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It’s been nearly a week since Ubisoft Montreal’s daring stand-alone expansion Far Cry 3: Blood Dragon exploded onto the gaming scene, packed with over-the-top language and violence, and almost too many 80s references to count. Sci-fi legend Michael Biehn appears to have reclaimed his title and returned to the spotlight, his presence in the game surrounded by a cult following of its own. While it’s safe to say no one at Ubisoft could have guessed how successful Far Cry 3: Blood Dragon would become, Biehn claims in a recent interview that its sales have far exceeded their expectations, and creative director Dean Evans is already on the path to making a sequel.
Recently appearing as a guest on Xbox Live’s Major Nelson Radio, Biehn talked about meeting with Evans, describing his creative process and the depth of his ideas. “I think these days we would call him ADHD… …he was a manic when he was explaining all this stuff to me.” Biehn also went on to explain that Evans has plans for a sequel – maybe even a franchise.
“Dean was with me on the phone last night. He was pretty jacked up. He was going into a meeting today, to you know.. I think he wants to to turn it into some sort of franchise. He’s got a sequel in mind.” - Michael Biehn, discussing the possibility of a Blood Dragon sequel
While admittedly not a gamer himself, Biehn previously reprised his role as Corporal Dwayne Hicks in Aliens: Colonial Marines. He has also lent his likeness to Command & Conquer: Tiberian Sun, playing the role of Michael McNeil in the 1999 RTS. Now it seems he has promised exclusivity to Evans’ vision, so it’s unlikely we’ll see more radical 80s portrayals of Biehn popping up in other games.
As for finding someone to take over development, fans might expect Ubisoft Toronto to take a bit of revenge for the portrayal of the major city being destroyed in a nuclear holocaust. The studio is currently working on Splinter Cell: Blacklist, however, and studio director Jade Raymond appears to have little interest in carrying the series forward.
“This is a case where Dean had his crazy idea and his crazy vision and someone said, ‘Okay, we’ll support you and let you do that,’ but it’s not going to be like, ‘Oh, okay, this is a commercial success, so rinse and repeat.’ It’s got to be an authentic vision that the team has or else it’s never going to feel right.”
Nevertheless, Dean Evans has certainly proven himself thus far with Blood Dragon, with much room for future endeavors. What do you think, Ranters: would you like to see Sergeant Rex ‘Power’ Colt return to action after the current buzz has subsided?
Far Cry 3: Blood Dragon is currently available for PlayStation 3, Xbox 360 and PC.