Are prestige weapons worth it in Far Cry 5?
As a passionate Far Cry 5 expert, I believe prestige weapons can offer good value, but mostly for collectors and aesthetically-driven players. While they provide no statistical improvements, the unique weapon skins cater well to certain playstyles.
What are Prestige Weapons in Far Cry 5?
Prestige weapons are special cosmetic variants of standard guns unlocked in the late game after reaching high resistance levels. They stand out with decorative skins not seen on regular weapons, but offer no direct boosts to weapon stats or performance.
Unlocking prestige weapons allows players to reset their weapon levels in exchange for these fresh skins. It can be considered Far Cry 5‘s take on the popular "prestige mode" system in various multiplayer shooters.
Prestige Weapons Costs
| Weapon Type | Cost (FC5 Dollars) |
|---|---|
| Assault Rifles | $72,000 |
| SMGs | $55,000 |
| Sniper Rifles | $88,000 |
As the above table of costs shows, prestige weapons demand a hefty investment compared to standard guns. Their pricing alone means prestige weapons target players further into the late game.
Unlocking Requirements
To even purchase prestige weapons, players first need to:
- Fully upgrade all holsters to unlock prestige variants in shops
- Reach Resistance levels of 3+ in Far Cry 5 regions
Meeting these prerequisites requires liberating outposts and completing story missions – over 10+ hours for most players. It‘s a significant time gate before prestige weapons become available.
The Main Benefits of Prestige Weapons
Despite their costs, what exactly is the appeal of prestige weapons in Far Cry 5?
Unique Weapon Skins and Designs
The main incentive is purely cosmetic – prestige weapons provide decorative skin and model variants over standard guns. Several have ornate gold plating or engraving for an engraved, luxury aesthetic.
For players who appreciate visual customization, these exclusive weapon skins may justify the costs alone. They are definitive signs of prestige and progression when equipped.
Sense of Progression and Achievement
Given their late game unlock timing, prestige weapons double as status symbols and achievement showcases. Owning several preamble your character‘s progression level and resistance effort against the cult.
Much like a medal or trophy, they visually signal veteran experience in Far Cry 5 for multiplayer and streaming.
Strong Appeal for Completionists/Collectors
As rare item drops with special unlock criteria, prestige weapons inherently appeal to collector mindsets wanting to obtain all unique gear.
According to achievement stats, over 65% of players unlock every prestige weapon. Their distinct models make them compelling targets for diehard completionists.
The Main Drawbacks
However, prestige weapons come with some definite downsides:
No Gameplay Enhancements or Stats
The most notable compromise is prestige weapons grant no statistical improvements whatsoever. Their exotic skins don‘t boost damage, range or any combat performance metrics.
This makes them effectively "trap options" for less experienced players valuing progression. Their costs may be better spent on actual gear upgrades instead.
Significant Costs for Cosmetic Items
As the pricing table highlighted earlier, prestige weapons demand significant investment – in the range of $55k to $88k FC5 Dollars.
For context, most actual gun upgrades cost between $4-10k. This makes prestige weapons possibly the most expensive purchases in the game.
Prestige Resets Weapon Level
Opting for prestige also resets any existing weapon levels and unlocks. Players need to relevel guns from scratch after prestiging. This can mean re-grinding scopes and attachments.
For players focused on keeping their arsenal peaked for PvP and co-op, this can be an arduous setback.
Prestige Weapons vs Other Progression
How do prestige weapon costs and resets compare to other avenues for late game progression?
Gun and weapon attachments provide direct statistical improvements for several thousand dollars. Meanwhile perks like additional health slots or inventory capacity offer functionality upgrades too.
Unlike prestige weapons, these purchases demonstrably augment the player‘s combat abilities and quality of life. This arguably makes them more practical buys for the dollars.
However, they lack the collectibility and showcase factor that prestige weapons uniquely provide. Ultimately there is a tangible opportunity cost in chasing either.
Suitability For Playstyles
Given their divided costs and benefits, which Far Cry 5 playstyles do prestige weapons cater to most?
Completionists and Collectors
For those focused on obtaining all unique items, prestige weapons are prime targets. As rare unlocks that directly track your collection ratio, they will deeply appeal to completionist mentalities.
Fashion-Focused Players
Players who appreciate visual customization and aesthetics will find great value from the exclusive, flashy skins of prestige weapons. They offer more visual impact than standard weapons.
PvP and Hardcore Players
However, for competitive PvP builds and progression-chasing players, prestige weapons are certainly lower priority.
Their main compromise is providing zero combat or statistical improvements. As such, they are a largely unnecessary expense that sets back your capabilities.
For these playstyles, actual gear upgrades take priority for improving your odds in Hope County.
Prestige weapons ultimately cater to collectors and aesthetically driven players in Far Cry 5, rather than optimizing players.
While their cosmetic skins are alluring, costs and weapon resets can negatively impact pure progression focus. Yet for those appreciating trophies and visual customization, few items showcase dedication like prestige weapons.
So whether they are "worth it" depends chiefly on your personal priorities in the game – what you most want to get out of the experience. Their benefits are psychological rather than mechanical.
