Though the look and sound of
Far Cry Instincts is good, you will quickly realize that they are masking a lesser experience. From the time the game loads up, things turn sour. You are forced to watch the intro movie every time you start the game, a movie that is a few minutes in length. Even if you have started a previous game and wish to continue from your save point, you are still subjected to this lengthy preview. This disregard for user friendliness is nothing short of a sin, and while this particular instance doesn’t affect the gameplay, it is still worthy of note.
The feeling that you are watching a movie carries over into the gameplay as well. Once you enter the action, you will feel like you’re in a Van Damme or Schwarzenegger movie. The plot is about as deep as one: as Jack Carver you begin your journey by taking a photographer to a distant island, only to be interrupted by armed militants who capture your client and blow up your boat. From there on out, it is kill or be killed.
Far Cry Instincts tries to blend action and stealth to create a seamless experience of being hunted in the jungle. What it actually achieves to create are two separate games: a poor stealth game and an average FPS. Each mission is pretty simple, as you go from point A to point B, killing everyone in between. The game begins by teaching you the intricacies of stealth, alluding to a more strategic approach to solving each challenge. What ends up happening is boredom from trying to crawl around the island, and most conflicts end up with you pumping hundreds of rounds into groups of enemies.
Later in the game, you will realize the purpose for the word ‘instinct’ in the title. Jack develops feral abilities that utilize his adrenaline, enabling him to perform super human feats in order to vanquish his foes. You will be able to single-handedly slaughter your enemies, leap great distances, and sense hidden militants using smell and heightened vision. While these abilities are interesting, they don’t do enough to alleviate the boredom of the rest of the game. It is a case of too little, too late.
Aside from his animal instincts, Jack will usually have a large array of weapons and vehicles at his disposal. The standard array of firearms is included: machine guns, grenades, sniper rifles, etc. Some of these can be wielded Johnny Woo style with a gun in each hand, and some can be used while you are piloting one of the many vehicles the game offers. Boats, four-wheelers, and even hang gliders are available to use, but their abilities usually end up being used the same way every time, which is to escape from intense firefights.
Aside from a lengthy single player mode, Far Cry Instincts has some Multiplayer capabilities as well. Split screen mode is available, as well as Xbox Live capabilities. The online game types are what you would expect from a game like this: Deathmatch, Capture the Flag, and a game type that pits one player against the rest, which is called Predator. The group of normal players is trying to cross the map and raise an alarm, while the predator, using the feral abilities mentioned earlier, is out to kill them all.
What is most alluring about the Multiplayer aspect is the ability to create your own maps. The robust editor included allows you to recreate anything you see in the single player game. Vehicles, buildings, and most importantly the terrain, can all be used to create some very unique and fun maps for Multiplayer. These maps can also be shared online, which not only allows you to show off your designs, but also lets you quickly hop online and play on, or alter, other people’s maps.
