Far Cry Instincts Preview

Ubi Soft’s Far Cry is a gem on the PC, and was one of the most talked about games on the floor at last year’s E3.  Now, a console version (exclusive to the Xbox at the moment) is nearing completion, and gamers should take notice.  Far Cry Instincts is a completely new game featuring the protagonist of the original Far Cry, Jack Carver, as he tears his way through a tropical island blowing up legions of nasty mercenaries.  Unfortunately, someone has also injected him with a certain serum that is slowly transforming him into a mutant… 

The game has a few new features not found in the PC version.  For starters, you have a new vehicle that you have access to, a Jet Ski.  Also, as Jack becomes more and more of a mutant, you gain access to some unique mutant abilities, like the ability to “smell” your enemies.  By smell, I mean that you can see vaporous trails left behind by your enemies and track them down through it.  You can also set down traps using the environment to get the drop on your foes.  There is a definite sense as the game progresses that the hunted slowly becomes the hunter and vice versa. 

The key new feature in Far Cry Instincts is the Level Editor.  Using the editor, players can create their own levels, controlling everything from land to vehicles and trees.  These levels can then be played online against friends. 

The graphics in Far Cry Instincts were shaping up pretty nicely, although not as good as the PC version.  The character models looked pretty good, as did the gun models.  The draw distance wasn’t quite as long as the PC version (which clocked in at a massive 1.2 kilometers), but still pretty impressive for a console game. 

Look out for Instincts by this Christmas.

For All E3 2004 Previews