Far Cry Instincts Predator
Posted June 5, 2006
Adapted from the Xbox version of Far Cry Instincts Evolution, Ubisoft added a few new features elevate this Xbox 360 title over the standard port. This game features two single player storylines along with a meaty multiplayer section to keep your attention over Xbox Live. Additionally, Ubisoft has increased the functionality of the map editor which has spurned massive creativity in the Xbox 360 user community. Add in a graphical upgrade and we have an excellent addition to the rapidly growing FPS library on the Xbox 360. 
For those unfamiliar with the story, Jack Carver, the lead character, is a former mercenary turned ship captain content to live his life in the bottom of a tequila bottle. As per usual, Jack takes on a client of the female persuasion and escorts her to a section of islands filled with angry hired guns that don't take kindly to trespassers. Inevitably, the headstrong maiden falls into the clutches of the evil enemy leader and it's up to Jack to save the day. Every single player rendition of the Far Cry series really sticks to the same tired narrative, but it's still fun to see what twists are thrown into the mix each time.
Gameplay:
As mentioned earlier, the single player game is split into two sections, Instincts and Evolution. Instincts needs to be played previous to Evolution to unlock the second game. It should be played first anyway as certain abilities are unlocked that are used in Evolution from the first level. Instincts has 11 lengthy levels and Evolution has 8 fairly short levels. Also, the storyline for the first game is more entertaining than Evolution.
The weaponry available in the Far Cry universe is still the standard affair. Pistols (also silenced), various machine guns, sniper rifles, shotguns, rocket launcher, and blowguns are just a few of the weapons. The guns are only moderately effective, but you will have a variety of explosives at your disposal; frag grenades, Molotov cocktails, pipe bombs, and claymore mines. If ammo is in low supply, you can rely on the handy knife for stealth kills or use the tree branch traps to lure unsuspecting enemies into a bloody death. Additionally, you can always fall back on your Feral abilities to psychotically dispatch soldiers.
Feral abilities are a range of primal, animalistic instincts that take over at certain points in the game. They can also be activated by the gamer after acquiring the skill. Abilities include heightened speed and jumping capability, night vision, tracking enemies through scent, and a vicious attack that will tear an enemy to shreds. Feral abilities are regulated through the use of adrenaline which is represented in a green meter at the bottom left hand side of the screen. Adrenaline is naturally increased when tracking enemies, but can be picked up in the form of a health pack as well.
Of course, having to fall back on feral abilities to defeat the average A.I. is usually not required. The A.I. has its moments of glory such as performing flanking maneuvers, but their predictable nature is a bit of a drawback. Even on the highest level of difficulty, a group of enemy soldiers can be dispatched with minimal effort. The A.I. has a tough time with moving between different heights in the terrain along with navigating around certain environmental objects. Occasionally, soldiers will be stuck behind certain objects attempting to get to your location. The only real challenge has to be avoiding the crazy exploding zombies that massively populate the marshland missions.
Traveling around the various islands is still one of the most enjoyable points of the Far Cry series. Zip lines, Humvees, ATV's, rafts, gunships, jet skis, hovercrafts, and gliders are all supremely fun methods of travel. These modes of transportation are littered all over the maps. Each vehicle has a different feel when attempting to control it which can make for some captivating rides. Additionally, every ride gives an appropriate sense of speed when racing away from attack choppers or navigating through river mines with gunships on your tail.
All of the travel elements made their way into the multiplayer game as well. The five multiplayer modes are deathmatch, team deathmatch, capture the flag, and a couple variations on territory domination. Predator is more of a protection gig that requires one team to guard a specific area while another attacks. Seek and Secure is a method of play that requires massive teamwork to hold a series of checkpoints on the map. All of these modes can be played over a collection of 24 maps up to 16 players over Xbox Live. Online play is very much lag free, regardless of the use of custom maps.
Custom maps can be created through the snazzy map editor. The editor allows for manipulation of a game map or the creation of a brand new one. I spent much of my time creating a monolithic island map that used hang gliders to navigate between capture the flag points. Every aspect of the editor, such as the land manipulator or the object placement tool, is simplistic to use. Maps can be uploaded over Xbox Live so all of your friends can check out your handy-work.
The achievements are split into 35 tasks for a grand total of 1000 gamerscore points. The points are divided right down the middle between single player and multiplayer. Similar to Gun, the single player tasks require you to complete the game on all three levels of difficulty to garner all the points. The multiplayer undertakings are similar to the Perfect Dark Zero point structure with most given for completion of a certain number of kills. The points are not impossible to earn, but the vast majority of gamers will never rack up the entire set. If anything, Ubisoft decided time-consuming achievements are more worthwhile than any overly difficult tasks. Heck, there is even an achievement for 80 hours of playtime in multiplayer!
