Video game review by ERIK LEIJON

Ubisoft Montreal have released their newest title Far Cry Instincts (Xbox/Ubisoft) based on the PC game that came out last year, and seeing as the chances of them ruining such an acclaimed PC title (which was developed by Crytek) are slim to nil, let’s just say it is a good time. Better than Halo 2 (Microsoft)? Not quite, but still the game that best pushes the technological limits of the now old and useless Xbox.

For those who have never tried the original, you play as Jack Carver, who is hiding in South Asia after a scuffle with some mobsters. When a young journalist asks him to bring her to the remote Jacutan Archipelago, little does he know he’ll become target practice for a bunch of mercenaries. The story doesn’t make much sense, but the constant action will keep you interested even after you get attacked by some weird glowing red creatures.

The variety of things you can do in Far Cry Instincts is what separates it from the other FPSs. You can operate a variety of vehicles, including a hovercraft, Sea-Doo, army car, ATV and hang glider. These present the most fun you’ll have playing Far Cry Instincts—you’ll usually become entangled in a chase scene befitting any summer action film.

The actual shooting missions themselves are a rehash of every other good FPS you’ve played. They consist of “go to this spot on the map,” or “blow up this installation,” but what makes the missions slightly different, for better or for worse, is that most of the time you’ll be crawling in the brush, unable to see what you’re doing or where you’re going. At this point the game becomes very radar heavy.

But Ubisoft Montreal manages to make sitting in the bushes fun by creating incredibly detailed environments. Each individual strand of grass can be seen while you slowly wait for an opponent to enter your crosshairs. The lighting, while at times a bit overdone, rivals Doom 3 (Activision) in terms of best lighting in a video game (watch for the reflection of sunlight on the sand).

The game tells you early on that you have to utilize a certain amount of stealth in order to escape the island, but after you receive your feral attacks, the game becomes “Halo Island.” Since your health bar starts naturally regenerating, the game transforms into a one-man army experience where you hide in the bushes until you get the right moment to pummel and kill anything that moves. It’s not that the game loses its lustre, but it changes the nature of the quest. Feral attacks turn Carver into an animal-type man capable of using primitive skills, such as scent, to hunt down prey.

Far Cry Instincts is one of the last Xbox games worth getting before you chuck it in the garbage to make room for your Xbox 360. I doubt that even too many launch titles for the 360 will match Far Cry Instincts in terms of polish and graphics, but the hope is that when the 360 is released we will see the FPS genre either reach the next level or die quickly.

Thou shalt game

The Bible Game (Xbox, PS2/Crave, Mass Media) is a game show... about the bible. It features such modes as “Do Unto Others” or “Commandment.” You’ll also lose your game points by landing on the “Wrath of God” tile.

The game features 1,500 questions about the Old Testament. I don’t know if your local game store will have a copy.