At one point, Rico tells another character, with a straight face: 'Having ridden a missile, I can tell you that it's pretty cool.' Just Cause 3 is a pure sandbox, aware of its own ridiculousness even as its ambivalence toward the lives of the people you're trying to save can often feel uncomfortable.
That grassroots enthusiasm is borne of an appreciation for the series' priorities: creativity and chaos over realism.ĭeveloper Avalanche Studios hasn't just cut the sort of rote drudgery that comes from hunting five bears to make a wallet it actively encourages creativity on the part of the player.
Just Cause 2 didn't break any records when it first launched, but over time the game has had a successful life in mods and Steam sales, finding millions of players. It knows exactly what it wants to be, and executes on that vision with a dedication to purpose that can often feel rare in games of this scope.
Just Cause 3 is a different kind of open-world game.
