Far Cry Instincts Predator

 Xbox 360
  • Publisher: Ubisoft
  • Release Date: Mar 28, 2006
Metascore
78

Generally favorable reviews - based on 46 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 35 out of 46
  2. Mixed: 11 out of 46
  3. Negative: 0 out of 46
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  1. Game Chronicles
    96
    Even if you have already played Instincts on the Xbox I can’t encourage you enough to check out the 360 version of Far Cry. The graphical improvements are simply outstanding, especially on an HDTV, and easily approach the quality of the original PC game.
  2. GameSpy
    90
    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.
  3. Game Informer
    88
    With so many ways to approach any given combat situation, Predator is more cerebral than other shooters, and allows you to play the way you want to. [Jun 2006, p.114]
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  5. Pelit (Finland)
    86
    A solid and fun first-person shooter. Unfortunately, it doesn’t quite have the next-generation visuals. While the jungles look pleasant enough, the numerous in-door areas are nothing short of fugly. [Apr 2006]
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  6. Jolt Online Gaming UK
    86
    While it’s not worth upgrading from the Xbox version for the graphics improvements alone, the fact that you essentially get the expansion for free does help make up for the feeling that the game isn’t as next-gen as it really ought to be.
  7. Games Master UK
    86
    A feature-packed bundle that's fun to play, but won't blow the socks off Fary Cry experts. [May 2006, p.77]
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  8. Da Gameboyz
    85
    The graphics are quite stunning and the sound does not disappoint. The storyline is engaging and the voices are superb and almost too realistic.
  9. WHAM! Gaming
    85
    Excellent storyline, fantastic game play and next generation graphics, its well worth the price of admission.
  10. Xbox World Australia
    85
    The Instincts portion is a great game, looks absolutely stunning, and is fun and exciting, if a little easy and short.
  11. AtomicGamer
    85
    If you haven't played Far Cry for the Xbox already, then by all means you should pick up Far Cry Instincts: Predator. It's got a satisfying and fun single player mode, and its online play has the unique feature of being able to run both original maps and custom created ones
  12. IGN
    83
    Killing things with feral powers is always enjoyable, and the expanded multiplayer options help to keep this game entertaining long after you blaze through the new single player content.
  13. PGNx Media
    83
    The visuals in Far Cry Instincts Predator look great. The lush, detailed jungle is lush compliments the fluid, realistic water very well.
  14. Gamer 2.0
    82
    All in all, Far Cry Instincts and Evolution are two games worth playing. If you haven’t played the Xbox version, you should definitely think about getting it for the 360.
  15. GameZone
    82
    While its newly added content and Evolution missions are welcomed additions, the main game doesn’t do anything that really sets it apart from the Xbox version and that includes the visuals.
  16. Gaming Horizon
    82
    The A.I. isn’t tha great, but the controls and gameplay are still intact from the original.
  17. GamingTrend
    81
    The intuitive map editor can add a lot of life to the game.
  18. Yahoo!
    80
    Plenty of Bruckheimer-style action, a decent suite of multiplayer options, strong visuals, and a variety-packed single-player mode. Derivative it might be, both of past Far Cry games and other FPSes, but there's still no arguing with the quality of this offering.
  19. GamerFeed
    80
    A meaty first-person shooter with lots of action and some great features, especially with its multiplayer components.
  20. GamesRadar+
    80
    One big, giant, fly in the umbrella drink is that as refreshing as these bright visuals are - especially at HDTV resolution (720p) - it's pretty clear that many of the graphics were ported directly from the Xbox version.
  21. Game Over Online
    80
    Here’s the kicker for those of you who already completed the Instincts chapter in the previous Xbox version: you cannot unlock the Evolution chapter in Far Cry: Instincts – Predator without finishing the Instincts chapter first (unless you know the cheat code, of course).
  22. Play Magazine
    80
    If you're new to the series, Far Cry Instincts: Predator is an excellent first-person shooter package. [May 2006, p.48]
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  23. MS Xbox World
    80
    If you have never played a Far Cry game before then now is the time as Far Cry Instincts Predator has a lot to offer.
  24. VideoGamer
    80
    The 'Feral' abilities make the experience unlike most other games out there and some of the online game types are immense fun.
  25. DarkStation
    80
    Far Cry debuts on the 360 with a bang, featuring the same solid gameplay and lush visual, and adds a superb multiplayer and map-creator to enhance its longevity.
