That’s saying something
So many preview events obsess themselves with presenting a carefully crafted slice of game. Here’s a chunk of gameplay that puts the title’s best foot forward. Don’t deviate too far off the path, stick to the rules, and a PR person who’s peering over your shoulder will be content that everything went smoothly. Sometimes it’s innocuous and honest enough, other times it’s downright misrepresentative.
Avalanche Studios and Square Enix did the exact opposite with Just Cause 3. They gave us the keys to the game, and implored us to break it, blow it up, and kill our in-game avatar in the process.
Immediately after beginning, fellow editor Jordan Devore tethered three grapples to the crotch on a statue of an oppressive ruler, pulled it until the entire thing crumbled to pieces (dick tater, am I right?), hooked the statue’s head to a helicopter, and flew it off a cliff to a fiery death. Yep, Just Cause 3 is pretty fucking wonderful.
The third installment in Avalanche’s over-the-top action thriller franchise has a plot, but you wouldn’t know it from what we played. Now that he has a few kills under his belt, Rico’s returned to theMediterranean-inspired area that he left as a child to overthrow an evil dictator. Our sandbox was more concerned with defying physics with the parachute and grappling hook, and using the wingsuit to glide far over the land and sea alike.
Ironically, the wingsuit moments provided a nice touch of tranquility as we floated over the gorgeous landscape. From that high up, everything looked so serene and peaceful — it was almost impossible to believe it’s the work of an oppressive regime. That was immediately cut short when the next thought was “this needs more explosions.”
Because Just Cause 3 prioritizes the ridiculous over the believable, Rico is a one-man demolition crew and his supply never wanes. Avalanche has equipped him with a never-ending supply of C4, meaning that explosions are never more than a second or two away. What’s the best way to dismantle this factory or to put this bridge out of commission? Our good friend C4 does the trick nicely.
A lot of the design decisions were seemingly made as a result of Avalanche shrugging its shoulders. Regarding infinite C4, a studio representative told us “Why not?” Likewise, a new helicopter stunt trick where you hang upside down from the bottom was implemented because “That’s just cool.” After playing Just Cause 3 for a half hour, it appears that the developer put anything in the game that would make for a good time. It’s certainly not a bad direction to take.
Another point of emphasis for Avalanche pertains to traversal. The developer wanted to create a world that’s easy and fun to move around. That’s why the wingsuit, grappling hook, and parachute seemingly offer an infinite amount of momentum — because slowing to a crawl just isn’t as thrilling. It’s also the reason why cars can be saved in garages and then recalled anytime you’re near one. Hey, if you’re going to take the discreet way around Just Cause 3, you may as well do it in style.
Regardless of method, getting around Just Cause 3may take a bit longer than you’d think. Avalanche developers tell us that the world is at least as big as Just Cause 2, but the layout’s inherently different. The third installment will feature lots of islands, archipelagos, and little towns (Just Cause 2kind of did too, but we’re just going with what we’re told). Also, Avalanche says that all the towns feel varied from one another and have their own sense of culture, so to speak.
We wouldn’t know a ton about that, because we were restricted to the first area of the game. Zooming out on the map, we could see the other two regions. They were significantly larger, and, as we were assured, significantly more difficult. When that’s all available, players will get to experience what might be the developer’s biggest goal: To create a perfect flow through the world. When all is said and done, Avalanche wants you to be able to flawlessly travel anywhere you want, however you want, and have a blast doing it.
While it was nice seeing first-hand that Just Cause 3nails all the things you’d expect Just Cause to nail, it was almost disappointing that the demo was completely unstructured. Okay, the sandbox element works great, but what does it have to offer players who want a reason to press forward? We weren’t given a glimpse at that. Hopefully it’s as competent as the free reign component is.
Really, the takeaway from our time with Just Cause 3is blowing up a lot of stuff makes for an enthralling time. It’s not a revelation necessarily, so much as it is a good reminder. As we concluded the demo by demolishing a water tower that towered over a military base, a rep for the developer told us with a half-grin on his face “we’re not really into subtlety.” That’s great, Avalanche, because neither are we.