New Game +

Welcome back to the Rook Islands, Jason! New Game + in Far Cry 3 offers a fresh challenge and the opportunity to revisit the chaos with your hard-earned skills and gear. While the core story remains the same, your approach can be vastly different. This section will guide you through optimizing your New Game + experience.

What Carries Over?

Before diving in, understand what transfers to your new playthrough:

Skills: All unlocked skills from the three skill trees (The Heron, The Spider, The Shark) are retained. This means you'll start with a fully capable Jason, able to perform takedowns, craft advanced syringes, and use powerful combat abilities from the outset.
Crafting Recipes: All learned crafting recipes for syringes, equipment upgrades (wallet, rucksack, etc.), and weapon holsters are available immediately.
Weapon Unlocks: Any weapons you unlocked through story progression or by activating radio towers will be available for purchase from weapon vendors. However, you will still need to buy them.
Money: Your accumulated cash from the previous playthrough carries over. This is a significant advantage, allowing you to purchase powerful weapons and upgrades early on.
XP: Your experience points and current level are reset. You'll start at Level 1 again, but with all your skills intact, you'll quickly level up and earn more skill points.

What Does NOT Carry Over?

Inventory: All weapons, attachments, ammo, crafting components, and quest items are reset. You'll start with the basic 1911 pistol and a limited amount of cash.
Outposts and Radio Towers: All outposts will be re-occupied by Vaas's pirates or Hoyt's privateers, and all radio towers will need to be reactivated to reveal the map and unlock new weapons.
Collectibles: Relics, Letters of the Lost, and Memory Cards are all reset.
Side Missions: All "Paths of the Hunter," "Wanted Dead," and "Supply Drop" missions are reset.

Early Game Strategy: Dominate from the Start

With your skills and money, the early game of New Game + is where you can truly shine. Focus on these steps:

Weapon Acquisition:
- Immediate Purchases: Head to the nearest weapon vendor (often found at liberated outposts or safe houses). With your carried-over cash, prioritize purchasing a powerful assault rifle like the AK-47 or P416, and a reliable sniper rifle such as the SVD. Don't forget a good sidearm like the .44 Magnum for close-quarters emergencies.
- Attachments: Immediately equip silencers, extended magazines, and red dot sights on your primary weapons. This significantly boosts your combat effectiveness.
- Signature Weapons: If you unlocked any signature weapons in your previous playthrough (e.g., the Bushman or Shadow), they will be available for free once you meet their unlock criteria (e.g., liberating a certain number of outposts). Keep an eye on these as you progress.
Crafting Essentials:
- Syringe Focus: With all crafting recipes available, prioritize crafting essential syringes. The Healing Syringe (Green Leaf x1) is always crucial. For combat, the Hunter's Instinct Syringe (Green Leaf x1, Blue Leaf x1) is invaluable for marking enemies, and the Deep Dive Syringe (Blue Leaf x2) for extended underwater exploration.
- Equipment Upgrades: Your first priority should be crafting the largest Wallet (Boar Skin x2, Deer Skin x1) and Rucksack (Goat Skin x2, Tapir Skin x1) to maximize your carrying capacity for money and loot. Follow this with the Syringe Kit (Red Leaf x2, Green Leaf x2) and Ammo Pouch (Pig Skin x2, Dingo Skin x1).
- Weapon Holsters: Crafting additional weapon holsters (Goat Skin x1 for the 2nd, Shark Skin x2 for the 3rd, Komodo Dragon Skin x2 for the 4th) should be a top priority to carry your newly acquired arsenal.
Outpost Liberation Strategy:
- Stealth is Key: With your advanced skills and silenced weapons, liberating outposts stealthily is easier than ever. Use your Takedown from Above and Chain Takedown skills to clear out enemies efficiently.
- Radio Towers First: Prioritize activating nearby radio towers to reveal more of the map and unlock new weapons for purchase. This also provides valuable XP.
- XP Farming: Liberating outposts without triggering alarms grants bonus XP. Combine this with your early access to powerful weapons and skills to quickly level up and earn more skill points, even though you have all skills unlocked, XP is still useful for the small bonuses it provides.

Advanced Tips for a Second Playthrough

Experiment with Playstyles: Since you're not learning the ropes, use New Game + to try different approaches. Go for a pure stealth run, or embrace full-on Rambo chaos.
Collectibles Revisited: With a clearer understanding of the map and your enhanced abilities, hunting down all the Relics, Letters of the Lost, and Memory Cards can be a more enjoyable and less frustrating experience.
Challenge Yourself: Consider playing on a higher difficulty setting if you found your first playthrough too easy. Your carried-over skills will still give you an edge, but the increased enemy damage and awareness will provide a fresh challenge.
Side Mission Efficiency: Tackle "Paths of the Hunter" and "Wanted Dead" missions early to quickly earn money and valuable animal skins for crafting.

Enjoy your second journey through the Rook Islands, Jason. With your experience and enhanced capabilities, you're truly the master of this jungle!