Far Cry Instincts

"A fair review of a good game with some flaws"

Far Cry: Instincts 7/10

Far Cry for the Xbox is an example of a game with a lot going for it, but a significant enough number of issues that hamper it from being the truly great game that it could have been. While the game isn't groundbreaking, and isn't going to appear on any "greatest games of all time" lists, it gets enough stuff right to be an enjoyable experience. In this review, I'm going to try and share what I did and didn't like about the game, so that you can make an educated decision about whether or not it's the right game for you.

Another problem is that the game is inevitably going to be compared to its PC counterpart (the 2004 Crytek release "Far Cry"). This isn't really fair because Instincts is inherently limited in certain ways that the PC version is not...most notably the hardware. Because of these limitations, Crytek decided to go ahead and have a whole new game developed. The main character and general feel of the game remain the same, but there are enough differences to result in a totally new experience, for better or for worse.

Gameplay: 7/10

This game uses the golden standard first-person shooter controls for the Xbox (i.e. the same as Halo). If you've played any FPS for the Xbox lately, you will almost certainly feel right at home immediately. All in all, the controls are well done, and I usually found the character doing what I wanted when I wanted. Though, to be honest, they didn't feel quite as finely tuned as games like Halo or Doom 3. Occasionally I found myself having difficulty drawing a bead on certain things or going just where I wanted to go, but this problem was minor.

One of the first things anybody wants to know about a FPS is the weapons. Instincts has a pretty basic assortment of weapons. You've got your pistol (silenced or not), your shotgun, your sub-machinegun, your sniper rifle, you rocket launcher...and a few others. Nothing really stands out as unique or new, but they are all done relatively well. This game does feature dual wielding (what FPS doesn't these days?), although only of the same type of gun. One point I noticed is that the sniper rifle seemed to be overpowered. It was too easy to hang back and pick off baddies as they came charging at you. It didn't hamper the game too badly, though. Overall, the weapons worked well in this game.

Another "hot topic" in FPS games these days is enemy A.I. I regret to report that Instincts doesn't really shine in this department. For the most part, enemies will charge you. They do a reasonable amount of taking cover, but even then they seem to follow a pretty basic fire & duck pattern. It's not all that dynamic or exciting. Part of this is due to the aforementioned hardware limitations, but to tell the truth I've seen enemy AI done quite a bit better even on the Xbox. Anybody who is hoping for the wonderful AI we saw in the PC version will be disappointed.

One highly advertised aspect of this game is the "feral powers." As the game progresses, you character develops certain animal-like powers, including things like a powerful melee attack, the ability to "see" your enemies' scent, and some other stuff. On one hand, it seems like every FPS these days is giving you psychic powers or something like this, but in Instincts it's relatively well done. The powers are fun to use, and later in the game you will find yourself relying on them to get through some sticky situations. They are also a blast to use in the multiplayer (see the multiplayer section below). The feral powers themselves are not the game's selling point, but they do add something to the experience.

Another thing that deserves mention is the vehicles. Like many recent FPS, Far Cry contains several things that you can ride about as you endeavor to cause mayhem. These include an ATV, a jet ski, a hang-glider, a hovercraft, and several others. Rather than pulling out to the third-person perspective like other games, Far Cry keeps first person perspective as take control of various craft. You continue to be able to hold a weapon and shoot with your right-hand. Supposedly your left-hand is steering the vehicle, although we don't see it on the steering wheel/handles as they turn (a minor detail that somehow annoyed me a bit). The vehicles control pretty well, but for some reason their movement feels a little "light." Other games that I personally feel have done vehicles a bit more successfully have been able to give the vehicles a bit more of a feeling of weight. Nonetheless, the number of unique vehicles and the frequency with which they appear changes things up, and makes the experience better overall.

Something that has to be mentioned for those that played the original Far Cry: This game is quite a bit more linear. Once again, this is due to hardware limitations. The result is that there is usually only one way to go, and branching paths are often brief (strangely enough, the levels that feel that most non-linear are actually in the first quarter of the game). Nonetheless, considering what this game had to work with the levels progress nicely, but fans of the PC game may find that they have fewer options on how to approach a situation.

