Getting Started

Getting Started with Far Cry 5

Welcome to the wilds of Hope County, Montana. This guide is designed to get you from zero to confident within your first hour, so you can enjoy the chaos without getting stuck. Far Cry 5 has no character creation—you play as the default “Deputy” (first-person, no customization). The game is available on PC (Ubisoft Connect, Steam, Epic), PS4/5, Xbox One/Series X|S. This guide covers all platforms with platform-specific controls.

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First Hour Walkthrough – The Prologue

The game begins with a cutscene: you (the Deputy) and your fellow law enforcement officers are flown into Hope County to arrest cult leader Joseph Seed. After the chopper ride, you’ll be in the back of a truck with other deputies. Follow these steps:

1. Open the truck door (press the interact button – see controls below).
2. Walk toward the church – follow your partner, Marshal Burke.
3. Experience the ambush – the cult attacks. You’ll be knocked unconscious and wake up tied to a chair.
4. Escape the barn – after a short cutscene, shake free of the straps. A cultist will come in; press the melee attack (F on PC, R3 on consoles) to punch him.
5. Grab a weapon – pick up the pistol from the table (use interaction button).
6. Follow the on-screen prompts to shoot the locks on the door, then shoot the cultists outside.
7. Meet Dutch – a friendly survivalist will open the gate and guide you to his bunker. Follow him, pick up a rifle and ammo along the way.
8. Get inside the bunker – you’ll learn basic crafting and see a tutorial for the Resistance Meter.
9. Complete “The First Step” – your first real mission: go to the Ranger Station to find help. Follow the road, kill a few cultists, and use the outpost capture tutorial.
10. Return to Dutch’s Bunker – he’ll give you the “Grace” sniper rifle mission (optional, but recommended).

That’s your first ~30-45 minutes. Don’t skip any tutorials; they cover loot, crafting, and vehicles.

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Character Creation (None)

Far Cry 5 has no character creation. You are a pre-designed male or female Deputy (the model differs slightly based on your choice of gender during the intro? Actually, you cannot choose; the game automatically assigns a male Deputy named “Deputy” – but you can change outfits later via the “Outfit” slot in the menu, accessed by opening the Map and pressing Options/Start. There is no gender choice, only a default protagonist. Don’t spend time looking for customization; it’s limited to clothing unlocks from gameplay.

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Controls Overview

Below are the default controls for each platform. You can rebind in Options > Controls.

PC (Keyboard & Mouse)

PlayStation (PS4/PS5)

Xbox (Xbox One/Series X|S)

Note: All platforms allow you to customize controls. If you’re confused, go to Options > Controls and see the button mapping diagram. For PC, the default keyboard layout is shown in the pause menu.

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UI Overview

The Heads-Up Display (HUD) is customizable in Settings > Gameplay > HUD Elements. Default elements:

• Health Bar – bottom center, red bar. When damaged, you see a red vignette. Medkits heal you to full.


• Crosshair – center screen. Changes size with movement. Red when aiming at a hostile target.


• Weapon/Equipment – bottom center: shows current weapon, ammo count (magazine/total). Left side shows throwable item (grenade, molotov, etc.) and medkit count.


• Mini-map – top-right corner. Shows nearby enemies (if they are alerting), points of interest, and your objective marker. Can be toggled with M on PC or holding Touchpad/View? On consoles, mini-map is always visible.


• Objective Tracker – top-left. Shows current mission name and directions. Yellow diamond is main mission; white/grey are side activities.


• Compass – top-right (if mini-map is off). Shows cardinal directions and objective markers.


• Resistance Meter – top-center when active. Shows progress toward liberating a region (John, Jacob, Faith). Fills when you do resistance activities.


• Vehicle Controls – when driving, you get a speedometer and vehicle health bar bottom right.


• Detection Indicator – when enemies see you, an eye icon appears on screen. If it turns yellow/orange they are suspicious; red means they’ve spotted you.


• Ammo/Action Indicators – when near an object (e.g., car door), a prompt appears.


