Just Cause 3 Review

Just Cause 3

Release: December 1, 2015
Publisher: Square Enix
Developer: Avalanche Studios
Genre: Action, Shooter, XBox One Reviews
PEGI: M
Comments:

 

Comment

We don’t have enough mindlessly fun games on console anymore. It just doesn’t exist. I’m going to get this out of the way early. The story in Just Cause 3 is not very good; it could have been way better! However, it is a catalyst for what the real joy is: mayhem and mass destruction. Most consumers will get more enjoyment out of liberation efforts than actually attempting to complete story missions. Between all the explosions and challenges, there is more than enough content to offset the weak story to make people buy this game. It is totally worth it.

Uninteresting Story is OK with me

There is no way to sugar coat this. The story and characters in Just Cause 3 are not very good. It is unfortunate, really, because an interesting story does lie somewhere. I just don’t feel that Avalanche Studios found it. This is unfortunate, but it actually didn’t affect my overall enjoyment of the title at the end of the day. Pure fun is the goal in Just Cause 3, and Avalanche Studios delivers on that.

An Arsenal to be Proud Of

Just Cause 3 gives you all the tools necessary to cause massive destruction. My favorite is the always powerful rocket launcher, which can be used from almost everywhere, including from your parachute. It is my go-to weapon when first infiltrating cities and basis. After my rocket launcher runs out, I use a combination of mines, grenades, and automatic weapons to finish the task.

However, it is when I didn’t use weapons when I had the most fun. New to Just Cause 3 is the ability to tether two items together using your grappling hook. You can then press the trigger button to begin pulling the two connected points together. I often would tether a can of oil to something like a speaker, pull the two items together so that the oil can was hanging suspended from the top of speaker, which I than shot to blow up the tower. What is nice about this title is that it gives you freedom to do anything. Remember tethering enemies to tanks of fuel, which could be shot to launch the enemy into space? That is back, and so much more. Just Cause 3 is an incredible improvement over Just Cause 2, in so many different ways.

Variety

If I had any problem with Just Cause 2 it was that everything felt very much the same. I had the same feeling with Just Cause 3 early on, although after spending 20+ hours with the title, I realized this is not the case. You will fight on beaches, deserted stretches of flat land, in the mountains, and across the sea. Varied environments make each liberation effort feel different.

This is where Avalanche Studios and Just Cause 3 shines: there is variety everywhere. Variety in vehicles, terrains, climates, and weapons. Experimenting with what is available is half the fun. Experimentation is key to getting the most out of Just Cause 3. The crazier the scenario, the better your options will be.

There is also a variety of different challenges available for players to complete. Each challenge – wing suite courses, explosion havoc goals, car races, and more – is rated on a five gear scale. The better you do, the more gears you will obtain. Gears accumulate and are used to unlock special abilities for Rico. Whether it is greater blast radius’s for grenades, or nitros upgrades for cars, doing these challenges will make your liberation missions that more enjoyable. The upgrades do not necessarily make liberation easier, but they definitely make them more fun.

Conclusion

Just Cause 3 is a really difficult game to review. The game isn’t deep, the story isn’t great, but it is damn fun. I reiterate again that we really miss games like this. We miss games that are just fun, 24/7. I never felt like this game was dragging me down – even when doing the story missions. I always work towards a bigger, and better explosion. And that is Just Cause 3 in a nutshell. Pure, explosive fun.

Positives

• Great arsenal of weapons
• Lots of stuff to blow up, and ways to do it
• Huge and varied environments
• Fun – and difficult – side challenges

Negatives

• Terrible story
• Forgettable characters

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