Act I - Prologue Welcome to Kyrat

The game - and the first act - are a passive experience that begins with a voice-over of vmail in which the US Embassy official warns you about the danger of traveling in Kyrat - the message being very clearly “don't go...”

That segues to the ramshackle bus and a conversation of sorts you have with your fixer Darpan, who helps you configure your passport for a smooth security check.

Except that things begin to go all pear-shaped after a few of your fellow passengers try to make a break for it and the soldiers open up with automatic weapons.

First they shoot at the runners - then they kill the driver - and then snoot at YOU!

About this time a Blackhawk lands and off climbs a rather slick native fella who has a problem with the manner in which the soldiers halted the forward progress of the bus...

Clearly the fella from the chopper - Pagan Min - is in charge - clearly because he proceeds to first lecture and then execute the noncom in front of his patrol of well-armed soldiers and they do not react!

It is pretty clear that while we may not know this odd fella Pagan Min, he certainly knows us!

After introducing himself to you and your fixer he snaps a selfie with you, then as his men burn the bus and bodies he loads you onto the Blackhawk and the CS ends with a rousing rock beat!

Introducing the guest of honor at a Royal Dinner - you!

At the Dinner Table

And we segue to a mysterious gathering that we arrive at with a bag over our head - and our host is being very charming to his other guests.

You get introduced around the table - Paul your host is new - you know your Fixer - and then there is the bloke in charge Pagan Min who, it seems has his face on the local money! That's right, he is the President, or King, or whatever he decides he is today... Yeah, Pagan Min is whack!

Things get a little freaky now as he snorts your mum. Err... Your mum's ashes... Ewww....

At this point Min Plants a knife in your fixer's back and provides him with a lecture on proper table manners - you don't text at the table - and then a lesson in how to properly call for help!

Immediately following this brief demonstration of insanity and power, he heads off to supervise the torture of your fixer while asking you to stay right there and wait for him!

Well of course you don't do that! No rather than do that - because that would be insane right? Instead we get up and start exploring. There are a few things we need to pick up as we do so - starting with the money that was left on the table for sure!

Working your way around the edges of the room you will find the following:

-- R.A. Memo: Increased Golden Path Activity;

-- Ammo for handguns in a box;

Take your time and read the documents that you discover - then head down the stairs and continue to search....

-- Travel Itinerary: Mr. Paul Harmon;

-- Don't Work Too Hard Letter;

-- Rope and Ammo for handguns in a box;

-- Rubber Hose and more handgun ammo in another box;

-- R.A. Memo: Bell Tower Broadcasts;

-- Uncle John Letter;

Now make your way down the next set of stairs and through the hall past the interrogation chamber. You reach a door and encounter Sabal - a Rebel Leader who says that they are there to rescue you!

Escaping into the Wilderness and Encountering a Bear!

Making a Run for It!

Following them outside you make your way through active combat to the truck - hopefully alive - and you are spirited away to safety. Well - sort of :)

You end up in the truck and try to help defend it, but eventually you end up as a passenger in a truck hurtling down the side of a mountain!

When you wake up Sabal is calling you on the radio - he urges you to head to the Bell Tower - but you are going to need to avoid the government troops who, naturally enough, are searching for you!

Here is where you are introduced to the basic of the Stealth Meter - and how to tell when you are about to land in a world of hurt!

After you crouch you make your way - using the cover that is available - towards the tower by following the pointer arrow.

As you make your way down the path in the direction of the tower you will encounter a soldier - try to approach him from the side all stealth-like so he does not see you and you can do a take-down move using your machete.

Once he is down, search him then pick up his machine gun.

As you work your way past the soldier you killed there are a few more ahead - take them out using the gun and then be sure you search them and take any ammo they have. Reload your gun, then continue on and you will encounter a dead deer - skin it to get the Bait lesson!

Unfortunately there are more soldiers ahead on the path so stay to the left and climb onto the ledge above, working your way along hopefully all stealth-ninja-like...

When prompted to use the bait you got from skinning the dead deer and throw it near the soldiers so that a nice, large, and very deadly bear comes out and kills them for you! It is OK if you need to help the bear kill the soldiers - just don't waste ammo right?

