Far Cry Evolves for Xbox

Ubisoft's highly anticipated shooter port is nearing release, which means it's time to start spilling details about some of the new features.

A lot of today's first-person shooters look the same, which is why Ubisoft is going to great lengths to make sure its "wilderness" shooter, Far Cry: Instincts, comes across as a truly different experience. The Xbox version, expected later this year, is building on the framework of Crytek's well-received PC shooter to provide console gamers with something special.

One of the main new elements for this console version is the ability of Hawaiian shirted main character Jack Carver to evolve, literally, as you progress further into the game. After being injected with an experimental serum, Jack's body begins to evolve, and he'll become faster and stronger as you progress and he'll tap into his animal aggression.

Which is fitting, as one of the main themes in Far Cry: Instincts is the interplay between the roles of prey and predator. You'll experiences both sides of Nature's divide as you avoid enemies stronger than you or attack them, as you grow stronger and more savage. Sometimes you'll be the hunter, stalking your prey, overpowering them with your newfound ferocity, and others you'll be the hunted, as enemies band together to smoke you out.

Another addition to the Xbox version of Far Cry: Instincts is the trap system, which allows you to gleefully ensnare unsuspecting foes. You can pull back branches to batter unwitting soldiers or set trip wires to catch them unaware. Just like Rambo. This is all controlled usually fairly straightforward combinations of button presses.

Artificial intelligence is one of the more crucial aspects of first-person shooters, and what Far Cry: Instincts does is give each enemy several layers of awareness. As you encounter enemies, you trigger new responses, making enemies plan out ways to bring you down.

But as important as both the sneaking and attacking aspects of the game are, the developers have tried to avoid forcing you to use a certain tactic. There are times when the game will become more deliberate, but the choice of caution or adrenaline is left to you.

Unlike a lot of games of its ilk, Far Cry: Instincts avoids the use of CG movie clips. All story advancement is done using the exact same engine used during gameplay, and several plot elements will be divulged while you're in the field. The developers have used this approach to maintain that feeling of integration in the game world.

Far Cry: Instincts will be out only on Xbox this September. For more about the game, check out Ubisoft's official site, or check out our hands-on impressions from last month's E3 for an idea of what the game feels like.

Alex Wollenschlaeger
Editor, Kikizo Games