You get two games for the price of one; some cool gameplay additions in Evolution; feral powers are still lots of fun; multiplayer is a blast; map editor has been improved.
Some of the graphics and textures are underwhelming; you can’t import custom maps from the Xbox titles; enemy A.I. is still uneven.
Six months ago, paradise hit the Xbox in the form of Far Cry Instincts, but it wasn’t quite everything that we imagined it would be. In bringing one of the best PC games in recent memory to the console, Ubisoft had to make a number of changes that ultimately hurt the title. The game wasn’t as wide-open as its predecessor, forcing the player down paths, and it featured some of the most uneven A.I. we’d seen in quite some time. Wouldn’t the game have been much better, we wondered, if Ubisoft had waited to release it for the Xbox 360? Well, now we’re getting our chance to find out with the release of Far Cry Instincts Predator, a title that not only updates the original Instincts, but also includes a spiritual sequel entitled Evolution.
As I mentioned above, you’ll actually be getting two games in one when you purchase Predator, although you’ll be playing as the same character in both. The first part introduces you to Jack Carver, an ex-soldier who’s moved to a fictional chain of tropical islands in an effort to get away from it all. It’s not long before his boat is blown-up, a band of ruthless mercenaries is on his tail, and he’s getting injected with a serum that’s slowly giving him animalistic powers. The second part of the game takes place a few months after the events of the first, and Jack’s still got his feral powers. He’s contracted by a femme fatale named Kade to help her with some of her shady dealings, and it all goes downhill from there. We’d tell you more, but Evolution’s storyline isn’t particularly coherent, unlike the first game.
For the most part, the gameplay in both parts of the game are remarkably similar to that seen in the Xbox version The weapon mechanics are the same, and you can still set branch whips and drive vehicles. As was the case with the Xbox game, the feral powers are still the highlight, and fans will be happy to hear that Jack can use them from the beginning of the Evolution storyline. Evolution also introduces some cool new weapons, including a remotely-detonated pipe bomb (perfect for knocking down lookout towers) and a blowgun that lets you stealthily take out your foes. While these weren’t essential additions, they’re nice nonetheless.
Although Instincts basically sent players from one checkpoint objective to the next, Evolution switches things up a bit by offering the player multiple objectives at the same time. You’ll be able to island hop from one location to another, though there were some moments in which we didn’t know exactly where we were supposed to be going. This openness actually makes the game feel more like the original PC title, which let players take virtually any route they could imagine to their objective. Unfortunately, the game’s A.I. is more like the first console game than the PC title. There are moments when it’ll be unfairly tough, swarming your position and shooting with deadly accuracy, but there are plenty of times when they’ll stand still while you pepper them with lead.
While there’s no denying that Far Cry Instincts Predator’s single-player game is a lot of fun, it actually pales in comparison to the multiplayer action. There are a total of five gametypes, four of which appeared in the first console game. Chaos (Deathmatch), Team Chaos, Predator, and Steal the Sample (Capture the Flag) all return, and they’re joined by a new mode called Seek and Secure. This gametype is similar to Halo 2’s King of the Hill, in which players (or teams) must take and hold a position for a set amount of time. As is the case in any good multiplayer title, you’ll be able to tweak the settings to your heart’s content, creating the perfect game for you and your many friends. The game supports up to 16 players online (or 4 in split-screen), and the netcode was flawless, offering an impressively lag-free environment.
Those players that enjoy crafting their own multiplayer environments will be happy to hear that the game includes a powerful map editor, and the developers have fixed a number of the issues that some people had with the original one in the Xbox version. It’s still a fairly easy-to-use editor, though we were happy to see that it’s now much easier to undo any mistakes. There are also some new objects available, including a zipline that will allow you to get from one area to another. Some people might be bummed to hear that the game doesn’t allow for importing of maps created in the current-gen games, but everyone should be happy with the 23 maps that have been included.
Since the current-gen Far Cry titles are some of the best that the Xbox has to offer, we were expecting big, beautiful things from Predator. Unfortunately, many of the objects and textures in the Xbox 360 game simply look like higher resolution assets, so there are times when you’ll be unimpressed. However, it should be noted that the game features the most incredible water effects we’ve ever seen (as well as some great looking foliage), making us wish for a dedicated 360 title somewhere down the line. As was the case with the first Xbox game, the audio is solid from top to bottom.
Although it’s not without its problems, Far Cry Instincts Predator gives us more of what we wanted from the first console title, including what amounts to an expansion pack. The single-player game features some welcome additions (pipe bombs are a lot of noisy, nasty fun), while the multiplayer is even more fun than it was the last time out. This is undoubtedly one of the Xbox 360’s best titles. There’s only one thing that might irk some people (such as yours truly): you can’t play the Evolution story until you’ve played all the way through the Instincts story. If you haven’t played the first game, we highly suggest you do so, particularly if you want to learn how to master the feral powers. However, if you already played the first game and don’t want to go through it again, input GiveMeItAll into the cheats menu to unlock Evolution. Just remember that cheaters never win
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