Who would say that it’s been six years since we last played Just Cause. While some developers have practice to release games on annual basis, some developers still take the time to do the job properly. At least I would like to think that way, but Just Cause 3 in one hand is a clean copy of Just Cause 2 and is moreover still quite non-optimized product. Avalanche studio apparently had access “if it is not broken, do not touch it”. Okay, the whole field is new here, but the recipe is identical copy of its predecessor. However, regardless of that fact, I was surprised how many Just Cause 3 is actually still fun in its simplicity.
Roundhouse Kick
Chuck Norris, for the third time is back in the role of Rico Rodriguez, a man who does not need Red Bull to gain wings and has a universal solution for every problem – a rocket in the face. In the true style of his predecessor, Just Cause 3 is a sandbox shooter where you mostly flatten the soil and I do not mean to agriculture it. Medici, a land where we play this time, is wonderfully colorful romanticized version of Italy, which is underlaid beneath the fatal dictatorship of cliche General Di Ravella. With the help of rebels you will throw Rico from the clouds to liberate numerous villages and provinces. Medici is in fact rich in unique mineral called Bavarium which Di Ravello draws for the purposes of his regime in order to become the strongest force in the region.
Although this time more clearly they wanted to put emphasis on the story, and so we got more missions, animations, characters and conversations than it was in the previous sequel, it still turns out a little hollow and not something too convincing. Just Cause is not considering itself serious, so you should not either. The story is here only that you can “justify the reason” for all of the chaotic action in which you engage.
Fireworks
Just Cause 3 is perfect game with which you can relax with a constant fireworks and forget about other concerns. Hard for me to actually say what is the exact thing Just Cause is still so much fun. I can not point a finger on one specific thing and say that was the reason, but it is more a combination of freedom and scope of the whole package that makes it uniquely fun to play.
With flexible hook he can climb and throw himself from the buildings, tie soldiers and objects leaving their fate occasionally to comical physics. Resorts and bases are freed if you destroy key objects like statues, generator or public address columns, but before they can be destroyed you need to find them, naturally. Compound action and research that actually becomes an intimate marriage.
What lies beyond the horizon
Strong repetition is usually the thing that rejects players here, but I managed to find salvation in a colorful choice of optional activities that gave me a break from the explosions. From a variety of items to collect to the search and delivery of different vehicle models, and random encounters with people who ask for help. Like those of Red Dead Redemption, In the world itself, every now and than you run into someone who is in an unexpected place and needs help driving a car to the nearest gas station or fixing his stuck patio door. Although, after a while they start to repeat, it is clear that some of the side missions are here to break the monotony.
Occasional repetition would not be necessarily classified as something particularly bad, problem here is actually a lack of surprises. Just Cause 3 game, after you played it 10, 20 or even after 30 hours will not surprise with something new, except of course unexpected easter egg.
It is always clear what awaits you beyond the horizon and how will you spend your time there, but if you are not charmed after an hour, chances are you wont make it to the end. However, not only the terrain is wonderfully colorful, but also the approach to the game – so I just clean up a base with a hook, and in the other area I turn upside down hanging from a helicopter or a missile and destroy everything I see. There is really a lot of room to ease some of the repetition and to enjoy the game as you want – this is a game where you literally play.
Faceplant
With the standard equipment, hook and the parachute, a new addition here is Wingsuit – a suit that gives you opportunity to fly without the need of acquiring a helicopter or airplane. His performance surfing the clouds is extremely fun taming the magnificent hawks, especially in low relief trying to avoid the sensual kiss with the asphalt.
While most of it is actually so carefree fun, it is a pity that when you start to choose challenges you constantly need to wait for some kind of load, but this load sometimes tends to be frustratingly long. So at one point I had to wait up to a whopping 15 (read fifteen) minutes to try to do the job of one minute, but it seemed to me like an eternity.
Fortunately it varies about something that still remains unknown, but I still can not believe that I like the largest greener was sitting all the time and waiting in front of the screen. Meanwhile patch had come that promised faster loading, although I personally did not notice any significant difference because I was already done with mostly everything – it is possible that others will not be like me, unexpectedly stuck.
Massive Singleplayer Online
Although Just Cause 3 has no real multiplayer, by connecting to the official servers you have the option to compare a variety of actions with other players. Does not sound bad, right? Well, when merging would not take 30 seconds and when the connection to the server would not be down every 15 minutes it would be better, but this was another extra load to wait.
How did I got tired, I finally decided to choose the “stay offline” option, but the game was disobedient and after every task or when trying to open folders, again by itself, it was trying to connect. The only way to get rid of that completely, was shutting down the Internet on the entire system, and these are simple interferences with whom we do not want to bother while having fun.
As I had no one in my list of friends playing Just Cause 3, I was hoping that I would be spared of these notifications, but the game also monitors friends of friends activity, so I was informed every few minutes that a FunkyJedy broke my record. And so again, and again, and again. Really great. These online features may have some nice features on paper, but somehow we still hoped that Just Cause 3 will finally get a real multiplayer.
Earthquake and Avalanche
While PC master race arises that they do not have forests and mountains, PS4 version that was running for this review does not have such drastic problems, but the situation is not ideal here either, at least as far as technicality. While Just Cause 3 aesthetically looks very colorful, diverse and simply beautiful, trained eye will notice the bad anti-aliasing where some areas (such as fences and platform) constantly have annoying flicker. There is also a pop-in objects that are constantly being created in the distance while traveling, resulting in the apparent and the rapid growth of grass and flowers as you come closer. As this is an incredibly vast open world, say that we wont hold it against it, we know that the consoles of this generation can do better.
However, what we simply can not forgive is unstable framerate, which in the midst of a fierce campaign can often halve. I do not mean from 60 to 30, but with 30 per embarrassing low 15th. I was imaginative there so I interpreted it as a fancy slow-motion explosion, but you cant expect it from everyone.
If you are already familiar with the series, you know what to expect – lots of explosions and parachuting. Just Cause 3 is a game that not only gives you the opportunity to fire a nuclear power plant, but also to surf on them. This is a game where a free fall from an airplane is not necessarily ended with the parachute, but with the hook so you can more quickly attract the ground. On the first place is a simple game with an emphasis on freedom and explosions, and the logic and everything else is on the other side. Once you involve in its chaos hours will fly like flying squirrels. I guess you are not one of those guys who hate squirrels?
