Far Cry Instincts Review

You Need to Play It to Believe It

All of this combines to make a really unforgettable experience. Some aspects, such as the shooting, aren’t nearly as sharp as in other FPS games, but it is the combination of everything that really drives Far Cry Instincts over the top. We get to sneak through an absolutely gorgeous jungle, avoiding conflict entirely if we want, but when we do have to fight it is very hectic and satisfying and fun. Throw the primal abilities into that mix and the game is even better. What is perhaps the best thing about Far Cry Instincts is that the pace of the game changes as you play through it. At first it is very slow and stealth oriented which will turn some people away, but if you stick it out you’ll eventually have tons of weapons and abilities and will be able to just Rambo your way through. And just when you are starting to get confident, something crazy happens which turns the gameplay on its head once again. The game keeps throwing new challenges and scenarios at you and does a great job of really hooking you and leaving you wanting more.

Multiplayer

In addition to the absolutely awesome single player campaign, you’ll also find a fully featured online mode in Far Cry Instincts. There are free for all and team deathmatch modes along with a capture the flag type mode called steal the sample. Another mode is called predator and in this mode one player has all of the primal abilities and has to hunt down the remaining players. The game runs smoothly online and is a lot of fun to play. Finding a game isn’t as painless as Halo 2, but once you get into a match it is all good.

Far Cry Instincts also features an insanely detailed level editor. It is somewhat hard to use, but for dedicated map makers the extended time and effort will be worth it because this is easily the best level editor that has been released for a console so far.

Graphics and Sound

Graphically, Far Cry Instincts is one of the best looking Xbox games ever. The environments are absolutely gorgeous looking and it really does feel like you’re in the jungle. Enemies aren’t super detailed, but the levels look great and the game runs at a solid framerate so it is hard to complain. This game is just jaw dropping overall.

The sound is also incredibly well done. All of the gunfire, explosions, and all of the other sound effects are nearly perfect and the chatter of the enemies as they search for you through the jungle is great. The music is a mix of tribal and techno and fades in and out at just the right moments to add to the tension of the game.

Simply put, this is one of the best looking and sounding Xbox games so far.

Bottom Line

Far Cry Instincts is an incredible overall package that is at least as good if not better than the PC Far Cry that was released in 2004. Now, in all honesty, the shooting and vehicle sections aren’t as solid as in some other games (cough “Halo 2” cough) but the overall combination of shooting, stealth, primal abilities, vehicles, great level design, storyline, and amazing graphics and sound add up to something that is really quite special. Thrown in a nice level editor and fully featured Xbox Live play and Far Cry Instincts becomes a pretty darn desirable package. First-person-shooter and action fans, you need to play this. I highly recommend Far Cry Instincts for a purchase.