Far Cry New Dawn: Standalone Sequel, Comparison, and FAQ

If you played Far Cry 5 and thought the ending dropped a mushroom cloud on you, you’re not alone. Seventeen years later, Far Cry New Dawn picks up the pieces in a radioactive but surprisingly colorful Hope County, asking whether this spin-off can stand on its own.

Release date: February 15, 2019 ·
Developer: Ubisoft Montreal ·
Metacritic score (PC): 72 ·
Game length (main story): ~11 hours ·
Price at launch: $39.99

Is Far Cry New Dawn just Far Cry 5?

Standalone sequel vs. expansion

• Far Cry New Dawn is a standalone sequel, not an expansion or DLC — you don’t need Far Cry 5 to play (Ubisoft News).
• It reuses the same Hope County map but set 17 years after the nuclear apocalypse, with significant visual and gameplay changes (Ubisoft (official site)).

Shared map but different setting

• The geography is identical, but landmarks are ruined, roads are blocked by debris, and new settlements have sprung up.
• The art direction shifts from Montana green to a vibrant, neon-accented wasteland — a deliberate choice that divides players.

The implication: New Dawn is both a true sequel and a budget re-skin — a gamble that works for some but feels cheap to others.

Is Far Cry New Dawn a full game?

Content volume and campaign length

• The main campaign takes about 11 hours (HowLongToBeat (game length database)), shorter than Far Cry 5’s ~18 hours.
• Side missions, outposts, treasure hunts, and Expeditions (missions outside Hope County) push a completionist run to 18–20 hours.

Features and modes

• Full drop-in/drop-out co-op for the entire campaign (Ubisoft (official site)).
• Light RPG elements: weapon tiers (common to legendary), a skill tree, and a home base that you upgrade.
• No competitive multiplayer — only co-op.

What this means: it’s a full game in terms of having a start and end, but the content density is closer to a large expansion than a mainline Far Cry entry.

Was Far Cry New Dawn any good?

Critical reception and Metacritic scores

• Metacritic scores: PC – 72, PS4 – 69, Xbox One – 67 (Metacritic (review aggregate)).
• EGM called it “a budget spin-off rather than a true next chapter” that “does not do nearly enough to lean into its post-apocalyptic setting” (EGM (gaming review outlet)).
• IGN’s Daemon Hatfield wrote: “a fun but ultimately forgettable spin-off that reuses too much of its predecessor” (IGN (gaming review outlet)).

Player opinions and common complaints

• Positive: vibrant art style, fun co-op, solid gunplay.
• Negative: repetitive world, weak story featuring the Highwaymen and the Twins (Ubisoft (official site)), short length.
• Pure Dead Gaming, a community site, reported that the game “improved on its predecessor in every way” but admitted it “did not go far enough in the post-apocalyptic direction” (Pure Dead Gaming (fan review site)).

What happened between Far Cry 5 and New Dawn?

The nuclear ending of Far Cry 5

• Far Cry 5 ends with a nuclear detonation — Joseph Seed’s prophecy comes true. The player is left in a bunker as the bombs fall (Wikipedia (far cry 5 plot)).
• New Dawn begins 17 years later; Hope County has been rebuilt from the radiation, now a bright wasteland.

Time skip and new factions

• The Highwaymen are marauders who rule the roads; their leaders are the Twins, Mickey and Lou (Ubisoft (official site)).
• Survivors are the scattered groups trying to live in the new world — you play as the Captain, a member of the Security team.
• Expeditions take you to unique locations outside Montana, like a crashed airplane in the Everglades (Ubisoft News).

“Far Cry New Dawn is a spin-off and sequel to Far Cry 5, set in a post-apocalyptic Hope County.”

— Wikipedia (game summary)

The pattern: Ubisoft took the narrative hook from Far Cry 5’s controversial ending and turned it into a full game, but the story is thinner and the villains lack the magnetism of Joseph Seed.

Is Far Cry New Dawn a short game?

Average playtime for main story

• Main story only: ~11 hours (HowLongToBeat (game length database)).
• Main + extras: ~16 hours.
• Completionist: ~20 hours.

How length compares to Far Cry 5

• Far Cry 5: main story ~18 hours, completionist ~40 hours (HowLongToBeat (far cry 5)).
• So New Dawn is roughly 40% shorter in main content.

For a buyer trying to decide: if you want a quick weekend co-op romp, it’s enough. If you expect a 30-hour epic, you’ll be disappointed.

Far Cry 5 vs Far Cry New Dawn: a comparison table

Seven major differences, one pattern: New Dawn trades scale and depth for a leaner, co-op-friendly experience at a lower price.

Specifications table: system requirements

Five PC specs that determine whether your rig can handle the wasteland:

Pros and cons

Timeline: from Far Cry 5 to New Dawn

• March 2018 – Far Cry 5 released with a nuclear ending (Wikipedia (release date)).
• December 2018 – Far Cry New Dawn announced at The Game Awards (IGN (news report)).
• February 15, 2019 – Game launched on PC, PS4, Xbox One (Ubisoft (official site)).
• In-game year 2035 – New Dawn’s story begins, 17 years after the bombs.

Clarity: what’s confirmed and what’s still debated

Confirmed facts

• Far Cry New Dawn is a standalone sequel set in the same map as Far Cry 5 (Ubisoft News).
• Developed by Ubisoft Montreal and released February 2019 (Ubisoft (official site)).
• Features co-op and a shorter campaign than Far Cry 5 (Ubisoft (official site)).

What’s unclear

• Whether Ubisoft will directly connect a future Far Cry game to New Dawn’s storyline.
• The exact canonical status of the multiple endings in Far Cry 5 and their tie to New Dawn.
• Whether Ubisoft will release a next-gen patch or remaster for New Dawn.

Quotes from critics and players

“Far Cry New Dawn is a fun but ultimately forgettable spin-off that reuses too much of its predecessor.”

— Daemon Hatfield, IGN review (IGN)

“Far Cry New Dawn is a spin-off and sequel to Far Cry 5, set in a post-apocalyptic Hope County.”

— Wikipedia (game summary) (Wikipedia)

Summary: should you buy Far Cry New Dawn?

If you’re a co-op player who already owns Far Cry 5 and wants more of the same with a fresh coat of paint, New Dawn delivers a decent weekend romp. Solo players expecting a narrative breakthrough will find the recycled map and flat villains hard to stomach. For PC gamers in the US, the $39.99 price tag is fair only when on sale — at half off, it’s a no-brainer. For console owners without a library of back-compat games, the value is thinner.

Frequently asked questions

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