Far Cry 3 is far from perfect, but at least it's a game that keeps you hooked on, even collecting relics. In my opinion it's the same game as Assassin`s Creed 3 only first person. In this period in which every shooter is boring as fuck, and the gameplay scripted like you don't have to do shit, but press W to proceed, this one was clearly smartly done, and a breath of fresh air.
The secret in creating a catchy game is taking care of the little things. Running physics were great, driving was nice, weapons customization, sounds, challenges, skills were a nice touch.
I don't know why Stardust is so mad about. People saw the shine in that game, that's why they voted it. And maybe because of the lack of alternative too.
Vass was a nice touch, maybe the game would've been less appealing without him.