Far Cry Instincts review

When FarCry came out on the PC last year it was received by critics and gamers as a great title. The release of Doom 3 and Half Life 2 somewhat eclipsed it in terms of press but it still made a big mark on the FPS world. The game's graphics were so impressive that it is now used in benchmarking tests on most graphics card reviews.

When the Xbox conversion was announced there were those who thought it couldn't be done. They were probably right but fortunately Ubisoft's Montreal studio rewrote the game from the ground up and it did a pretty good job at that.

Imagine

The phrase “re-imagining” has always held some horror for me since the recent Planet of the Apes film but it's time to wipe off that association and apply it to FarCry. The Montreal studio has re-imagined the game for the console market to make it work with the restricted hardware and the different expectations of this market.

The game retains the feel of the original FarCry and is immediately recognisable. It adds some new features and changes to the story and gameplay as it plays out but it is definitely FarCry reworked for the Xbox. Everything has been reworked and tweaked to suit the console market from the graphics and audio through to the AI and multiplayer options. A map editor feature has even been added to keep gamers going – although working it with just the gamepad is rather tricky.

Step down

There were, of course, certain things that were never going to be quite the same on the Xbox and the graphics are definitely one of them. The developer has done an excellent job with the presentation but the graphics card technology is moving forward so quickly that the Xbox has been left behind. The foliage in the jungle looks a bit too two-dimensional especially when you're hiding in it. The textures generally look a bit blocky but in comparison with other Xbox games, the graphics are excellent – just don't compare them to the graphics on a good PC.

The audio works really well on the Xbox with the surround sound being very well implemented. The gun fire and explosions are realistic enough but it's the detail in the audio that makes it work. You'll be sneaking around a lot, certainly in the early part of the game so being able to hear where the enemies are is really important.

Exploring the Jungle

The premise of FarCry is not too different from the PC version. You take on the role of Jack Carver who is a mercenary who accidentally crosses paths with some mad scientists conducting some strange experiments trying to take over the world, naturally. The main twist on the PC is the addition of feral powers. You come into these powers as the game draws on giving you the ability to see the scent trails of your enemies as well as super strength which lets you rip enemies apart.

Some of the enemies in the later part of the game take the form of wild animals and some of the wilder mutants created by the mad scientists. The game definitely rewards stealth at the start of the game when your weapons are limited and you're massively outgunned. There's plenty of foliage to hide in but there's no stealth meter to let you know how well hidden you are. If you're lying prone under cover then you're probably safe as long as the enemies aren't looking too hard. You can also attack from underneath the wooden huts that are chracterised by lots of holes in the floor and only one or two enemies inside. Once you have crawled underneath you can roll onto your back and look up tracking the enemy and allowing you to get an easy kill.

Country Bumpkins

The AI on the PC version of FarCry came under some criticism and the Xbox isn't much better. One of the great features of the Xbox version is the ability to set traps on the trees. This involves standing next to a tree and setting up a tensed branch with spikes on it. When the enemy comes close enough it springs forward killing them. You attract the enemies by throwing stones near the trap. I found it a bit too easy to attract uncautious foes on some occasions. Othertimes I just couldn't get them close enough to spring the trap no matter how many stones I threw. The enemies, certainly in the early part of the game tend to not react too well.

It reminds me of the first Metal Gear Solid in that the attention of the guards can be attracted easily but their interest wanes easily and you can get the attention of one enemy without alerting the person standing next to them letting you get a good start when you spring from your cover. Once you do get into a firefight the enemies work a bit better, trying to flank you and shooting quite respectably.

Like Zombies

The enemies are rather zombie like in more than just their intelligence. Shoot an enemy in the head and you can take them out in one or two shots depending on how good your aim is. Hit them anywhere else and you can easily empty a whole clip into them before they drop. There's no progressive damage on them, they just keep coming until they're dropped. The weaponary available to you is pretty much what you'd expect if you've played any other recent FPS titles from handguns to machine guns and rocket launchers.

You are limited to 3 weapons, one handgun, one machine gun and one heavy weapon, at a time. You can wield two of most of the weapons simultaneously allowing you to feel a bit more like Rambo. The controls will also feel immediately accessible to anyone who's played Halo as it's basically the same with the two thumb-sticks being used to control looking and moving and the action buttons for shooting, throwing and context actions.

Driving Miss Daisy

The vehicles in FarCry feel a bit tacked on. The game marketing makes a bit of noise about controlling lots of different vehicles but really it doesn't feel too well done. The vehicles are all controlled from the first person view and are quite tricky to drive smoothly.

Most of the vehicles contain some form of machine gun which you can control when you're not moving allowing you to stop and take out enemies on or near the road. It might not be meant to be Project Gotham 3 but I had expected the vehicles to be a bit more drivable. The idea is good and the range of vehicles is great but it's not as well implemented as in Halo for instance.

Beating the Competition

Whilst Ubisoft might not have quite achieved a game that looks as good as the PC version but it has almost achieved the impossible in bringing FarCry to the Xbox. The aspects that had to be removed or toned down for the console have been made up for in more important areas of gameplay making a semi-sequel that is superior to the original title in many ways.

Any FPS on the Xbox is going to be compared to the superb Halo series. FarCry compares more favorably than any other Xbox title. For my money it doesn't surpass Halo, there are too many niggles with it, but there are plenty of things it does absolutely right. FarCry is definitely a great game and should satisfy anyone who's looking for a new challenge while they wait for Halo 3.