497 Words About: Crafting and Far Cry 5
I love looking at Steam achievements entirely because they include numbers. Ever since I built my personal computer (PC) for gaming I’ve rediscovered the joy of the online market and purchasing games that would be either impossible to find physical copies of, or finding games that were released originally on what is now possibly abandonware. Far Cry 5 doesn’t match either criteria, but it was a game I remember being interested in playing, so when it went on sale I bought it and started playing…about six months after purchasing it.
Don’t judge me, Capybara Spa owns and I’m not sorry.
Far Cry 5 is typical open-world, first person shooter videogame from Ubisoft and I’ve steadily progressed through the campaign earning up experience points and achievements. One such achievement is titled Extra Crafty and is earned when players collect enough materials (junk, plants, explosives, etc.) and craft 25 recipes.
As of this writing only 5.3% of PC players on steam have achieved Extra Crafty.
Collecting items and crafting isn’t a new development in open-world videogames, in fact at this point it’s an expectation that a game will include this mechanic. And given the fact that Far Cry 5 is set in the rural region of Montana, and builds heavily around a hunter and prepper aesthetic, it would defy expectations not to include a collecting and crafting mechanic.
Of course I want to craft, I’m fighting redneck cultists in rural Montana for pete’s sake.
Still, only 5.3% of the total population (playing on PCs anyway) is a fascinating number because it reveals that this crafting mechanic is either not being employed by the majority of the players, or, as is more likely, players are not bothering to craft more than what is absolutely necessary. Items like dynamite and molotov cocktails are always useful for combat situations, and even remote bombs can be crafted and used regularly, but these items can also be purchased in the scattered shops across Hope County. I can only speculate, but I suspect this 5.3% is because most players are likely purchasing replacement munitions instead of crafting them, or relying on looting to fill the gaps in their inventory.
And, hey, whatever works.
Far Cry 5 is a narrative about surviving extreme cultural conditions and if a player decides it’s easier to just buy a stick of dynamite instead of crafting one that’s their choice.
And clearly that’s the choice they’re making.
I’m stuck on the number 5.3% though, because it reveals player mindsets about approaching the challenges of the game. Far Cry 5, like any good videogame, offers challenges and solutions leaving it up to the player which solution they prefer. Choosing the crafting mechanic is, admittedly, conditioning by other open world videogames. But I also enjoy running around Hope County, grabbing plants and raiding prepper bunkers to build tools for fighting the Cult because it’s led me to discover secrets, stories, and most importantly the prime locations for fishing.
Joshua “Jammer” Smith
4.20.2026
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