Not the Halo killer: but the closeest you'll get!
Far Cry's single player component is a lengthy adventure around the ballpark of about 15-20 hours of solid gameplay, even for more experienced shooter junkies. The story unfolds in a cinematic manner much like the narrative style of Half-Life. You play as Jack Carver, a run of the mill ex-military man who becomes stranded on an island after a mishap involving a "journalist," a nap, and a helicopter attack. The story unfolds in a fight for survival against all odds as Jack must rescue his passenger and get the hell off the island. I don't want to spoil too much, but the story in the game as well as the feel of gameplay, (an action-stealth hybrid) makes for an extremely satisfying experience.
The multiplayer portion of Far Cry is a jewel as well. Encompassing a bevy of potential that remained untapped in the PC version: 4 modes, plenty of pre-packaged maps, 16 player support as well a fully featured map editor allow for almost unlimited playability online and off. Just to note as well, this is no Timesplitters map editor! It's fully rendered editor which allows for multiple brush styling; huge maps and terrain modification are all alive and well in Far Cry.
Many people will argue though that gameplay isn't everything, and even those people will find something to love in Far Cry. Despite being inferior to its PC counterpart in the graphics department, Far Cry on the xbox is still a game to behold. Draw distance aside, the visuals are stunning. I even found that the shadows in the game are rendered in real time, meaning that if you stand under a palm tree in a breeze, the shadows on your gun will reflect the movement of the leaves. Sound as well is a great part of Far Cry, with its ambient track to reflect the jungle environment, its realistic sounding weapons and a kind of native-rock style sound track that kicks in at tense moments.
Being a fan of Half-Life, Doom and Quake myself, I realize what many are thinking and I can assure you of this one fact, PC shooters are soon going to be out in the cold. Between stunning presentation, a lengthy campaign that warrants a second go, and an unbelievable multiplayer suite, Far Cry comes easily recommended if you enjoy games in general and own an xbox.