The original Far Cry debuted as a PC exclusive in 2004. The game was a hit. Developed by Crytek, publisher Ubisoft saw an opportunity. A year later, we received an Xbox port of the game. A diluted by still well received version of the PC original, it was Far Cry Instincts that ultimately lead to Ubisoft buying the right to the franchise and subsequently developing their own mammoth single-player FPS juggernaut. But 20 years on, does the original console release still hold-up?
The PC release of Far Cry changed many aspects of what people considered the standard for FPS games. In addition to the gunplay, it added a diverse range of options for close-quarter combat. Obviously influenced by The Chronicles of Riddick: Escape From Butcher Bay, stealth was truly an option in this semi open-world exploration of the genre.
Far Cry Instincts for Xbox is a Revision, Not a Re-Release
Far Cry Instincts released after 18 months after the PC original. As the game starts players of the original may have a little shock. The storyline has been changed dramatically and, due to the limitations of the Xbox console, the freedom to explore has been reined in somewhat.
You start in a fishing boat near a small, south-pacific island. Your job is to take a rather arrogant female journalist on a photography tour of the island. She wants to get closer to the island but, because of stories you’ve heard, you don’t want to. Consequently she gets in a mood chucks down a lot of money and nicks your water scooter.
Realising there’s nothing you can do you get some kip for a bit. Soon however, you’re woken by a military helicopter that’s about to gun down your boat. After jumping to safety from your burning boat you swim to the nearest shore. Which unfortunately is the island you wanted to stay away from in the first place.
A Far Cry from Freedom
Once on the island, you have to face a whole outpost of highly trained, skilled mercenary units, armed with a small gun, some traps, stones and your wits. At the time of Far Cry Instincts‘ release, few titles had attempted to merge stealth with FPS gameplay. Or at least, had done so this effectively.
Your Feral Powers change the game significantly, as does the trap system. Right from the very beginning, you’ll be lacing a copse of trees with traps and waiting for a patrol to come wandering past. Lobbing a stone into the middle of the traps to alert guards, and leading them to set off the trap. Of course, teammates when hearing screams run in to check out what the problem is; and so on it goes. The amount of ways to deal with every area, every group of enemies, and even every enemy is as overwhelming today as it was in 2005. The set pieces are far less constrictive than with 90 percent of genre even today.
That said, your freedom to improvise is far more contained than in the PC original. Not in that of what you can do, but where you can do it. The Xbox edition is far more contained and linear. Though it does a good job of offering a sense of freedom in the same fashion as Halo: Combat Evolved, you are ultimately lead along a very specific path.
Instincts Adds as well as Removes
Far Cry Instincts is one of very few Far Cry games that includes multiplayer. At the time, it was very different twist on what people expected. The usual Deathmatch, Capture the flag and King of the Hill are all present and correct. But in addition comes Predator Mode.
Comparable to one of Giest’s more inventive multiplayer modes, you have either one or two Predators with up to eight Mercenaries. The map has a ‘Sonic Alarm Generator’ in it, which will kill the Predators if turned on. It’s the job of the Mercenaries to activate it; it’s the job of the Predators to kill all the Mercenaries. Predator’s respawn every time they are killed, Mercenaries respawn only when the Predator does. It’s quite complex at first, but when the Predators have all of the Instinct powers and the Mercenaries have lots of guns, it becomes very simple indeed.
The game also includes an extensive Map Editor. You’re able to create your own island, complete with military base, research lab, swamp or whatever else you want. There aren’t any grids to work to; you build it all to whatever specifications you like.
A Top Tier Xbox Release
Graphically the game sits atop of the original Xbox catalogue. The in-and-out-of-water effects are stunning, as is the water itself. While obviously paling by today’s standards, the scenery is would not looking out of place in a “Best Shots of Hawaii” picture book. The transition of light as the day goes on dramatically aids the game’s suspension-of-disbelief.
The sound of the game is also of a high calibre. Everything from the sound of you carefully coming out of water to crawling through the undergrowth has been mapped to perfection. The guns all sound vastly different and the score adds to the experience of the game. There’s a helping hand from the well-known Electronica artist Paul Haslinger (Tangerine Dream), adding his own unique style to the mix.
Far Cry Instincts after 20 Years
As a whole, Far Cry Instincts fares quite well even by today’s standard. There are flaws; checkpoints failing to reload, 2D object scarring and a little pop-up. The huge variety of weaponry is better than most titles from the era, but the traps and Feral Powers elevate it beyond many of today’s games. The enemies are structured and clever making replay value huge, as every time you play a situation it will be slightly different.
Far Cry Instincts suffered at release for its comparison to the PC original. Much of the nuance of what the game was attempting to achieve was undone by the attention paid to its limitations. Looking back after two decades of sequels, there are many elements of Far Cry Instincts that made it unique, and feel missing from its successors. Far Cry Instincts is truly worth revisiting for any Far Cry fan.
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