Far Cry New Dawn can be tough to get started in, so we’ve put together a handy beginner’s guide. While Far Cry New Dawn returns to Montana from Far Cry 5, plenty has changed about Hope County in the 17 years. A nuclear war has transformed the landscape, with nature overturning the human settlements that were once there and a bandit group called the Highwaymen attempting to take control.
Although there are still similarities to Far Cry 5 beyond a return to Hope County, there are a fair few changes when it comes to the gameplay mechanics. Whether it’s a tweak to the Perks available or the introduction of light RPG elements, Far Cry New Dawn is a little bit removed from what Far Cry fans may know about the series so far.
So, read on to get some useful tips for the game. Due to the structure of Far Cry New Dawn’s leveling system, setting out in the right manner will make things more enjoyable across the entire adventure. Here’s what you need to know.
Choose Your Perks Wisely
The Perks system of Far Cry 5 returns in Far Cry New Dawn, and brings with it plenty of bonuses. Once again, getting your hands on Perk Points allows you to grab these Perks, and thankfully there are more than enough Perk Points to go around to fully complete the skill tree. However, it’s probably best to pick them in the right order.
For starters, get your basic Perks fast. Things like the Wingsuit are not only a lot of fun, but make speeding around the map that much easier, while picking up either the blowtorch or the lockpicking Perk is definitely required to get the most out of the Treasure Hunts, not to mention the accessing of safes in various locations. It’s also worth upgrading the number of weapons carried fast.
There are plenty of other smart moves when it comes to Perks, too. Upgrading the takedown ability of the player is essential in the long run, so make sure you have kept up with the highest level of enemy you are likely to encounter. Meanwhile, be sure to get extra ammunition here and there, because it’s always better to have too much ammunition than too little, particularly if using a particularly greedy weapon like the flamethrower.
Have A Versatile Weapon Set
Once the Perks for unlocking a full weapon set have been unlocked, it might be tempting to double down on weapons that fit a particular play style. After all, Far Cry as a whole allows players to stick to a particular brand of play, with both stealthy takedowns and a more aggressive approach with heavy weapons viable options.
It’s worth keeping a little bit of versatility when it comes to a weapons set, though – perhaps keeping back one weapon on a just-in-case basis. Because of the addition of health bars for Far Cry New Dawn, higher level enemies can become something of a bullet sponge, and so even the most direct players may prefer to take things slowly and pull off a stealthy one-hit kill at times. Meanwhile, a botched stealth manoeuvre could leave a player focused on silenced pistols, sniper rifles and bows extremely vulnerable to an incoming mass attack, unless they have something with a little more punch in their repertoire.
This becomes particularly true during the game’s boss battles and set pieces, which definitely stray towards the side of powerful, loud weapons. In short, players will likely want to keep something akin to a light machine gun on them at times, so bear that in mind when heading into missions of narrative importance. As a bonus, using different kinds of weapons will also unlock plenty of Perk points throughout the game.
Choose a Gun For Hire That Suits You
Far Cry New Dawn has plenty of Guns For Hire that can be unlocked. Much like Far Cry 5, these relate to an individual mission to acquire their help, and each has a different speciality. Whether it’s the machine gun fire of Gina Guerra or the bow of the mysterious Judge, there’s something here for everyone. However, it’s important to pick a Gun For Hire that suits a player’s style of play.
This doesn’t necessarily mean picking someone that works in the same way as the player does. Nana’s sniping abilities could come in extremely handy for a player who likes to run in with a shotgun in hand, picking off Highwaymen who are otherwise preoccupied, while a sniper character might find Timber a suitable ally if enemies get too close.
It’s worth looking at what abilities each Gun For Hire will gain over the course of the game, too. In particular, Timber’s ability to tag crafting material is very useful for those players looking to collect everything from each location, so it may be worth getting the friendly canine to that particular level. Equally, the Judge gains the ability to make animals docile, which is great for those looking to hunt.
Page 2 of 2: Get Perk Points, The Right Weapons, & More
Get Perk Points Fast
There are plenty of Challenges available in Far Cry New Dawn, and many follow the same path as Far Cry 5. Players may be tempted to look at the Challenges available, and try and follow them through on a to-do list to get enough Perk points across the course of the game.
That said, it probably doesn’t have to be a priority that players should worry about. A lot of the Perk Points will come naturally as Far Cry New Dawn is completed, particularly if you have an aforementioned versatile weapon set. Making good use of some of the side content of the game, such as trying to hunt down different kinds of animals and going after the mutated versions that crop up, will pick up plenty of Perk Points as well.
A better use of time is to go after the Treasure Hunts instead. Each Treasure Hunt comes not only with useful crafting material, but also with three Perk Points, and as such completing these is a sure-fire way to get those skills up fast. On top of that, the Treasure Hunts are some of the most fun parts of the game, so it’s definitely worth doing.
Pick The Right Weapon Upgrades
One of the bigger issues with Far Cry New Dawn as a whole is the way the game pushes replaying sections on players as a necessity. For Outposts, this comes through the gathering of Ethanol to upgrade Prosperity, and through Expeditions this comes through crafting materials for creating new and improved weapons.
Unfortunately, to unlock every weapon available across all tiers, players will be required to replay some of the Expeditions. These missions are fun, consisting of being flown by helicopter to an interesting location outside of Hope County to steal supplies from a different Highwaymen camp, but with each replay they lose their luster.
To avoid having to replay too many times, it is worth picking and choosing which weapons you want to craft carefully. Rather than unlocking everything on a lower tier, for instance, is it worth keeping some materials back for when the top tier is reached? Otherwise, bear in mind that some replaying will be required.
Make Prosperity Your Own
In order to progress through Far Cry New Dawn, players will need to upgrade the settlement of Prosperity. This base of operations is the main hub for the friendly survivors in the game, and over the course of Far Cry New Dawn the Captain can improve aspects such as the Infirmary or Garage, which grant better health and vehicle crafting for the player.
To do this, users will need to pick up Ethanol from taking over Highwaymen Outposts. Unfortunately, to fully upgrade Prosperity, players will need to ‘salvage’ the Outposts, handing them back to the Highwaymen and making them viable to raid again for an increased amount of Ethanol. So, unless your Captain is keen on replaying sections over again, picking the areas to prioritize will be key.
It’s down to the individual as to what should be the main areas for upgrade, but the weapon-crafting workbench should definitely be one to strengthen, as it improves every possible play style a player may have. Equally, it may be worth putting some Ethanol towards fully levelling up the Infirmary, as this will boost the player’s maximum health. Others should be taken on a case-by-case basis, as some players will get more out of boosting the Garage or Explosives than others, for instance.
With these tips, players should be able to get the most out of their playthrough of Far Cry New Dawn. Bear this guide in mind, and before too long the Highwaymen will be running scared for sure - although still watch out for some of the game’s hairier moments.
