Far Cry Instincts – XB – Review

When it was
released on the PC a while back, Far Cry was praised by game reviewers and loved
by computer gamers that enjoyed the first-person shooter/survival game and with
good reason, too. Not only was it an addictive shooter set on a tropical island
filled with dangerous mercenaries and a deranged scientist but it’s also a game
that can easily have you go from hunted to hunter if you’re not careful. Now Far
Cry Instincts for the Xbox is here and island paradises will never look the same
again.

The game’s main
story revolves around Jack Carver, an ex-mercenary that bought a good boat to
take vacationing tourists for a ride. Yet fate has a funny way of rearing its
head during the most inconvenient moments as his one passenger, a pushy
journalist that has taken him as far as the mysterious Jacutan islands, borrows
his jet ski and takes off. Taking a quick siesta, though, we see through
Carver’s eyes the events that turn the trip into a nightmare. A military
helicopter hovers over his boat and suddenly a gunner opens fire, destroying
your boat just as you manage to jump into the water. Confused, Carver manages to
find shore and soon discovers that if he doesn’t put his survival training
skills to good use he will not live to see another day.

Luckily for us,
Carver knows a lot about surviving in the wild terrain and, as he encounters
dangerous and armed mercenaries, he also knows his way around weapons – be it a
knife or twin handguns. It is kill or be killed on the islands. If you are not
the hunter than you will quickly become the hunted. You can run and gun your way
out of situations in this game but it is in your best interest to use stealth as
well as traps to survive. In short, this is not your usual first-person shooter
and that is a very good thing.

The islands feel
vast and there’s plenty of space to explore your surroundings. The lush jungles
are rich with vegetation, many of which have thick tree trunks you can set up
spike traps that will impale any hapless mercenary that just so happens to be
taking a stroll. There are pockets of water throughout the game and there are
even areas you can reach by boat if you want to get there faster. You’ll also
encounter enemy camps and military-styled installations on these huge islands.
Like the PC game, the islands are like a secondary character … a character you
have to probe completely to know well.

But exploration
is not the theme of this game, rather, it’s survival and in an environment
overrun by armed men, your best bet is to use stealth to eliminate those that
get in your way using your trusty knife. Once you’ve killed a wandering
mercenary or two, you can pick up their weapon and use it against them. There
are various weapons at your disposal and Carver can wield two guns for faster
kills. The best part yet is that there are a nice variety of vehicles to use.
There are boats, jeeps, transports and even hang gliders. While it takes some
getting use to, the vehicles are welcomed additions to the gameplay.

What sets the
game apart from other first-person shooters, though, is the fact that as a
hunter Carver makes good uses of his ability to stalk and lure (you can throw
rocks to catch the attention of enemies) and – as the game progresses – make use
of his new endowments: an animalistic primal powers. These powers allow him to
run faster, night vision, tracking (Carver can see an enemy’s scent trail) and
powerful claws. That’s right, Carver can swat enemies and send them flying back.
While these powers can be used for a limited time, they make the game all the
more interesting and fun.

You will
certainly need the extra help seeing as Carver is not only outnumbered and
outgunned but also up against enemies that will not hesitate to seek you out or
use teamwork to flush you out of your hiding place. Their tactics work well
enough that you will have to watch your back. Then again, the enemies are also
not the smartest opponent you’ll face. Toss a grenade and they will not jump out
of the way sometimes. Get caught setting up a trap and the enemy will still run
right into it. These are merely minor faults that don’t get in the way of the
game’s brightest and numerous moments.

While the
single-player game will keep you entertained from start to finish it is the
game’s multiplayer features that will consume you. You can play the game
split-screen or using a System Link setup with multiple Xbox consoles. The Chaos
and Team Chaos are your basic deathmatch modes and the Steal the Sample mode is
a great capture the flag mode. It is Predator, a mode complete with the feral
powers. These modes can also be played online. There’s also a Map Editor that
allows you to create your own map using a few templates (jungle or military
installation) as well as a number of items and vehicles you can add. It’s quite
tricky to use but once you learn the basics you can create a pretty wildly
unique map.

On the graphics
front, Far Cry Instincts is a gorgeous-looking game. Taking advantage of the
graphical capabilities of the Xbox, the game brings the islands to life. The
foliage is beautifully detailed and the water is the best I’ve seen on the Xbox.
The characters also look good. The enemies move naturally enough but when it
comes to the actually killing the rag-doll effects seem more outrageous than
usual. One enemy I shot slumped over a rail, his body crumpling back like a wet
towel as if death in this game means you lose your skeleton. Other than that,
though, this is an impressive looking game.

The game’s sound
is another high point, mainly because the score is exquisitely cinematic and the
dialogue (filled with profanity) is acted out well enough. The enemies stop and
chat or report in using radios so listen carefully and you’ll catch useful
information or funny bits of dialogue. The sounds of your environment is loud
and plays with your senses, this is especially true when you play the game using
a good surround sound system.

Far Cry
Instincts delivers one of the most gorgeous and well-balanced first-person
shooters you will find on the Xbox. This is an action-packed package with a
great single player mode and an even greater multiplayer game that will have you
playing this one long after your Xbox is traded in for the Xbox 360. A real Must
Have if ever there was one, go out and buy this one now.

Gameplay: 9.2
What more can
you ask for in a game that brings gamers a fully interactive environment
complete with drivable vehicles, two-fisted gunplay and adrenalin pumping
survival tactics? Really, this is one of the most solid first-person shooters
that will keep you addicted from start to finish.

Graphics: 9.0

This is
certainly one lush and gorgeous tropical island that, thanks to the wonderfully
detailed graphics, seem to be breathing with life. The character models look
especially good despite the wild rag-doll effects. This is by far the most
attractive Xbox game available.

Sound: 9.0
With great
voice acting and a marvelously cinematic score, Far Cry Instinct is the type of
game you want to play with a good sound system hooked up to your system. While
the game’s score is a delightful highlight, it’s the detailed sound effects that
rein supreme.

Difficulty:
Medium
The good news
is that the game is delightfully challenging thanks to your enemies ability to
fan out and look for you and they’re also pretty good shots. The bad news is
that they are also dumb enough to walk into obvious traps and many of them don’t
have the common sense to jump out of the way of a grenade.

Concept: 9.0
A lot of the
elements from the PC version are present and accounted for in the Xbox version.
The game’s single-player story mode is a great one but it’s the game’s
multiplayer features that steal the show. The Map Editor feature requires some
patience with its awkward design tools but once you get the hang of it you’ll be
able to design unique playing maps you can share with other gamers.

Multiplayer:
9.5
Be prepared to
forget about sleep, work and girlfriends because the online multiplayer is what
multiplayer dreams are made of. There are split-screen and System Link options
but online the game is fast, furious and completely addictive. You can create
your own maps and play them online.

Overall: 9.2
If there is
one Xbox game you should not miss this year it is Far Cry Instincts. It is one
of those genuinely original and completely engrossing first-person shooters that
joins Halo as the Xbox’s finest games. If this is the system’s last hurrah it is
a good one. Do yourself the favor and buy this one right away.