When I first heard of the coming release of Far Cry: New Dawn I was looking forward to it since they released the official trailer for the game, being a Post-Apocalypse sequel set 17 years after the end of Far Cry 5 and of course the cannon ending of the Father being correct in Nuclear War being declared; the game ended with you in a fallout bunker with the father. But New Dawn was being released roughly around the same time as Metro: Exodus was released. I am personally a major fan of Post-Apocalypse games, and bought both upon release.
Had Ubisoft charged £60+ for New Dawn, I would have slammed it down as a a rip-off as the game is in most areas a copy and paste of the in-game map with new models, environments created by Nuclear radiation. But I found New Dawn for just £35 at a high-end gaming store brand new. I completed the game in just over twenty hours, that included attempting the side-missions, treasure hunts, and the new Expeditions mode which adds replayability to the game even after completion. Far Cry as a franchise and series is not perfect, and is not without it's flaws, bugs and issues but I felt quite content paying what I did for New Dawn. It was short yes, but I at least felt I had gotten my money's worth from the game.
The Mad Max-esque theme of the game, with the in-game enemy group called the Highwaymen led by the sister duo Mickey and Lou as they scavenge, kill and take supplies from weaker groups that they bully and harass. In the same vein as Negan in the television series The Walking Dead, the sisters lead a blood-thirsty group of bandits who ethos truly represent how some groups and people would react to a Post-Apocalypse world. The story is lacking in areas, and boss fights simply become bullet-sponge rage-outs that can drag on for ages, it can get frustrating and the game is best enjoyed in short to mid bursts, the constant replayability options of retaking outposts from even stronger enemies for better loot is entertaining and enjoyable.
The Good:
- Fairly priced at £30+ for a standalone sequel to Far Cry 5, with over twenty hours of gameplay and the challenging Expeditions mode adds more time to your gameplay.
- Graphically, the theme and setting of New Dawn is vibrant, bright and original in the style it is envisioned.
- The crafting system pushes you to search out supplies and parts in order to craft a stronger weapons, constantly reminding you to upgrade and scavenge this new destroyed world.
- Personally and as a fan of Post-Apocalypse literature, games and media it's quite an alluring, engaging story and world to explore.
- New Dawn's soundtrack is stellar, with some amazing orchestral scores and heavy metal bursts when in combat that add to the game's setting and story.
The Bad:
- Sadly even as a Post-Apocalypse game, many cliche tropes, characters, and events from past games that at times can feel rehashed and recycled. But I would add the story does hold up enough to make you play on.
- Some graphical bugs and errors can disrupt the game's experience, but for me it only happened a few times.
For fans of Post-Apocalypse media, television, literature and games New Dawn is worth picking up for the lower price compared to some games currently out at £60+, you can feel you've got your money's worth here with New Dawn. Do not expect anything original, or spectacular as the game is following a plot most of us know from film. But as usual Far Cry's long-standing combat, and tense gameplay is one of it's strongest points and one of the main draws that made me play on until it's conclusion. I feel Ubisoft knew that New Dawn was worthy of it's price, it's not a huge game of content but it's a big enough game to keep you playing well over twenty hours.