The first-person shooter is a bloated genre. It seems that a sub-par FPS is released every other week. So when UbiSoft announced that it would be creating a version of “Far Cry” for the Xbox, it was hard to get too excited. The original “Far Cry” was a gorgeous and entertaining PC shooter set on a tropical island that humbled even the most powerful computers. It was hard to imagine an Xbox version of the game amounting to more than a dumbed down port of its PC predecessor. Thankfully “Far Cry Instincts,” developed by UbiSoft Montreal, is not straight port of the PC game but an amped up version that adds new gameplay elements to “Far Cry’s” excellent tropical locales.
In “Instincts” players control Jack Carver, an ex-Navy commando who spends his days ferrying tourists all over the South Pacific. One day Carver finds himself stranded in the Jacutan islands, a mysterious archipelago, after his boat is destroyed in a hail of gunfire. Carver has to find Valerie Cortez, the journalist who paid him to take her to the islands and then find a way to safety. Carver will have to face an island full of mercenaries out to kill him for reasons that remain unclear.
The key to “Instincts’” success is its amazing graphic engine; “Instincts” is easily one of the Xbox’s best looking titles. The game’s tropical environments are huge and believable. Players will likely get lost in the game’s lush tree- and foliage-filled forests. It is easy to be surprised by mercenaries who sometimes blend in with the forest. The game’s excellent sound heightens the sense of immersion.
“Instincts” nicely balances run-and-gun gameplay with an elegant stealth mechanic that helps when Carver is severely outnumbered. Since much of the game takes place in dense forest areas, Carver is often able to crawl through the underbrush sneaking up on his unsuspecting prey. Jumping out of the bushes to attack victims is a very satisfying feeling, as is luring mercenaries toward the traps that Carver can place.
The one major aspect that separates “Far Cry Instincts” from the original game is the addition of feral abilities. A few hours into the game Carver gets injected with something that gives him feral powers. Carver is able to slash at his enemies with devastating melee attacks, he also gains super speed and heightened senses. The feral powers are a welcome addition to the “Far Cry” series, and serve to enhance an already solid game.
“Instincts” also features a decent 16-person multiplayer mode that includes standard game types Chaos (Deathmatch), Team Chaos and Steal the Sample (capture the flag) as well as a unique game type called Predator. In Predator a group of players work together to take down one player who has all the feral abilities. The multiplayer action is fun, but the game’s single player was clearly UbiSoft Montreal’s focus.
“Far Cry Instincts” is a great first-person shooter that shows off the power of the Xbox in its twilight months. Hopefully, shooters on the Xbox 360, Microsoft’s next generation console slated for release in November, will show the same level of innovation and attention to detail that “Instincts” does.