Graphics:
Visually, Far Cry has slight moments of Xbox 360 power utilization, but it's mostly just upgraded Xbox textures at play. The water effects are still gorgeous, but the fire effects look pre-360 quality. Many of the foliage textures look dated as well, along with the beaches and the marshland. Also, the character models are showing their age especially compared to the skinning seen in games like Condemned. Although, the weapon models and Jack's hands look pretty darn detailed. The cut scenes look improved, but they still have a fuzzy nature to their appearance.
The game runs very smoothly, regardless of the amount of action going on or the changes occurring in the environment. One of my favorite graphical nuances has to be emerging from a pool of water. Jack has to wait a half-second before the world becomes clear again just as anyone with water in their eyes does. It's a nice little extra that you rarely see incorporated into a FPS game. Overall, the graphical engine is still relatively solid, but it doesn't compare well to titles built specifically for the Xbox 360.
Audio:
The driving musical score, forceful sound effects, and believable voiceovers all play an integral role in the quality auditory experience. The musical soundtrack is mostly made up of tribal jungle music that heightens the suspense and ups the tempo of the gameplay. While the gun noises are a bit contrived, the rest of the ambient environmental sound effects are phenomenal. The rushed sound of flapping wings that birds make as they take flight out of a nearby bush is particularly unsettling.
The voiceovers for Jack and the rest of the supporting cast are fairly well done, but the main draw is the comedic conversations between the various henchmen. Similar to the Splinter Call series, these conversations are usually about you and can be heard by using the microphone built into your handy set of binoculars. Overall, Far Cry delivers a delightful combination of audio effects to integrate the gamer into Jack Carver's world.
Conclusion:
Far Cry Instincts Predator isn't the best FPS experience on the Xbox 360, but it certainly shouldn't be overlooked. The game will take about ten to twelve hours for the first storyline and another 6 to 8 for the second single player scenario on the medium level of difficulty. Add in countless hours attempting to dominate your Xbox Live friends and Far Cry may become a staple in your Xbox 360 library. I recommend this game to anyone who hasn't played the original on the first Xbox at around a purchase price of $40 to $50. Others may want to pick it up for the awesome multiplayer when the price drops to the $30 range. FPS fans or those looking for an interesting adventure tale should consider picking up Far Cry Instincts Predator.
For those unfamiliar with the story, Jack Carver, the lead character, is a former mercenary turned ship captain content to live his life in the bottom of a tequila bottle. As per usual, Jack takes on a client of the female persuasion and escorts her to a section of islands filled with angry hired guns that don't take kindly to trespassers. Inevitably, the headstrong maiden falls into the clutches of the evil enemy leader and it's up to Jack to save the day. Every single player rendition of the Far Cry series really sticks to the same tired narrative, but it's still fun to see what twists are thrown into the mix each time.
Gameplay:
As mentioned earlier, the single player game is split into two sections, Instincts and Evolution. Instincts needs to be played previous to Evolution to unlock the second game. It should be played first anyway as certain abilities are unlocked that are used in Evolution from the first level. Instincts has 11 lengthy levels and Evolution has 8 fairly short levels. Also, the storyline for the first game is more entertaining than Evolution.
The weaponry available in the Far Cry universe is still the standard affair. Pistols (also silenced), various machine guns, sniper rifles, shotguns, rocket launcher, and blowguns are just a few of the weapons. The guns are only moderately effective, but you will have a variety of explosives at your disposal; frag grenades, Molotov cocktails, pipe bombs, and claymore mines. If ammo is in low supply, you can rely on the handy knife for stealth kills or use the tree branch traps to lure unsuspecting enemies into a bloody death. Additionally, you can always fall back on your Feral abilities to psychotically dispatch soldiers.
Feral abilities are a range of primal, animalistic instincts that take over at certain points in the game. They can also be activated by the gamer after acquiring the skill. Abilities include heightened speed and jumping capability, night vision, tracking enemies through scent, and a vicious attack that will tear an enemy to shreds. Feral abilities are regulated through the use of adrenaline which is represented in a green meter at the bottom left hand side of the screen. Adrenaline is naturally increased when tracking enemies, but can be picked up in the form of a health pack as well.
