Just Cause 3

Overview

Just Cause 3 is the third game in the open-world third-person action series Just Cause. It was developed by Avalanche Studios and published by Square Enix for Microsoft Windows, Xbox One and PlayStation 4 on December 1, 2015.

The games place a few years after Just Cause 2 as series protagonist Rico Rodriguez, an ex-operative of the Agency, returns to his home nation of Medici to overthrow the current governing dictator General Di Ravello, who plans to deplete Medici of its core resources to develop weapons of mass destruction.

Gameplay

Just Cause 3 is an open-world sandbox game, and shares many similar gameplay mechanics to the previous game. Players are able to use many vehicles, ranging from cars and boats to airplanes and helicopters, to traverse the game world of Medici. Rico's grapple hook ability from Just Cause 2 returns in this game - which can be used alongside the parachute to quickly explore areas of the map. A new addition to Just Cause 3 is the wingsuit, which is primarily used to give the game world a sense of verticality.

There are several weapons that can be used in combat; including pistols, shotguns, assault rifles, machine guns, grenade launchers and rocket launchers.

A new feature of Just Cause 3 is are mods, which essentially act as upgrades. Mods can only be unlocked with gears. Players earn gears by participating in various challenges scattered across the game world - some of these challenges include vehicle & wingsuit races as well as timed destruction events.

Some mods allow C4 explosives to act as proximity mines, and others can let grenades explode upon impact. Mods can also be unlocked to allow for rebel drops to quickly restock their equipment. When unlocked, mods can be switched on and off at anytime from the main menu.

Plot

Set in the year 2015, mercenary and former operative Rico Rodriguez returns to his homeland of Medici, an island nation located in the Mediterranean sea that is under the control of a military dictatorship led by General Sebastiano Di Ravello. Seeking to overthrow Di Ravello and his private Di Ravello Miltia (D.R.M.), Rico works to liberate Medici's people with the help of Mario Frigo - one of Rico's oldest and closest allies.

After Rico liberates a number of settlements and military bases, Di Ravello organizes a demonstration in the town of Costa Del Porto, and demands for the settlement to be burned down.

Development

Just Cause 3's development cycle began in 2012, the game's core development was primarily handled by Avalanche Studios' New York division - which was staffed with 75 members. During this time, the main studio based in Sweden were focused on development for Mad Max.

The development team were heavily influenced by the Mediterranean area during the creation of the game world of Medici. Much of the game's landscape was inspired by Monaco and the southern Mediterranean area.

During development, the game's driving controls were heavily modified from Just Cause 2. Former developers of Criterion Software, best known for their work on the Burnout series, joined the studio to provide assistance in the game's overall vehicle handling & controls.

Reception

Just Cause 3 received mixed reviews from most publications. While the gameplay, presentation and graphics were praised, the many bugs and performance issues on console releases were criticized.

In recent years, Just Cause 3 has become a fan favorite in the series and has been reappraised by a number of critics.