Far Cry New Dawn guide: Everything you need to beat the Highwaymen and rule Hope County

Far Cry New Dawn is here and it's time to explore the pink-tinged wasteland of the post-apocalypse in all its glory. A smattering of nuclear bombs dropping actually made the place look better. It's not just the scenery that's changed though, as you now have a fresh set objectives to complete and a new enemy to fight, all set against a bright neon post-apocalyptic background. If you want to defeat those pesky Highwaymen and take back control then there are plenty of systems you'll want to understand and master, so we've put together this complete set of guides to arm you with all the knowledge you need to succeed.

Review

Far Cry New Dawn review: "Pushing Far Cry 5's survivalist formula further than it's ever been"

Score: 4 Stars

Our Far Cry New Dawn review praises Ubisoft's latest title for allowing the apocalypse to mix things up a bit, even in what's considered a spin-off title for 2018's Far Cry 5. The world around you feels more alive than ever, taking elements from the emerging world structure of Red Dead Redemption 2 in some ways. Overall, if you liked Far Cry 5, you’re sure to find Far Cry New Dawn thoroughly satisfying. Expeditions, re-claimable Outposts, and the upgradable Prosperity hint that the series is growing into something different, something better.

Guides

Essential Far Cry New Dawn tips

Even if you're familiar with the previous games in the Far Cry series, New Dawn adds some fresh systems and switches up familiar mechanics to keep you on your toes. Check out our essential Far Cry New Dawn tips to discover how to get a powerful weapon early in the story, the best way to take on Outposts, where to find additional NPC quests, and more.

How to unlock Timber the dog in Far Cry New Dawn

Following closely in the pawsteps of Boomer from Far Cry 5, Timber the Akita is one of the first Guns for Hire you can recruit and it's absolutely worth doing. This good boy can tag enemies for you, pin them down to help you take them out, plus he looks cute as a button when riding in your motorcycle sidecar. To add him to your team, here's how to get Timber the dog in Far Cry New Dawn.

How to unlock Horatio the boar in Far Cry New Dawn

If you're looking for a Fang for Hire that favours brawn over finesse, then Horatio the boar is the one for you. He may not be able to travel in vehicles with you due to his sheer size, but this absolute unit will bash his way through enemy shields and can go into full battering ram mode when suitably enraged. To put him on your roster, here's how to get Horatio the boar in Far Cry New Dawn.

How to get perk points fast in Far Cry New Dawn

If you want to get yourself some new abilities, from the essentials such as being able to carry multiple weapons at once, to useful items like a parachute or a wingsuit, then you'll need Far Cry New Dawn Perk Points to unlock them. We can show you the best ways to earn them quickly, to get the good stuff as soon as you possibly can.

How to earn Ethanol quickly in Far Cry New Dawn

Ethanol is the most important resource you'll encounter in the game, as it's used to upgrade your homebase of Prosperity and give you access to better weapons, new weapons, and more. There are a few different ways to earn Far Cry New Dawn Ethanol, such as liberating Outposts or looting supply drops, and we'll show you the most effective activities to rack up those barrels.

How to earn Circuit Boards quickly in Far Cry New Dawn

Circuit Boards are the other useful commodity you'll earn in game, and you'll need them in order to craft high level weapons and vehicles. You can collect Far Cry New Dawn Circuit Boards by hunting certain beasts and trading their skins, or going on Expeditions from your homebase, and we've got all the details for where you can find them.

The best Guns for Hire in Far Cry New Dawn (and where to find them)

Guns for Hire make a welcome return in New Dawn, as these helpful NPCs can be recruited to fight alongside you and each brings their own unique weapons and skills to the table. If you want to know which ones are going to be most useful for you and how to upgrade their perks, then take a look at our guide to the Far Cry New Dawn best Guns for Hire.

How to unlock fast travel in Far Cry New Dawn 

We already know that Hope County is expansive, and the crumbling road infrastructure brought on by some inconvenient nukes means it can be pretty tough to get about. Although there's an option to hop around the map, the Far Cry New Dawn Fast Travel ability is somewhat hidden away, so let us explain exactly how you can access it to speed up your journeys.

Far Cry New Dawn photograph locations - see what Hope County used to be

One of the Resistance fighters from Far Cry 5 returns in New Dawn, to task you with matching a series of old Far Cry New Dawn Photographs with their present day counterpart locations. There are nine of them in total, and we've tracked them all down for you so you can recreate the pre-apocalyptic scenes.

Far Cry New Dawn music player locations - bring the beat back to Hope County

There's nothing like a nuclear blast to make an area fall silent, and now your Survivor Radio is the only music you'll hear. Handily, there are ten Far Cry New Dawn Music Players scattered around Hope County, and each one you find will add a new tune to your mix. Follow our guide, and treat yourself to some fresh beats for your troubles.

How to find Joseph Seed in Far Cry New Dawn

Joseph Seed played a huge part in Far Cry 5, so it's natural to wonder if he'll be making a return this time around. We're going to hang a huge spoiler warning around this one just to be clear, but if you want to know how to find Joseph Seed in Far Cry New Dawn then we can fill you in on the details.

How to find your character from Far Cry 5 and get them as a Gun for Hire

Rook is back in Far Cry New Dawn, but not in the way you think. Your deputy from the previous game has survived spending years in a bunker with Joseph Seed, but that experience has messed them up pretty good. Consider yourself warned. If you still want to hunt them down to see what became of them here's a slightly spoilerific guide about how to find your character from Far Cry 5 in Far Cry New Dawn and get them as a Gun for Hire

Far Cry New Dawn ending explained - here’s what happens based on your choices

The ending may not be as controversial as Far Cry 5's, but that doesn't mean you won't have questions at the conclusion - plus, the choices you make during your playthrough will determine which of the multiple endings you get. So, with another obvious spoiler warning in mind, here's our breakdown of the Far Cry New Dawn ending and what your choices mean.

Features

Why does Far Cry New Dawn hate dogs so much?

We all love dogs, right? This is the age of when #dogsofinstagram are the kings of social media, with their tiny awoos and much booping of snoots. Well, Ubisoft has something else to say about that. Because Far Cry New Dawn hates dogs so much it was probably made by cats

You need to check out the hangout your Guns for Hire go to when you're not around

When you're not driving across the post-apocalyptic wasteland with your well-armed buddies, it turns out your Guns for Hire have somewhere better to go - their very own hangout. All your Far Cry New Dawn Guns for Hire hang out in this shooting range when they’re not fighting by your side and it’s very wholesome. You're going to want to go there and hangout with them too, as it gives you some awesome backstory to dive into. 

Far Cry New Dawn's villains prove that the series has lost its edge

Far Cry’s villains aren’t working anymore, and New Dawn’s twins are the final straw. It turns out that we've been doing the same old thing since Vaas in Far Cry 3, and despite the fact that Far Cry New Dawn has twin, black women as the antagonists, it fails to build anything. 

Iain Wilson
Guides Editor

Iain originally joined Future in 2012 to write guides for CVG, PSM3, and Xbox World, before moving on to join GamesRadar in 2013 as Guides Editor. His words have also appeared in OPM, OXM, PC Gamer, GamesMaster, and SFX. He is better known to many as ‘Mr Trophy’, due to his slightly unhealthy obsession with amassing intangible PlayStation silverware, and he now has over 500 Platinum pots weighing down the shelves of his virtual award cabinet. He does not care for Xbox Achievements.