Of course, having to fall back on feral abilities to defeat the average A.I. is usually not required. The A.I. has its moments of glory such as performing flanking maneuvers, but their predictable nature is a bit of a drawback. Even on the highest level of difficulty, a group of enemy soldiers can be dispatched with minimal effort. The A.I. has a tough time with moving between different heights in the terrain along with navigating around certain environmental objects. Occasionally, soldiers will be stuck behind certain objects attempting to get to your location. The only real challenge has to be avoiding the crazy exploding zombies that massively populate the marshland missions.
Traveling around the various islands is still one of the most enjoyable points of the Far Cry series. Zip lines, Humvees, ATV's, rafts, gunships, jet skis, hovercrafts, and gliders are all supremely fun methods of travel. These modes of transportation are littered all over the maps. Each vehicle has a different feel when attempting to control it which can make for some captivating rides. Additionally, every ride gives an appropriate sense of speed when racing away from attack choppers or navigating through river mines with gunships on your tail.
All of the travel elements made their way into the multiplayer game as well. The five multiplayer modes are deathmatch, team deathmatch, capture the flag, and a couple variations on territory domination. Predator is more of a protection gig that requires one team to guard a specific area while another attacks. Seek and Secure is a method of play that requires massive teamwork to hold a series of checkpoints on the map. All of these modes can be played over a collection of 24 maps up to 16 players over Xbox Live. Online play is very much lag free, regardless of the use of custom maps.
Custom maps can be created through the snazzy map editor. The editor allows for manipulation of a game map or the creation of a brand new one. I spent much of my time creating a monolithic island map that used hang gliders to navigate between capture the flag points. Every aspect of the editor, such as the land manipulator or the object placement tool, is simplistic to use. Maps can be uploaded over Xbox Live so all of your friends can check out your handy-work.
The achievements are split into 35 tasks for a grand total of 1000 gamerscore points. The points are divided right down the middle between single player and multiplayer. Similar to Gun, the single player tasks require you to complete the game on all three levels of difficulty to garner all the points. The multiplayer undertakings are similar to the Perfect Dark Zero point structure with most given for completion of a certain number of kills. The points are not impossible to earn, but the vast majority of gamers will never rack up the entire set. If anything, Ubisoft decided time-consuming achievements are more worthwhile than any overly difficult tasks. Heck, there is even an achievement for 80 hours of playtime in multiplayer!
Graphics:
Visually, Far Cry has slight moments of Xbox 360 power utilization, but it's mostly just upgraded Xbox textures at play. The water effects are still gorgeous, but the fire effects look pre-360 quality. Many of the foliage textures look dated as well, along with the beaches and the marshland. Also, the character models are showing their age especially compared to the skinning seen in games like Condemned. Although, the weapon models and Jack's hands look pretty darn detailed. The cut scenes look improved, but they still have a fuzzy nature to their appearance.
The game runs very smoothly, regardless of the amount of action going on or the changes occurring in the environment. One of my favorite graphical nuances has to be emerging from a pool of water. Jack has to wait a half-second before the world becomes clear again just as anyone with water in their eyes does. It's a nice little extra that you rarely see incorporated into a FPS game. Overall, the graphical engine is still relatively solid, but it doesn't compare well to titles built specifically for the Xbox 360.
Audio:
The driving musical score, forceful sound effects, and believable voiceovers all play an integral role in the quality auditory experience. The musical soundtrack is mostly made up of tribal jungle music that heightens the suspense and ups the tempo of the gameplay. While the gun noises are a bit contrived, the rest of the ambient environmental sound effects are phenomenal. The rushed sound of flapping wings that birds make as they take flight out of a nearby bush is particularly unsettling.
The voiceovers for Jack and the rest of the supporting cast are fairly well done, but the main draw is the comedic conversations between the various henchmen. Similar to the Splinter Call series, these conversations are usually about you and can be heard by using the microphone built into your handy set of binoculars. Overall, Far Cry delivers a delightful combination of audio effects to integrate the gamer into Jack Carver's world.
Conclusion:
Far Cry Instincts Predator isn't the best FPS experience on the Xbox 360, but it certainly shouldn't be overlooked. The game will take about ten to twelve hours for the first storyline and another 6 to 8 for the second single player scenario on the medium level of difficulty. Add in countless hours attempting to dominate your Xbox Live friends and Far Cry may become a staple in your Xbox 360 library. I recommend this game to anyone who hasn't played the original on the first Xbox at around a purchase price of $40 to $50. Others may want to pick it up for the awesome multiplayer when the price drops to the $30 range. FPS fans or those looking for an interesting adventure tale should consider picking up Far Cry Instincts Predator.