Oddly, I actually found myself engaging with the story more than expected - perhaps because of my quick-to-kick-in boredom from blowing things up and making red parts of the map turn blue (you know, just like in Just Cause 2). Yet for all its wise-cracking charm, the main story is undone by overly scripted missions that go against the do it how you like that the game touts. There are a lot of mid-action cut-scenes, and a sense that you should use designated vehicles or weapons to complete certain missions. You feel too much like a passenger in the story than its hero, so by the end youll feel like youre completing it for completionisms sake - which isnt a great reason. Aside from the story, you can also partake in challenges that become available when you liberate areas. These usually involve races, timed wingsuit courses or destructive rampages, for which you get gears as rewards, which you can then use to upgrade Ricos abilities. Many of the abilities are very useful or just very fun. Aside from the simultaneous tethers I already mentioned, you'll get brakes for your wingsuit, nitrous and jumping power-ups for vehicles, and jet-propelled mines that send objects, cars or people hurtling off in a direction of your choice. The abilities ramp up the fun, although actually obtaining them feels like a grind due to the repetitive nature of not only the challenges, but the destruction of infrastructure that unlocks these challenges in the first place. Thats not to say that there arent moments of adrenaline-inducing excellence in Just Cause 3. The wingsuit is a great addition to Ricos arsenal, and when combined properly with the parachute and gravity-defying grappling hook, makes for the most exciting way to get around the islands. Jumping off the edge of an exploding military base situated on the edge of a cliff, then deploying a wingsuit and storming through the air a mere few feet from the ground is one of the best experiences in the game, and designed in such a way that with a little bit of skill you can stay airborne pretty much constantly. At their best, the non-scripted action sequences in the game are spectacular and hilarious - an emergent explosive harmony straight out of the silliest action movies. Arm a car with jet-propelled mines and send it blasting into a large fuel sphere, destroying everything in a massive radius around it; or wingsuit towards an enemy tank while dodging its shells, then grappling-hook onto the top of it and hijack it to go on a havoc-wreaking streak. The primal appeal of these actions in undeniable, and creates extreme, exciting scenarios you wont find in other games. All this is helped by the gorgeous visuals. The scenery is absolutely stunning, and the water is quite possibly the best-looking Ive ever seen in a game. Flying above the sea, you can see the bottom in the clear shallow waters, then watch it fade to deep dark blue the further out you get. Wingsuiting into the water from some absurd height, then looking back up at the shimmering surface makes you wish you could just find a cheap flight to Medici and join Rico out there. Though with that said, users on all platforms should be wary that at the time of writing there have been quite a few technical with frame-rates and the game's stability (particularly for AMD graphics card owners on PC). For all its simple pleasures and fine looks, Just Cause 3 feels like going back to a childhood favourite holiday resort. Objectively, its still a beautiful place, and you can take a step back and appreciate its paradise waters, sleepy coastal towns and, erm, spectacular explosions, but in the end it's so familiar that it just doesnt feel as exciting and refreshing as it did some years ago. If you're one of those people seeking a vast sandbox to just fool around in, then this is a must-play, but those looking for a bit more substance may feel boredom setting well before they get their money's worth... unless they pick it up in a sale. How have you found Avalanche Studios' craziest creation yet? Let us know in the comments!
Gamer, Researcher of strange things.
I'm a writer-editor hybrid whose writings on video games, technology and movies can be found across the internet. I've even ventured into the realm of current affairs on occasion but, unable to face reality, have retreated into expatiating on things on screens instead.