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Essential Early Objectives (First Few Hours)



You have three main regions: Holland Valley (John), Whitetail Mountains (Jacob), and Henbane River (Faith). Each has a resistance meter. Focus on the following in order:

1. Complete “The First Step” – unlocks crafting and shows you how to capture outposts.
2. Capture the Fall’s End Outpost (southwest of Dutch’s bunker) – liberate the town to get a safe house and fast travel point.
3. Complete Grace’s mission (sniper rifle reward) – talk to Grace Armstrong at her church near the eastern edge of Holland Valley. This gives you a powerful weapon early.
4. Get the Fishing Rod – buy from a shop (General Store) or find in a fishing spot – fishing gives money and health items early.
5. Find the first Prepper Stash – look for yellow icon with a suitcase. These give perk points and money.
6. Purchase the “Holster” perk (for two guns) – costs 3 perk points. Vital for carrying a rifle and a close-quarters weapon.
7. Recruit a specialist (e.g., Boomer the dog, Peaches the cougar, or Hurk) – they help in combat. Boomer is easy: complete his mission near the Holland Valley starting area.

What to Avoid:

• Do NOT start the main story missions for Joseph Seed (the final confrontation) until you have high resistance in all regions (you can’t anyway until you progress). Avoid directly assaulting heavily fortified cult compounds early.


• Do NOT waste money on cosmetic items early. Spend on ammo, medkits, and weapon upgrades.


• Do NOT ignore the tutorial for hunting and fishing – they provide materials for crafting ammo bags and holsters.


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Early Resource Priorities



Resources in Far Cry 5 are: Money ($), Perk Points, Crafting Materials (skins, plants), and Ammo. Prioritize:


• Perk Points – Spend first 3 on “Holster” (sidearm slot), then “Grenade Belt” or “Extra Medkit” (in Perks > Combat tab). You earn perk points from completing challenges, side missions, and finding magazines.


• Money – Sell animal skins (especially wolf, deer, bear) to general stores. Buy the Basic Medkit recipe (from shop) and the Baseball Bat or a simple melee weapon if you like. Don’t buy expensive weapons until you have two weapon slots.


• Crafting Materials – Collect plants like “Blooms” (flower icon) for crafting health and stamina boosts. Animal skins are used for upgrading holsters and ammo pouches at the workbench. Early on, focus on deer and wolf hides for the first holster upgrade (needs 2 deer hides, 2 wolf hides).


• Ammo – Scavenge from enemies. Buy if low. Always carry some for your primary weapon.


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Common Beginner Mistakes



1. Not using the environment – climb towers to spot enemy locations, use binoculars (hold Q on PC, up on D-Pad on consoles) to tag enemies. This marks them on your minimap and through walls.
2. Ignoring stealth – You can often clear outposts without raising an alarm by using a silenced weapon and takedowns (sneak up behind enemy, press melee button). Alarms call reinforcements.
3. Wasting money on vehicle repairs – If your car is damaged, just steal another one (press Y or Triangle near any car). You can also call in a vehicle from the “Vehicles” menu (on map).
4. Not using your companions – Follower (like Boomer or Peaches) can be directed to attack or distract. Press the command button (default `F` for attack, `E` for disengage on PC; left/right on D-Pad on consoles). They can also revive you if downed.
5. Overcomplicating fishing – When a fish bites, hold the reel button (R2/RT) and don’t let go. The fish will tire. Easy money.
6. Skipping side quests – Side missions give perk points and resistance progress. Do them.
7. Not completing Prepper Stashes – They give money, perk points, and sometimes unique gear. Always do them when you see the icon.

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Day-One Checklist



Use this to ensure you start off strong:


• [ ] Complete the prologue up to meeting Dutch.


• [ ] Complete “The First Step” mission (Ranger Station).


• [ ] Capture the Fall’s End outpost (first safe house).


• [ ] Talk to Grace Armstrong (get sniper rifle).


• [ ] Find the fishing rod (buy from store or loot) – fish for money.


• [ ] Hunt at least 2 deer and 2 wolves for holster upgrade.


• [ ] Spend first perk points on “Holster” (slot) and then “Extra Medkit” or “Takedown Master” (for stealth kills).


• [ ] Recruit Boomer (dog) from his mission near the starting area.


• [ ] Open your map and fast travel to a capture point to get familiar with the system.


• [ ] Save your game manually (press Escape and select Save) before a big fight.


• [ ] Adjust control sensitivity and HUD settings to your liking.

Once you’ve checked these, you’re set for the open world. Focus on exploring, doing side missions, and building resistance. Good luck, Deputy!

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Pro Tip: If you own Far Cry 5 on PC, consider using a controller for driving and flying, as keyboard controls for aircraft can be tricky. You can switch seamlessly between mouse/keyboard and controller in settings.

Remember: The game auto-saves frequently, but if you make a critical mistake (like killing a friendly NPC), you can reload from the last save. Also, you can restart a mission from the pause menu without losing too much progress.