Title: Far Cry Instincts
Developer: Ubisoft/Crytek
Genre: First Person Shooter
Platform: Xbox
Players: 1-4





You are the prey


Far Cry on the PC was heralded as an amazing achievement by a lot of people, the free form gameplay and unique style set it out from the countless sci-fi and War based games that littered the PC's game library. Crytek's unique engine allowed tropical environments to be processed and simulated in an almost believable fashion. It was very much a high end PC game at the time of its creation. All the praise that it got seemed to have an effect on Ubisoft, so much in fact, that Ubisoft decided to allow Xbox players to experience Far Cry albeit in a slightly different fashion with Far Cry: Instincts on the Xbox.



And I am the Predator

Jack Carver is a simple man on the run from the law, for reasons unknown there is a price on his head (Although some info points towards him dealing out illegal fire arms to gangs and Mafia's) and his Dishonourable discharge from the army doesn't make his police records look any better. After years of travelling Jack settled down near the Jacutan Islands, an island shrouded by mystery as many had not dared to explore it, and those who have have very rarely came back. A young woman by the name of Val asks for Jacks assistance on getting around the island. Shortly after borrowing Jacks jet boat Jack is attacked by a chopper, after Jack escapes what is now just a pile of splinters he has to escape his pursuers. What Jack doesn't know is what they really want him for. It'd adapt or die time...



Hell In Paradise

If you were to look at screenshots you'd believe that Far Cry: Instincts is just your average shoot em up, despite the fact that it takes place in a unique tropical environment. All the trademarks of a standard Shooter are there, the duel wielding, meleeing, stealth kills, sniping, and sneaking. But looks can be deceiving, Far Cry: Instincts puts a twist on the standard shooter formula and adds in a new "Feral" system. The Feral system gives you a set of unique abilities that give you the edge over your adversaries, the game doesn't give you all these abilities from the start though, you have to work for them by progressing through the game. As you play through the game you'll acquire these abilities when you come across the first scenario that requires you to use them. This is a really clever idea that works really well as the game introduces you to the abilities without you having to figure out what to do with them for too long, it's automatic at first, pulling off the ability without you having to do anything, afterwards a on screen explanation of how to pull of these abilities pops up. Each ability is easy to pull off too as they're all mapped to two buttons, Y & B. Telling you all about the abilities would spoil the fun as finding them is half the fun, the other half is using them. Using these abilities though, is extremely fun and adds a lot of spice to what would be, a very samey, yet good looking shooter.

Far Cry: Instincts allows players to approach situations in two ways; you can either gun you way through, Rambo Style, or carefully dispose of your opponents in a stealthy, tactful manner. It's all up to you and your style of play. Other games such as Hitman 2: Silent Assassin allowed you to do this, and it's certainly a welcome addition to Far Cry: Instincts. You, of course have devices to help you overcome problems such as the inclusion of traps. These come in two forms. Branch whip, which allows you to install and pull back a springed branch that pulls forwards when an enemy is in close proximity and sends them hurtling to the floor. And Claymore mines which you can set on the floor, these act like basic proximity mines and blow up when someone is near it. You can also throw rocks to get enemies attention and draw them near. You have an unlimited supply, so these make an excellent lure for traps and stealth attacks. Using any means of transports necessary is also fun as you'll use ATV's trucks, hover boats, and even hang gliders, it's all easy to do too as its all done using one control stick leaving you to aim and fire with the other.

The multiplayer is also another worthy achievement, the maps on offer and modes are great, especially the Predator mode, where a group of players play as mercs with standard abilities, while one player plays as a Predator who has all the abilities from the campaign, including the ability to follow foes scent trails, just like the single player. The maps also offer a lot of variety too. They're all diverse and you’re bound to find a favourite. Combine this with a more than competent LIVE service and you've got a great social game that involves teamwork and fast thinking. The ability to make your own multiplayer maps and publish them online is also worthy of praise, this stuff is versatile, and when I say that, I mean it. Every tiny detail of your map can be customized, from terrain height, shape, shadowing, weather conditions, placements, foliage, vehicles, and buildings. There are unlimited possibilities to create your ideal map, and publishing them online for everyone to share and experience is a brilliant addition.

These additions make Far Cry: Instincts one of the more versatile shooters on the market. It's all so wonderfully implemented.



Sun Burn and Mosquito Bites

The game still has some annoyances though, despite the excellent gameplay additions, the lack of switching the auto aim off is a real downer for those that want to aim in a Mouse/Keyboard manner. It's not as strong as the likes of Halo 2 but its presence is still noticeable. You can click the right thumbstick in to use a zoom that allows you to aim more manually but why should you have to? Why the developers didn't include this in Instincts is beyond me. And for players that use a southpaw control system, you may be disappointed that Ubisoft didn't add this control scheme. It's a rather popular control scheme that really should be included. Not everyone uses the regular controls you know Ubi?



Room with a view

Technically, the game is stunning. The tropical atmosphere is only helped more by the lovely lighting. Light shines onto everything, from bodies, to walls, cliffs and tree's. Anyone who has played Splinter Cell: Chaos Theory knows what to expect from this game, after all Ubi is critically acclaimed for it's lighting. The environments are as versatile as you can get. The foliage, texturing, and design is all done in such a manner that it makes you really open your eyes, it's a console game that is pretty darn close to looking like a high end PC game. There are a few technical problems though. The game suffers a case of "Halo 2 syndrome", you'll often see plants and texture loading in the distance and popping up unexpectedly, it's only small but it's noticeable, but nowhere near on the scale of Halo 2.

The sound is great too. All your standard jungle sounds are there, from birds twittering, bushes rustling, and occasionally the odd wild animal roaring in the distance, it really compliments the visual style of the game perfectly. The music another great achievement, the soundtrack pulls off a mix of bold and brash, and soft and ambient to suit the current situation you are in. It really adds to the atmosphere and works well. My personal favourite though, is the sound some of enemies make when whacked with you super strength feral punch, it's hilarious as they make little girly sounds after getting pummelled, the icing on the cake.

Lord of the Jungle

Far Cry: Instincts is a game that really out does itself in many departments, sound, graphics, design and gameplay. But falls flat on others as it doesn't give the player enough control customisation to give the player their own playing style, much like a quote from the game it's "Die or Adapt" when it comes to the control scheme. Adapt or you’re going to get seriously owned. But after adapting and looking past those problems it's a fun game that doesn't take itself to serious. If you've played Halo: CE and Halo 2 to death and want something new then buy this.



Graphics: 9.3
Absolutely stunning, texturing, lighting, and detail all play a critical factor in Instincts, and boy does it shine. The progressive loading and occasional pop up stop it from scoring much much higher.

Sound: 9.0
Compliments the graphics beautifully, the jungle sounds, the solid voice acting and the music work very well to emulate that jungle action experience. And the enemy cries when you pummel them are hilarious to boot. Nice little bonus right there folks

Gameplay: 9:2
The niggly bits such as the lack of complete control customisation are made up for by the excellent trapping, and feral systems, it really adds a lot of spice into a genre that has usually been just about running, gunning, and switch tripping.

Lifespan: 8.9
The single player is sizable, the map editor is an entertaining feature, and the LIVE play is both solid and fun. There is plenty to do but if you played it's larger PC brother, then you may not find it as expansive, for those who haven't it's all good and it'll feel long enough.

Overall: 9.0
The game does have some niggly flaws but the games presentation, gameplay, design, and concept are more than enough to rub out those flaws. A great title that would sit nicely in your collection after completing the Dooms, and Halo's of your collection.