Throughout Hope County, rebellious factions are waiting to help you counterattack against the cultists. Save them, recruit them into the resistance, and fight together. Allies can come from anywhere: enlist your friends to join the game cooperatively or team up with animal companions, such as the dog Boomer and the grizzly bear Cheeseburger, who will assist you in their own way.

Enter a war that has been simmering for 15 years. Under the leadership of the self-proclaimed prophet Joseph Seed, the fanatics of Project at Eden's Gate (or "Peggies," as the locals call them) have been gathering weapons, supplies, and members as they prepare for the war that will lead them to take over the region.

As a rookie in the local police force, it is up to you to lead the locals into battle against the cult members and their leaders. How and when you strike, whom you choose to free, and whom you leave behind will affect the outcome of the story.