Yet another aspect that we are seeing in many recent FPS games is stealth. Far Cry also contains stealth, and the good news is that it's pretty fun. There is no stealth meter or anything to tell you whether you're hidden, but overall it's not too difficult to figure out what qualifies as concealed. You have a butterfly knife that allows you to backstab enemies you sneak up on, but the real fun comes with the game's trap system. Pressing the black button allows you to go into "trap mode." This function allows you to set-up claymore mines and branch whips (spiked branches pulled tight around trees). Both are a blast to use. The branch whip sends the guys flying through the air backwards (quite satisfying). It's also a real blast to set-up a claymore mine, lay down in the nearby bushes, use a rock to lure a few guys over to it, watch one or two get blasted to kingdom come, and then pop-up with your shotgun and give the remaining guy a lead salad for breakfast. The trap system really adds to this game's single-player element, and turns stealth from the loathsome experience it is in most FPS games into something enjoyable.

One last note about difficulty. Several professional reviews I read described this game as being hard, but I would have to disagree. There are a few tight spots that are frustrating and force you to use your feral powers, but overall I did not find the game to be noticeably difficult. It was no cakewalk, but we aren't talking Devil May Cry 3 or Ninja Gaiden here. This leads to a disappointing point: The game has no difficulty levels other than the default one. It would have been nice to see something harder for those of us who beat the single-player and wanted more out of it. Another thing that affects the difficulty is the fact that relatively early on in the game your health starts regenerating constantly. This means that you can usually hang-back or hide out and "lick your wounds," and then jump back into the fray with perfect or greatly improved health.

Story 7/10

Stop me if you've heard this one: You are an ex-military guy who tried to leave his old life behind and start things anew. But just when things seem to be settling down, trouble goes out of its way to find you. You find yourself alone and outnumbered, and you are going to have to use every ounce of skill you've got to stay alive. There is a girl and a sinister conspiracy in the mix as well.
Sound familiar? Thought so. Instincts offers a relatively basic story, though it's not too cheesy or overblown considering. The game saves itself with two strong points in this category: The cut scenes and the setting.

The cut scenes are done while still in the first person perspective, while still using the ingame engine. This actually works pretty well, adding to the feeling of immersion and doing a good job of "putting you there." The only other time that I have seen this well done was in the Brothers in Arms games, and the voice-acting is way better here.

Another thing that gives the game a unique element is the setting. It takes place on a tropical island, something I haven't seen done too often...if at all. This gives the game a distinctive look and feel. Although a lot of the levels have a similar feel, there whole thing is new enough that it doesn't start to feel too repetitive.
Overall, the story does a fine job of moving things along, and even has a few neat elements. But it isn't going to be winning any Oscars anytime soon. If you play games mostly for the story, best to eschew this title.

Graphics 9/10

The quality of the graphics really depends on whether or not you are comparing this to the PC game. In point of fact, the game looks great on the Xbox, and really shows how much can still be gotten out of this system that is about to be replaced by it's successor. The water, the trees, the sky all cool...as do the explosions. Although it is worth pointing out that textures and character models look a lot better from far away than up close.

However, if you are expecting to see a game that looks like the original Far Cry, you are going to be sorely disappointed. Although this games looks beautiful on the Xbox, there is absolutely no way that it could ever hold a candle to the PC version. Yet again, this is due to the hardware limitations. This is something that really has to be kept in mind before those who have played the PC game judge too quickly.

One thing I do take issue with is the way that the lightbloom sometimes conceals enemies. For those of you who don't know, lightbloom is an effect that produces bright areas in various objects or places that "bleed" into surrounding, non-bright areas. It is used to give images a kind of dream-like warmth or make them feel washed-out (Fable used lightbloom a lot with good results). In the case of Far Cry, it actually works great to give the levels that tropical island feel (almost like the hero is squinting his eyes). The problem is that sometimes the brightness covers up enemies, making their movement and location difficult to pinpoint. I often found myself using the reticule (which turns red when pointed at an enemy) to locate baddies. However, I will admit that this is a minor, technical issue.

Sound 7/10

The sound is good, but nothing special. Gunshots and ambient noises are there, and do their job, but aren't going to send a shiver down your spine or stick in your memory. Everything feels pretty "stock." In no way is the sound going to decrease your enjoyment, but it isn't likely to standout to you either.

