The Far Cry franchise is back with another story of deranged, violent lunatics having taken over an otherwise idyllic, beautiful location where you, the hero, are stuck and must lead the locals to freedom by shooting and blowing stuff up. It's the Far Cry formula, so is it just "same old, same old"?
THE STORY
For the first time, Far Cry New Dawn serves as a direct sequel to its predecessor, Far Cry 5. It's been 17 years since the previous game where the world has suffered a nuclear bombing, an event called "The Collapse", which was initiated by the previous game's baddie, Joseph Seed. The game takes place back in Hope County, Montana (or what's left of it), and despite the vibrant colours and lush fauna thanks to what's called a "superbloom", the situation is anything but. Notorious, violent bandits known as the Highwaymen,led by sadistic and violent twins Mickey and Lou, are running the show and terrorising the good people of Hope County. It's up to you, the aptly dubbed "Captain", to lead the people, build up settlements and fight to take back Hope County.
THE GAMEPLAY AND GRAPHICS
It's a sight for sore eyes to see a game set in a post-apocalyptic world that's ridden with such vibrant hues of pink and orange, a very welcome change from the usual drab sepia tones of similar games like Fallout. That being said, if you're gaming set up is top-notch, you're sure to be treated to breathtaking vistas and striking colours whether it be the bright vegetation, the explosion of ethanol trucks or the blood spurting from an enemy you just stabbed in the throat. Since the story takes place in Hope County, you're also bound to see familiar places and faces all around given that you played Far Cry 5.
In terms of gameplay, most of the mechanics from Far Cry 5 has been brought into New Dawn. Liberating outposts and disrupting the Highwaymen's operations are your bread and butter. One of the new things in New Dawn is how you're tasked with upgrading your operations base so to unlock perks and improved tools like weapons and vehicles. The biggest difference is that New Dawn has incorporated a few RPG elements with weapons-crafting and vehicle-building, all of which have different levels and must be crafted with resources scavenged out in the vast open world or traded for with the skins from the animals hunted.
That being said, there's not much of a drastic difference between this game and its predecessor. The Far Cry formula remains intact and you are free to explore the vast open world that Ubisoft is well-known for, all while shooting up baddies, blowing stuff up and unfolding the continuation of the storyline from Far Cry 5. This isn't surprising though seeing that New Dawn is more of a spin-off despite being a narrative sequel to Far Cry 5.
THE VERDICT
Far Cry New Dawn is a familiar game in a familiar setting with familiar faces and familiar mechanics. If you were hoping for something drastically different -- which you shouldn't anyway because like I said, this is a spin-off -- then you're going to be pretty disappointed. However, if you want to jump back into Hope County to save it once again or perhaps at the very least discover how the story turns out, strap yourself in. It's going to be a bullet-ridden, mayhem-filled ride.
