Far Cry Instincts Predator – 360 – Review

Released on the
PC a while back, Far Cry was a surprisingly competent shooter that put gamers on
an island filled with trigger-happy mercenaries and mutated enemies that
savagely rip apart anyone that comes close to them. Luckily, Xbox owners got the
chance to play the game last year when Far Cry Instincts was released. Not only
did it make the transition from PC to console perfectly but it was an excellent
first-person shooter. Now that the Xbox 360 is out, Far Cry Instincts Predator
is unleashed and while there is new content to play through, it isn’t very
different from the Xbox original.

For those who
have missed Instincts the first time around, Predator combines the same
Instincts campaign as well as adding a new yet short campaign called Evolution.
Together these two campaigns present a long and engaging story that takes places
within the Jacutan Archipelago. You start the game with the Instincts campaign
that follows ex-mercenary Jack Carver who has been contracted by a mysterious
woman named Valerie Cortez to take her around the tropical island on your prized
boat. When Cortez takes off on her own, Carver finds helicopters hovering
overhead that start putting holes in his boat. From there it becomes a struggle
for survival as Carver puts his weapon skills to the test. However, during an
encounter with a dangerous new foe, Carver is injected with a serum that gives
him animalistic abilities and great strength.

The Evolution
campaign picks up soon after the events of Instincts comes to a conclusion and
once again finds Carver doing what he does best in the tropical locale. All his
major abilities are available from the start and once again he’ll be up against
a number of human and not-so human foes. It is here that Carver meets a new cast
of characters, like the sexy yet dangerous Kade and the psychotic Semeru.
Evolution is not as deep as its first chapter but it certainly has plenty of the
action-packed moments we loved about Instincts. While it doesn’t introduce
anything particularly new and interesting (except for a new Feral ability we
well get to later), the story and action are welcome additions to the first
chapter.

As a
first-person shooter, Predator possesses all the standard elements you’d expect
to find in this genre. You can perform stealth kills with your trusty knife,
pick up and use dual weapons and charge into tents filled with enemies with guns
blazing. Yet as a survivalist, Carver can set up deadly traps and spring them on
unsuspecting enemies or toss rocks into an area to catch their attention and
then ambush them. In Instincts you will come to use Feral abilities, enhanced
abilities that allow you to see an enemy’s scent, see in the dark, sprint like a
cheetah, jump really high as well as smash an enemy into a bloody pulp.
Evolution introduces a climbing ability that comes in handy in the right
occasions, but when it comes to the Feral abilities it’s the Feral Attack that
means instant death to most enemies. You can also drive various vehicles in the
game like ATVs, RMVs, various boats and even a glider.

The multiplayer
mode was a much loved feature in the original Xbox version for the obvious fact
that it offered a large number of options including the fact that you can play
against friends using a single Xbox, play on multiple consoles using System Link
and through Xbox Live. There was even a Map Editor that allowed gamers to design
their own map complete with weapons and vehicles. Predator adds even more maps
that are not only bigger and better but make such game types like Steal the
Sample and Seek and Secure all the more engaging.

With all these
things you would expect this game to be one of the most amazing Xbox 360
first-person shooter games available thus far but it falls a little short in
many aspects. For one thing, the enemy AI still isn’t smart enough to have
enemies try to outflank you or move out of the line of fire. While some enemies
are able to pull back from a particularly deadly assault, many of them still
stand around waiting for you to maul them while others run towards a tossed
grenade rather than run away from it. This is not to say that the game isn’t
challenging because it certainly is. You will find that Carver will be
outnumbered and outgunned in many situations and this will make you grateful for
the checkpoints.

Yet the aspect
of Predator that is most disappointing is the fact that that game hasn’t really
been redesigned for the Xbox 360. The visuals have been slightly enhanced
and you will notice them in various areas of the game and even Carver’s hands
show slightly more detail than the Xbox version. What is unforgivable is that
the visuals do feel like they have been recycled for this next-generation
console. You will still find horrible clipping issues and bland textures that
are directed at the various foliage you’ll travel through. Still the graphics
aren’t horrible the first time around and they’re not horrible here. They are
just not what you would want for the Xbox 360.

As far as the
sound is concerned, though, the game still manages to drive home the feeling
that you’re lost deep in a tropical terrain filled with aggressive enemies both
human and freakishly evolved. You’ll still hear the sounds of exotic birds and
insects and the roar of a waterfall. You will still hear funny chatter from CB
radios or walk into a funny conversation two mercenaries are having. The voice
acting is excellent as is the dramatic soundtrack that plays throughout the game
as well as during the pause menu screen. Trust me when I say that you will want
to play this game using a good sound system.

Far Cry
Instincts Predator for the Xbox 360 is a complete package well worth the
purchase price if you don’t own the Xbox version. It not only brings us the
brilliant original campaign but also adds a second helping complete with more
multiplayer maps and a good story. While the visuals have not been reworked to
make this look like a genuine 360 title and some of the old AI issues resurface,
this is still an excellent game first-person shooter fans will adore.

Gameplay: 8.0
Right when you
think you’re playing a survival of the fittest first-person shooter set on a
tropical island, you’re injected with some experimental serum and develop
interesting abilities that suddenly set this game apart from other first-person
shooters. The Instincts campaign is a fun ride and the short but sweet Evolution
campaign just adds more bang for your buck. Expect plenty of weapons and Feral
abilities that allow you to rip into your enemies.

Graphics: 7.2
Predator is a
complete disappointment in the visual department. It not only recycles textures
and other details from the original Xbox version but it does not revamp the
graphics for this next-generation version. Still, the original game was very
visually stunning and this one is slightly more enhanced. The cutscenes look
much more sharper on the 360 as well.

Sound: 8.5
The sound,
much like the Xbox version, is still quite good in this version. Not only is
there are really nerve-wracking soundtrack that works brilliantly throughout the
game but the solid voice acting cast just enhances things. Add detailed sound
effects that make the island feel like it is alive with creatures and insects
and explosive sounds and realistic gunfire effects and you have a game with a
rich audio experience worth pumping up the volume.

Difficulty:
Medium
Once again,
the enemy AI is a balance between logical strategy and pure idiocy. Occasionally
some enemies will pull back and duck for cover but for the most part enemies
stand around waiting to be shot or ripped apart by your bare fists. Some enemies
even run towards tossed grenades. The most challenging enemies are the mutated
freaks you’ll encounter later in the game. 

Concept: 8.0
Two campaign
modes in one package is great even though nothing new has been done to the
Instincts campaign. There are more multiplayer maps now and the Map Editor is
still the perfect addition for those gamers that like to unleash their
creativity thanks to the ability to share created maps online.

Multiplayer:
9.0
With the extra
multiplayer maps, this is by far a more complete package for those gamers who
loved the enjoyable System Link and online multiplayer mode. On the Xbox 360,
the game moves at a very steady framerate and with a nice variety of game modes
and the ability to share your own created map makes this a true Xbox Live gem.

Overall: 8.2
If you missed
Far Cry Instincts for the original Xbox, Far Cry Instincts Predator for the Xbox
360 is the definitive version you will want to own. While its newly added
content and Evolution missions are welcomed additions, the main game doesn’t do
anything that really sets it apart from the Xbox version and that includes the
visuals. Overall, it’s a good game that owners of the new system will want to
have among their growing collection.