  26. 360 Gamer Magazine UK
    80
    What's refreshing is the level of freedom you're given. [Issue #7]
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  27. TeamXbox
    79
    The map editor has gotten a nice boost in functionality and the online multiplayer modes are sure to keep players busy for months, but how long do we have to wait until there is a true sequel for Far Cry?
  28. GameSpot
    79
    By packaging last year's excellent "Far Cry Instincts" with a new campaign and a bigger multiplayer suite, Far Cry Instincts Predator delivers a ton of content to Xbox 360 owners.
  29. Cheat Code Central
    78
    The real reason to hunker down the cash for Predator rests squarely on the shoulders as to whether you really get off on XBL and/or enjoy playing with level editors. If you do, then I'd say Predator is definitely worth the money. If you're a casual FPS fan with a new X360, a rental would more than suffice.
  30. IC-Games
    78
    An enjoyable experience, and the animalistic twist on the usual weaponry is a nice idea, but as all of us who shelled out on the new Microsoft console should be asking ‘is the 360 really being stretched by this?’
  31. Planet Xbox 360
    76
    If you have played the original and also the sequel on the Xbox, then I would call Far Cry Instincts Predator a renter. If you have played the original on the Xbox, then you have some pretty strong reasons for getting the Xbox 360 version, including the graphical upgrades, the Instincts: Evolution story, and also the multiplayer mode.
  32. GameShark
    75
    The improvements are marginal at best (which may be a tribute to just how well FCI was executed on the Xbox) and the game is really not offering anything new in gameplay.
  33. PALGN
    75
    Predator isn't a huge upgrade from the Xbox games but if you want to play the game on your Xbox 360 then this is the all in one package.
  34. Next Level Gaming
    75
    The single player game leaves a bit to be desired thanks to some really poor computer AI and a bit of monotony.
  35. Detroit Free Press
    75
    All of this is topped with solid online play and a pretty decent map-making tool. It will take some time to create your own perfect jungle battlefield, but this feature is a gold mine for online shooters.
  36. Official Xbox Magazine
    75
    Ultimately, the promise of Far Cry's early enjoyably beachy facade doesn't entirely pay for the derivative sins of its latter half. [Jun 2006, p.83]
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  37. Total Video Games
    70
    Two campaigns, extensive multiplayer options, and the creative Map Editor gives Far Cry Instincts Predator the possibility of lasting for quite some time.
  38. Boomtown
    70
    And the inclusion of a short, after-thought of an add-on simply isn’t enough to encourage me to urge any of you to spend fifty pounds of your hard earned cash.
  39. Gamezilla!
    70
    There’s a hell of a lot of work here that doesn’t add up to a tremendously great game. I think games like this really serve as an example of how important it is to pay attention to the gameplay. Games need a good control feel, it’s as simple as that.
  40. Eurogamer
    70
    Doubly annoying is the fact that you actually have to play through the entire Instincts campaign before you can even unlock the Evolution levels, so any existing fans might be better off buying the standalone Far Cry Instincts Evolution on Xbox and swallow the minor technical step down.
  41. Official Xbox Magazine UK
    70
    If you've never played Far Cry before and don't mind your eyes recoiling into your sockets every time you see another monstrously rendered native, pirate or insurgent, then this is a good deal.
  42. AceGamez
    70
    The bundle is a far cry from a true 360 experience and I anxiously await the Far Cry built from the ground up for the system.
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  43. Extreme Gamer
    65
    Far Cry is like a car with a new coat of paint and a nice 19' set of rims. Nothing news, it just runs a little smoother.
  44. IncGamers
    65
    The truth is Farcry Instincts Predator is a great game for first time around players. For anyone else, it’s sadly more of the same.
  45. X-ONE Magazine UK
    60
    One of the better packages we've seen undermined by some of the dumbest AI ever, FCIP lurches between greatness and mediocrity before settling somewhere between the two. [Issue#5, p.84]
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  46. Gamestyle
    60
    Far Cry Instincts: Predator would be something special on the Xbox (the original was given an 8, after all), but we've seen it all before and Ubi-Soft have clearly forgotten that we are now entering the next generation of gaming.
  47. 1UP
    50
    It'd need to deliver a pretty substantial kick in the ass to get anyone to purchase it yet again, but Far Cry: Instincts -- Predator falls quite a bit short in the asskick department. It just doesn't offer enough new material beyond yet another noun tacked to the end of its ever-lengthening name.