Once the bear leaves the area head down and search the bodies grabbing any items and ammunition they have for you... There may be a second bear down there so be careful...

As you make your way through the valley you will encounter a camp - you can stay to the right side and to up on the ledge here - which will trigger the camera tute - this appears to be a poachers camp that has been overrun by a patrol of soldiers....

What you can do is take careful aim at the ropes holding the cage with the large cat in it closed and shoot them - that sets it free and it will helpfully kill several of the soldiers - you just need to kill the remaining ones and voila! Mischief managed!

Inside the hut up the slope is a letter - A Reminder - you should gran and read to learn a little about this poacher's camp. Once you read that you might want to climb onto the roof outside - because hey, remember those bears from before? Yeah the gunfight and the dead bodies of the soldiers have attracted them to the area!

When it is safe to do so, check the other buildings and you will find a box with a rice bag and some money in it - and down below here is ammunition on some crates by a hut.

All of that stuff you are picking up? Some is directly useful like the ammunition while other items are basically loot - some more valuable than others - and you will want to keep the most valuable - getting rid of the trash as your Loot Bag fills - so you can sell the good stuff later. If you get decent hides or pelts you want to hold on and use those for Crafting.

Arriving a the Tower and then Life gets Complicated!

The Basic Situation

As you make your way towards Sabal and the Bell Tower there are some issues you need to be aware of...

First, the political situation in Kyrat: The country has been suffering under a civil war for nearly thirty years, first under the legitimate monarchy, then under the false (and self-proclaimed) King Pagan Min. The primary enemy of Pagan Min is the Golden Path - the thing is even the Golden Path is a divided front.

Which brings us to the second point: there are two leaders in the Path - Sabal, who you have met, and Amita, who you have not yet.

They have very different goals, views, and ideas for how to proceed both with the rebellion and how the country - and the Path - should emerge from it once victory is achieved.

As you make your own contributions to that battle, the balance of power between Sabal and Amita may change depending on who you align yourself with, and the types of missions and Action you choose to support.

The Balance of Power is not simply an expression - it is a Meeting system that determines who will lead the Path for set periods of time. You actually can influence that by the missions you accept and who you wok with - your choices creating your own unique path so that the missions may be very different depending ont he choices you make!

For that reason if you want to follow the guide to the letter, you may need to make the same choices that we do, as otherwise your path may be very different from ours...

You have already learned about healing basics but did you know that in addition to your health regenerating over time - and quicker when you use the 'Y' button, you can also collect Plants and, when you have a sufficient quantity of the right kinds you will automatically craft healing Syringes.

You can also buy then at Trading Posts - as well as sell the loot you have that you don't need or want.

You also already know how to open the weapon wheel but, did you know that with that wheel open, when you press RB you open the Crafting Wheel?

Bell Towers - the Tower you are headed for is a Bell Tower. When you reach one of these you can go tgo the top and hijack the radio signal that broadcasts Pagan Min's propaganda signals! Liberation of these towers also serves to push back the Fog of War and reveal the different resources in the area.

Not only that but they will also often give you free weapons and new quests!

Hostile Outposts are similar but different. You want to liberate those - preferably without being detected or seen. Liberating Hostile Outposts can grant you XP bonuses, as well as new quests and access to local safe houses.

Each safe house has a Trading Post and functions as a fast travel point - so obviously useful, eh? In addition to buying stuff you looted and want to sell these Places are a source for weapon attachments that you can use to enhance the performance and effect

Many of the actions you complete in the game will result in earned XP - and XP can be used to gain skill points, which in turn are used to unlock special skills. It is all about making your character more effective!

The Bell Tower

Once you arrive at the Tower you will be able to re-supply - there are a number of ammunition supply chests and stacks of loose ammunition to be found here - but soon after you do the Tower comes under attack by white-camo special forces dudes.

You can help to defend the Tower by killing as many of the White Camo-Dudes as you can but, eventually the Tower gets hit by an avalanch as a result of all the gunfire - and you are temporarily buried in snow!

Fortunately not too deep, so Sabal is able to dig you out - and you then walk out of the valley to the nearby village, which is the headquarters for The Golden Path for this region.

This ends the Prologue - and well done you!