Before You Start

When you insert the game for the first time the current generation of consoles will need to install content from the disc to their hard drive, and then patch the game for the first time to bring it up to current status. Once that has been accomplished, the splash screen will appear and you are almost ready to go!

There are some minor things we need to quickly cover before we get started - the first of which is your chosen game play mode - and then there are the Achievements for this game we need to discuss...

If you have not yet bought the game, there is something you should know... Even though this was only supposed to be for pre-order, if you spot a Limited Edition boxed copy of the game on the shelf with the regular games grab that instead of the regular as it is (a) the same price, and (b) has a card inside with a code for the first DLC, Hurk's Redemption - which includes three original missions AND the Harpoon Gun!

Chosen Game Play Mode

Before you can begin play though you need to decide whether or not you want to play the game - specifically the story mode / campaign - Online or Offline.

When you play Online you can have other gamers play with you - when you choose to play Offline, it is just you.

Achievement Issues

In most games in this genre the Achievements are pretty straight forward - but in FC4 they are, well, not really.... The issue that crops up is that the Achievements are divided both by mode and choice. Let us explains....

If you examine the structure of the Achievements in the game you will notice that they are divided up into specific groups:

• Campaign Only

• Campaign Co-Op Only

• Campaign Arena Only

• Battle of Kyrat Only

• Map Browser Only

What you need to know now - so you do not feel like you have no choice but to play online co-op - is that there are only a few of those Achievements in the game. There are even fewer of the others - the majority of them are Campaign Only.

So if you prefer not to have other players in your game, going offline, solo is certainly an option. You will not find yourself being penalized by making that choice.

Later you can play just to get the Co-Op stuff after you have completed your main story-mode run. As for the others, well, those are optional extra modes that you will probably want to play anyway!

The Opening CS

Once that decision is made, the opening CS kicks in and the stage gets set - and what a stage it is! You gotta love the selfie - the only thing that could have made it better would have been if the chimp had photo-bombed. Just saying.

The Secret Ending Revealed in All Its Glory!

The Secret Ending?

Now, before we begin to play the game, there is something you need to know. Patience is its own reward. So when you find yourself at the dinner table and your host politely says: "Please, stay right here...." well, go ahead and STAY. Right there.

Don't move.

Just sit there.

For fifteen minutes.

While your host does um, interrogation things...

Because if you DO stay right here - and you don't freak out when your guide starts to scream - eventually your host returns, thanks you for staying where you were told to, and then as your reward takes you directly to the shrine so you can place your mum where she wanted to be and blamo! You win the game!

There is a Collection item you can pick up inside the shrine - may as well grab that while you are here, right? Yeah!

No, seriously. That's it. Guide over. Nothing else to do here. #Winning!

OK we were just kidding about the guide -- and the game -- being over... Of course it is not over - we have not actually gotten to play yet. But hey, was that funny or what? Not going to say cool because, well, yeah....

Now that we have seen the fourth ending - and chuckled - you did chuckle right? We did. Oh yeah, we were really chuckling. We were chuckling so much we were almost giggling - but that would not be manly so even though some of those chuckled clearly strayed into the giggling category, we will just CALL them chuckles, because we're all blokes here, right?

Wait - unless you are a Sheila - in which case, whoops! Sorry!

Where were we again?? Oh yeah!

Right so now that we saw the hidden ending and had our chuckles it is time to restart the game and, this time, NOT just sit there! But for that we will, of course, be jumping to Part I - Starting Out... What are you still doing here? Click on Part I: Starting Out!! Now!

The following tips represent information that the game will eventually tell you but, knowing it early on will help you to make a better go of things... That being the case, we thought we would share these tips with you now, as your adventures in Kyrat are just blossoming!

Things Can Go Pear-Shaped Quickly in Kyrat

-- It is ALWAYS a good idea to save your game regularly just in case things go very wrong.

Situational Awareness is Key

-- Always be aware of your surroundings.

-- To turn on your cam press UP on the D-Pad. UP again turns it off.

-- You can use your camera phone to detect and keep track of bad guys AND predators!

-- You can use your camera phone to scan water for the more dangerous Fish.

-- Keeping your weapons Sound Suppressed is a really great idea!

This is a Dangerous Country!

-- There are rules you can follow to reduce the risks of death - and Rule 1 is always have plenty of ammo!

-- Stay off the roads - but not too far off of them when on foot. Min's forces patrol in trucks - if they see you on the road they will attack. So keep off the road to the side when possible.

-- Do not go too far off the road tho - as predator Animals like to catch you in the jungle and woods and eat your face off!

-- There is no need to look for the Eagles in Kyrat - they will find YOU!

-- Travel in water should be by BOAT, not swimming. There are nasty mean and dangerous flesh-eating fish that make Piranha look like Goldfish. Just saying, stay out of the water unless you are looking for a life-or-death battle, right?

Radio Tower Liberation

-- Pagan Min broadcasts radio signals from these towers; disabling them weakens his authority.

-- Disabling the radio broadcasts removes the Fog of War around the Tower.

-- Removing the Fog of War reveals helpful icons like Animals, and objects.

-- Towers serve as the backbone of the Safe Fast Travel Network

-- Towers are always in remote and hard to reach locations.

-- You will want to have a Grappling Hook to reach the Towers.

-- A liberated Tower is a magnet for Eagles - and Eagles like eating your face!

Loot is for Selling!

-- Unless an item specifically says you should hold on to it (like the letter from Mum) Sell it!

-- You can sell Loot at the Trading Posts in Villages.

-- You can ALSO sell loot to the Sherpa - a Traveling Trading Post!

-- You are limited to how much Loot you can carry by the size of your Loot Bag.

-- You are limited to how much CASH you can possess by the size of your Wallet.

-- While selling craft resources is usually a bad idea you may need to if you get too much.

-- Constantly check our Crafting Section to see what resources you need to hang onto.

-- The Crafting Section can also tell you what resources you do not need to hold on to!

How You Kill Matters

-- When killing Animals with a knife, arrows, or bolts you get double the skins and hides!

-- Only the actual KILLING blow counts - so you can riddle the target with bullets and still get the bonus as long as the final blow is via knife, arrow, or bolt!