Ubisoft certainly knows how to take care of a franchise. Their nurturing of the constant Prince of Persia releases is a prime example of this, but they've also given plenty of love to their Far Cry series. After taking on the PC market and hooking many gamers as a result, Ubi then took the series to the Xbox with the oft-delayed Far Cry Instincts, which turned out to be well worth the wait with its beautiful graphics (even though they weren't as high-quality as the PC edition), primed gameplay, and online support through Xbox Live. And they're just getting started. This spring, they'll be back on the Xbox with an all new Far Cry game, while Xbox 360 owners will have a taste of the old and the new with Far Cry Instincts Predator.

Predator features both the original Instincts game that debuted on Xbox last year, as well as the new chapter that's being prepped as an all-new game. In both, you take control of Jack Carver, who's resting casually on a boat parked by a nearby island that's suddenly hijacked by a number of ruthless mercenaries. Jack must somehow use his survival tactics and weapons in order to survive, as the enemies grow greater and greater in numbers. Soon, Jack finds unnatural abilities entering the picture, allowing him to move at greater speeds and attack with relentless energy.

As expected, the Xbox 360 version will show plenty of enhancements over the original version. Crytek, the original developers behind the series, are working hard to take advantage of the hardware, trying to make draw distances even greater than before and the animation as sharp as ever. This means that chases in vehicles will be much more exciting and reliable, as you're able to see further ahead and plan your road tactics against the mercenaries who want you dead. The game will also feature enhanced enemy AI, so that they aren't so easy to plow down and pose a challenge to your lone soldier. You'll see larger groups of soldiers gathering to take you down, meaning that you'll have to think a bit quicker, both in the mind and with the trigger finger.

The game will also fully support Xbox Live. Although a final player count hasn't yet been given in terms of support, many will be able to hop online and take on each other in island-dominating supremacy. There's no word yet if the ability to create your own maps will make the cut in this version, but seeing as it was a primary feature in the original Instincts, it'd be surprising if it somehow didn't make the cut.

Early video of the game showed some promise, despite some protesting that the water effects aren't quite up to par yet. Hey, it's still a work in progress, people. And the fact of the matter is, there's over a month to go in development time to clean up on the little things before it ships in late March. Regardless of a hiccup here and there, Crytek and Ubisoft look to bring Far Cry to the next level of next-gen glory it truly deserves when it does arrive. We'll be back with a full review, along with all sorts of Fantasy Island jokes. Because that's just how cheesy we get. DE PLANE!!