Incoming 2012: Far Cry 3

What we know:

Far Cry 3 is the latest installment in the shooter series originally made by Crytek and now developed by Ubisoft.

The game was revealed last year, at E3 2011, where it wowed attendants with its stunning visuals and peculiar characters.

As we’ve found out this week, thanks to a new trailer, some fresh screenshots and an official description, the game follows the story of Jason Brody, who ended up on an island filled with seedy characters alongside his best friend and his girlfriend.

Things don’t go so well for him, as a group of mercenaries kills his buddy and abducts his girlfriend. Jason manages to barely escape their clutches but he’s now stuck on an island filled with all sorts of dangers and a lot of people with guns.

Not a lot else is known at this time, but the French company did promise last year that Far Cry 3’s visuals will look good on the Xbox 360, great on the PlayStation 3, and stunning on the PC. Judging by the screenshots at least, we’re quite sure of that.

We have also learned from recent images that stealth missions and other such quests are present in the game and that you can once again use a car to get around the island.

Why it matters:

Far Cry games have distinguished themselves amidst other first person shooters through their great graphics and unique gameplay concepts. Whether it was exploring a beautiful tropical island in the original or executing mercenary missions in Africa throughout the second, players were always taken on a great journey by Ubisoft throughout the series.

While we haven’t heard a lot of details about the third installment, it’s already gotten us quite excited, thanks to its impressive visuals and the interesting main villain, who’s more than just a stupid guy with more guns than brains.

Expect to hear some more details about Far Cry 3 as we get closer to its release on September 4, in North America, and September 7, in Europe, for the PC, PS3 and Xbox 360.