Just Cause 3 Reviews
Just Cause 3 can be a rather fun game, but it's not the sequel we were hoping for. There are some very impressive things to be found within its large-scale and explosive quest, and on its insanely large world of Medici, but technical problems and dated mechanics hold it back from living up to its potential.
Why would I want to drive a car or shoot an assault rifle? I just dropped a tank out of a cargo plane and, while surfing on said tank, blew up a jet that was in pursuit with a rocket launcher.
Just Cause 3 is a wonderfully constructed open-world, that successfully builds on its predecessor's legacy with humour and aplomb. The key problem however is that at the moment there are too many technical problems which hamper play. You'll want to be wild and free, blowing everything to hell in a variety of ways, and so often you can be, but that only serves to emphasise those moments where Just Cause 3 struggles to keep up.
Tying all of this together are the beautiful visuals that stand in perfect contrast against the ugliness of corruption and the ash of flames. Just Cause 3 takes place in a fictional Mediterranean country and, just like you probably imagined, it is gorgeous.
'Just Cause 3' does a few things that are just ok, but it also does explosions and crazy physics on a big scale very well. By easing up on some of the restrictions typical to openworld games and dialing up Rico's special abilities, 'Just Cause 3' survives its early rough opening to become a worthy diversion for many and an endless playground for others.
The changes present in Just Cause 3 aren't substantial enough to win over those uninterested in the game's predecessors. But there's more than enough here for longtime fans to justify one last purchase before the end of 2015.
Q) On a scale of 1-10, how good at kissing is Rico? A) He macks on with a cow, which seemed fairly apathetic towards his advances, so we're going with a 5/10. Work needed.
Rico Rodriguez goes back to his homeland for a massive open-world killing spree but you'll get bored before seeing it all.
A bombastically enjoyable action game with serious performance issues gets spread too thinly over a vast map.
Meet The Phantom Pain's disposable, delinquent cousin, dedicated to the art of blowing things up as loudly and as frequently as possible. Just Cause 3 doesn't have the depth or richness of the year's big open-world blockbusters, but it has a fantastic set of toys, some great destructible environments and a physics engine designed for maximum carnage. More importantly, it seems hell-bent on making sure you have a blast while everything goes bang. You'll love it, feel slightly guilty about loving it, but keep on coming back for more.
Just Cause 3 is a fantastic, exhilarating experience. Packed full of content, it's a game that will keep you drawn in for a while.
Just Cause 3 embraces the series' dumb thrills to create a ridiculous sandbox orgy of wingsuits, tethers, and explosions.
Just Cause 3 is quite a good game, but it would have been better with more attention to details.
Review in Italian | Read full review
Just Cause 3 pretty much raises explosions and physics-based destruction to the level of an art form, and a few annoyances with gunplay and repetition don't do much to detract from that.
Enjoyable enough to make up for its manifold flaws, but technical issues hold it back.
It's a triumph of a game despite some flaws, and certainly one of my peak gaming moments of 2015. Bright, cheerful, ridiculous, and most of all, absolutely determined to ensure you have fun.
Predictably enjoyable, Just Cause 3 is as big and ballsy as its forebear, but doesn't push the envelope quite enough. Yet, if it's action and explosions you seek, then look no further. Just Cause 3 is still the most fun you can have with a gun, a grapple and infinite parachutes. Boom.
Just Cause 3 understands what the essence of the series is – impressively chaotic sandbox action – and it duly provides mountains of it. Just don't expect too much from the story.
When you liberate an enemy stronghold Rico sometimes says, "That was fun - let's do it again." This feels like a perfect summary for the game: it is 15 minutes of stupid fun on repeat. But that barely matters when you are firing remote-detonated cows at a military compound filled with the red stuff.
In a game wherein so much rests on smooth technical performance, Just Cause 3 feels like it could have used more time in development. It's an enjoyable romp bogged down by these issues. If you have higher than normal tolerance for long loading times, intrusive online connectivity, and erratic frame rate, you'll find Just Cause 3 worth its day one price tag. For the rest of us, waiting until there's clarity on these problems is advised.