You probably already know that the basic setup of Far Cry New Dawn is The Road Warrior with a side order of deep fried bull testicles. If you'd like a more detailed breakdown of what's in store, today's new 12-minute gameplay video, covering the full intro sequence, is here to help. It is also obviously spoiler-ish, so approach with whatever level of caution you feel is appropriate.
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With that out of the way, let's get to it. You are not a member of the Project at Eden's Gate in Far Cry New Dawn, nor are you Joseph Seed's roomie from Far Cry 5. Instead, you are "the Captain," part of a team led by a man named Thomas Rush that travels the west coast of the US by train, helping people rebuild.
Things go sideways for the group after its train is attacked by a gang known as the Highwaymen as it rolls through Hope County. The train is derailed, the team is scattered or killed, and just when you and a pair of named NPCs are on the cusp of escape, you're caught! Cue some bad guy exposition, a spot of violence to demonstrate that they're Not Screwing Around, and then a surprise escape! Not for Thomas, though. He remains held firmly in the clutches of evil.
You might be thinking that it sounds awfully familiar, and you're not wrong: Swap the train for a helicopter and cut back on your companions a bit, and you're basically playing Far Cry 5. Which is fine by me, I actually like the way it reflects the connection between the two, especially since direct sequels are something that hasn't previously been done in the Far Cry series. But I also thought the ending to Far Cry 5 was amazing, so take that for what it's worth.
Far Cry New Dawn comes out on February 15. If you want to check out even more gameplay, set aside a half-hour for this.