Awards & Rankings

38
#38 Best Xbox 360 Game of 2006
19
#19 Most Discussed Xbox 360 Game of 2006
25
#25 Most Shared Xbox 360 Game of 2006

User Reviews

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User Score
6.5

Mixed or average reviews- based on 94 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 55 out of 94
  2. Mixed: 12 out of 94
  3. Negative: 27 out of 94
  1. TimB.
    Dec 13, 2007
    0
    There is much to like about this game, but it's all smashed to giblets by the things it does wrong. The good things include a fun There is much to like about this game, but it's all smashed to giblets by the things it does wrong. The good things include a fun storyline, attractive (if sub par for next-gen) graphics, and cool animalistic powers. Now, the bad. I got my X360 about a year ago. This game was the first I bought. I have yet to finish it, because each time I've tried to play through, I've been utterly frustrated in short order and inspired to pick up something else. Since I began Far Cry, I have completed Halo, Halo 2, Halo 3 (all several times, on normal and hard difficulties), Dark Watch, Gun, BioShock, Red Dead Revolver, Viva Pinata, Overlord, God of War, God of War 2, The Simpsons Game, Crackdown, Prey, Dead or Alive 2, 3, and 4, Guild Wars, Half Life 2 (my second time, on hard), Conan, Kameo, James Bond Nightfire, Tomb Raider Legend, and a fair amount of World of Warcraft. My latest attempt at Far Cry just ended, and is likely my last. I'm playing at normal difficulty (Hunter), but the game is too hard for several reasons: First, there is no quick save feature and the game relies on automatic save points. That in itself isn't bad (the Halos use auto-saves to good effect, for example), but in Far Cry the saves are too far apart, and there's no way of predicting where the next one will be. So if you play a while, but need to stop soon, odds are you'll need to quit before hitting the next save, and may well lose all you've accomplished in that session. Also, all too frequently, I've spent a good deal of time getting through a treacherous area, only to have a moment of bad luck which kills me and puts me right back where I started, at the last save. I've lost up to a couple hours progress to this nonsense at times. Next, the clunky controls all by themselves can create those moments of bad luck. Maybe you accidentally throw a grenade when trying to hold your breath for a tricky sniper shot. Maybe you inadvertently leap to your feet from a stealthy crawl, in plain site of the enemy, simply because you brushed up against a weird angle in the ground. Maybe you tried to use one of the various vehicles in the game, which have the sloppiest freaking controls I've ever used for vehicles in a game, and which are usually a sure ride to your death. As noted by many reviews, the AI is unpredictable, often stupid and not very aware, but sometimes eagle-eyed and more aware of their surroundings than is humanly possible. You're left with no true sense of what you can and can't do in approaching and dealing with the enemies, or what tactics will be effective. Worst of all, the game CHEATS. You're presented with an illusion of choice in where you go and how you approach challenges, but in fact you're very obviously herded along on rails, straight into forced confrontations in which you are funneled by the landscape into inescapable fights with the enemy. Sure, we're all used to that, and even the best of games often play that way. But in this game, you're in a jungle, on a large island, and to be stealing along through the leafy wood only to suddenly find that there's a wall of leaves to one side that looks no different than the growth you've been moving through, mirrored by a similar leafy wall a short distance to the other side, is really destructive to immersion, becoming bluntly frustrating as both invisible walls grow closer and closer, funneling you directly into your enemies. And don't bother scouting out where the enemies are with the binoculars and sniper scope the game gives you, or making cool tactical plans on how to approach these dangerous situations, because you'll just get annoyed when the time and effort turns out to be pointless. This is the kind of game in which you can locate all the mercs in an encampment, kill them all, and then be attacked as you move through the camp by a fresh horde of them springing from absolutely nowhere. It's like looking in a closet as you search a room, finding it empty, then suddenly being attacked by five bad guys who leap out of the closet. It's ridiculous, and it makes your strategies and tactics completely moot and a waste of time. I wish I could play through this game. I'm intrigued by the story, and I want to play more with the feral powers. But, alas, no; life is way too damn short. Far Cry Instincts Predator could have been great, as I understand its PC predecessor to be. But the developers designed it to constantly kill any sense of fun the game might manage to create. Go to a game store and throw a rock in any direction and you'll probably hit a better game.… Full Review »
  2. MikeS.
    Dec 3, 2006
    4
    This game is lackluster to say the least. The graphics are terrible and the A.I. is borderline retarded. The controls are extremelly clunky. This game is lackluster to say the least. The graphics are terrible and the A.I. is borderline retarded. The controls are extremelly clunky. If you thought the P.C. version was good and that's your reasoning for getting this game, you will be sorely dissapointed. The P.C. version vs. this xbox360 port is basically no contest. The P.C. version almost seems like it was done by a completely different developer all together.… Full Review »
  3. MorganS.
    Apr 14, 2006
    10
    very good in fact the credit should go to the map editor it was amazing.
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