The good thing is that, while New Dawn looks and feels incredibly familiar, it manages to mostly get away from the narrative and thematic issues that plagued Far Cry 5. It’s more of a small, direct sequel to Far Cry 5. New Dawn is a standalone game, but it’s not a one-off experiment in the mold of the cyberpunk-tinged Blood Dragon or the Stone Age-themed Far Cry Primal. Far Cry 5 already took place in a typical small town turned into a warzone, and a few years after a nuclear bomb laid waste to it all, the place feels remarkably similar. I wish Ubisoft had gone farther with the post-apocalyptic theme. There’s a violent preacher, a sniper grandma, and, naturally, a very good dog.

The game also brings back one of the best features of Far Cry 5, “hired guns,” where various AI characters serve as a co-op partner. There are new, irradiated versions of normal animals going up against a glowing buffalo is not something I would recommend. One thing that remains the same is that New Dawn is still teeming with wildlife: a trip up a mountain could mean a skirmish with a cougar or bear, and there are plenty of deer to hunt and fish to catch. They were a fun diversion in the previous game, but in New Dawn they’re some of the most bountiful places to uncover. With its cult theme, Far Cry 5 was filled with doomsday preppers, regular folks who built bunkers anticipating the end of the world. Farms and homes that you visited in the previous game are now in ruins, sometimes hiding dark secrets or useful supplies. If you played Far Cry 5, exploring the post-apocalyptic rendition of Hope Valley is eerily familiar.

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