Far Cry Instincts Does Jack Carver cut it on Xbox?

September 26, 2005 - When Far Cry was released on the PC last year it received praise from the critics, but was unfortunately released just before the tsunami of hype generated by Doom 3 and Half Life 2. The title's excellent AI and huge open-ended environments made for an experience that was consistently solid and occasionally bordered on fantastic. When Ubisoft announced that the tropical shooter would be coming to Xbox it only made sense that we were slightly skeptical. How could a game that recently pushed the hardware capabilities of the most powerful gaming rigs run smoothly on Xbox? The answer lies in that instead of attempting a direct port, Ubisoft took Far Cry's mojo and pumped it into an entirely new experience. 

Far Cry Instincts has the same art style and feel as the PC game but it adds new environments, original multiplayer modes, a map editor, and a twisted storyline that introduces the awesome feral powers. If you read game reviews only as a buyers guide then my advice is to pick up Far Cry Instincts this instant. The title easily outdoes its peers as one of the best shooters on Xbox and more importantly it brings some original features to the table. 

The game still stars Jack Carver, a tough as nails mercenary who mistakenly crosses paths with a government agent and a mad scientist bent on populating the earth with his brand of deformed circus freaks. The game opens as Jack escorts a mysterious journalist to the Jacutan archipelago. She borrows his jet ski for a joy ride and shortly after her disappearance Jack is hosed down by a set of choppers with mounted machine guns. From this point on, it's kill or be killed with the usual assortment of pistols, machine guns, and grenades. The usual FPS feature set is supported with dual wielding, a standard zoom, and a butterfly knife for dicey melee attacks. While this is potentially a generic shooting experience it's supported by a stealth option and the ability to set traps. Later, the game's combat evolves drastically, but we'll stick to the basics for now. 

There is no visible stealth meter, but by staying crouched or prone under the cover of foliage players can easily avoid being seen or heard by mercenaries. This loosely defined system works so well because Ubisoft Montreal has managed to put an insane amount of plant life on screen. Trees, grass, and brush are abundant and offer a hiding place at the edge of every clearing. Players are given color coded radar that shows the location of enemies in the area and their alert level. 
 

By sneaking up behind enemies Jack can perform a backstab that quietly puts them down. Alternately, Jack is able to set branch whips that send enemies flying over the horizon. Players have the ability to set an unlimited number of whips. Then, by tossing rocks from the safety of some underbrush players can lead mercs right into their trap. Later players obtain claymore mines which are even more affective and can be used indoors unlike the branches that can only be attached to sturdy trees. Setting traps can be empowering but is hardly necessary past the early stages of the game when Jack is severely outgunned. The feature does add a bit of replay value in the sense that players can treat the game more like Splinter Cell than Max Payne.