FarCry Instincts review (original) (raw)

While still clearly a big success, a lot of folks would probably agree that the PC version of the first-person shooter FarCry was less a great game and more a great tech demo. This was thanks mostly to lush visuals and massive, go-virtually-anywhere levels that often far overshadowed the gameplay itself.

It's no surprise then that this console-only, enhanced port actually feels like the better game, thanks to a number of tweaks that remind players that you're not here to gawk at the scenery - you're here to punctuate that scenery with smoldering craters and gory mutant body parts.

True, while still intact, those mutant bodies still suffers from extreme stupidity yet benefit from super-human sight - so not everything is fixed. But the levels, while still pretty wide open, feel more focused thanks to slightly less freedom to go anywhere and do anything. This makes the flow and pace better. And the feral abilities main character Jack Carver earns later in the game - special attacks, super speed, night vision - lock and load some much-needed "Hey, that's actually kind of not typical" ammo into this generally by-the-numbers shooter.