Just Cause 3 Hands-On Review: 7 Key Impressions It's Made

6. This Game's Not About The Story

I imagine that most people who read the word 'story' in this heading will immediately click the 'Next' button, disbelieving in the notion that a Just Cause game would ever have a story worth writing about. Story always came second to silliness in this series, and Just Cause 2 embraced that ethos with all its explosive gusto - giving the finger to 'narrative' and proving that you don't need pretentious plots to make a great game. The Just Cause 3 hands-on at EGX 2015 featured nothing of the story, which suggests to me that Square Enix wants people to continue perceiving the series as a big, beautiful sandbox of destructive opportunities rather than a story-driven experience. We know that Medici is where Rico grew up, and that his parents died during Di Ravello's military coup, so that's something resembling a story right there, but beyond that there has been very little spotlight on this aspect of the game. This definitely won't be a problem for fans of the series, who will simply be relishing the chance to explore a new paradise island to destroy. In a way, Square Enix is playing to the series' strengths, but will people be as taken with Just Cause 3 when so little has changed from its predecessor? Would a decent story give extra impetus for people to play through the main campaign? I, for one, am hoping that a decent story will yet emerge for Just Cause 3, because I haven't seen enough else in this game that suggests it's much of an improvement on its five-year-old predecessor.