Multiplayer 8/10

A big part of how much you get out of Far Cry: Instincts depends on whether or not you are able to enjoy the multiplayer. It is one of the strongest aspects of the game. The game can do split-screen, system link, and Xbox Live, but only the latter is really worth getting the game for. I'll explain why, in a moment, after I touch briefly on the two former options.

The split-screen is fine for people who still enjoy it, but one major hindrance is that you can't use maps from the map-maker...and I have no idea why. It would be a lot of fun to have your buddy over and say "hey, wanna check out this map I made?..." without him having to go back to his place and sign into Live. Seems like a major oversight to me.

System link works fine, but it also has one major issue. Although the game supports up to 16 players, it only allows one per system. That is to say, if you have four Xbox linked up, you can only have four people playing. If you wanted to do the full sixteen, you'd need sixteen Xboxes...and we all know that that's very unlikely to happen for the average gamer.

But the Xbox Live makes up for it all. There are only four gameplay modes: Chaos and Team Chaos (basically Deathmatch), Steal the Sample (essentially Capture the Flag), and the unique "Predator" mode. Predator gives a certain amount of players (depending on stuff like the number of people playing and what options are selected) the aforementioned "Feral Powers" and tasks them with stopping the other, normal players from reaching certain critical points where switches can be thrown that neutralize the Predator players. It's a great mode and a real blast to play.

Online is just great for a number of other reasons. One is the map-sharing ability. Although the game comes with 14 playable multiplayer maps out of the box, an infinite number of maps can be made and shared online via the map-maker (see below). I have seen a bunch of really great and original stuff out there. It's a lot of fun to try people's maps and compliment the good ones and offer advice to the bad ones.

Yet another thing that is great about online is the option for players to vote for a bunch of stuff. Rules can be changed, and games can be started (so that one guy clipping his toenails doesn't keep everybody waiting). It really makes for a kind of democracy, and keeps dictator hosts or other naughty individuals from ruining the experience.

At this point, the online community seems pretty numerous and full of a decent amount of good people (although who knows what it will be like in the future). The online mode is a strong incentive to buy this game, and if you enjoy FPS games on Live, Instincts is a must.

Map-maker 9/10

I'm not going to go too in-depth into the map-maker, but I wanted to mention that it's there and it's good. Other console FPS games that have offered map-makers (Timesplitters: Future Perfect and Pariah) have done a good job, but this is by far the deepest thing out there with the most variety. The size, detail, and customability of the maps leads to a huge variety and allows for a lot of creativity. It's quite complex and has a lot too it. Just a few examples of cool stuff that I have seen: Redone Goldeneye levels, Star Wars-themed maps, recreations of the Normandy beaches, people trying to remake sections of their hometowns, and even a guy who did a map based on the first level of the first "Super Mario Bros." game. This is just the tip of the iceberg, folks.

Replay Value and Length 7/10

Plain and simple, this is completely dependant on whether or not you have Xbox Live. The single-player is relatively linear and short (took me about ten hours), and while being fun is unlikely to change anybody's life. Live is a whole other animal. The map-making, voting, and Predator mode make for a really fun experience with almost unlimited potential. There is a lot of fun to be had here. The map-making mode is really deep (for people who like that sort of thing), and offers a lot of variety...but once again you are going to need Live in order to be able to share those maps.

Conclusion 7/10

Far Cry: Instincts is a great game with a lot to it. The single-player has a lot of the elements that we see in all console FPS games these days (vehicles, stealth, special powers, etc.), and while it doesn't bring all that much new to the table, it does pretty well with what it does present. But the length is questionable and there is no difficulty option. It is in the multiplayer...specifically Xbox Live that the game really shines. A unique gameplay mode, the ability for players to vote, and the map-making/sharing really gives you a lot to enjoy.

The best way to look at the game is as a stand-alone and not compare it to its PC cousin. This game looks and plays great for an Xbox game, and holds it's own in that respect.

Should you buy the game? It depends on who you are and what you like, but here's my advice: If you have Xbox live, buy it and you won't regret it. If you don't, give it a rent and see if the single-player is going to

Reviewer's Score: 7/10, Originally Posted: 10/20/05