The character from the Just Cause series of games, not the Modern Family actor. More specifically from Just Cause 3. For those who are a fan of the series or sat through the press conferences for E3 will know that the fourth instalment has been officially announced and as a fan myself, I can’t wait to get my hands on it. This review/admiration for the game will be completely bias however there will be mentions of things such as gameplay, pop-in distance and other critical analysis. But there will be a lot of reasons being told to ignore its shortcomings that it has and to focus on the sheer enjoyment of the game.
There is a plot in Just Cause 3, even though incredibly thinly plotted through the map to get you to the next Michael Bay explosion sequence with a James Bond from Medici. Medici being a fictional country that consists of islands closely collected together with never-ending horizons in all directions. From my view seeming to have a Mediterranean influence looking similar to fields, cliff faces and beaches of Greece or Cyprus. But without the drunk British tourists trying to find a kebab shop in the middle of the night.
So, without the intoxicated the view and world is beautiful to look at, with the graphics of current generation consoles making them beautiful sunsets that make English people miss the sun. All of this is useful for the games movement system in the form of the wingsuit. Controls that admittedly take some getting used to during the first few attempts of flying, but once you’ve got to grips with the “gliding” that when combined with some well timed grapples becomes batman level of flying through Gotham. Only with a nicer view than the caped crusader.
The general pop-in is almost unnoticeable, with the odd set of trees or bushes jumping in a few hundred feet in front of you without warning. But from a distance or height, reached by either plane or from the DLC jetpack then the sunset falling behind islands in the middle of a bright blue ocean its almost unequalled in the gaming world. definitely a better view than pretty much all of England’s coastlines.
When the time comes to drive vehicles instead of flying around as a bearded and toned flying squirrel then the insanity of the game starts. Whether the resulting driving mechanics are a because it’s too realistic or too unrealistic are unclear, what is certain is that at some point every vehicle will send you into a tree or upside-down once you’ve reached speeds above 50MPH. But is the perfect driving for a game that holds some of its replay value being the enticement of a possible car chase that would make any blockbuster movie be hated by critics and loved by fans.
Any and all explosions are over the top and great to see on a big screen, the heat almost being physical when the whole view in on show is a mix of white, orange, red and black. With this being the main focus of the franchise, causing as much chaos to the land to… help it. Very thinly drawn plot. With the sudden escalation as this one man Expendables cast takes on an army single handed.
The other exploration made is how inventively things can be turned into a fiery ball of destruction or a homemade human slingshot made with tethers and two buildings. Challenges dotted around the map to unlock more upgrades for even more invention of fire and death is to be made, only available once another town or military base filled with a suspicious amount of exposed flammable containers has been destroyed/liberated. Including the surprising voice acting of David Tennant playing a kidnapped radio presenter tasked with delivering thinly vailed excuses for the most recent and sudden demolishment of a military base. With a sense of humour anyone would struggle to reproduce.
The point is that this game was made simply because video games allow us to do overtop action movie scene we can imagine and their fun. Not every modern release has to be a video game and also a story of heart and human connection, I don’t know how much of that was ever in Space Invaders or Tetris. But to just spend some time flying around enjoying the views digitally created as a playground for the human flying squirrel known as Rico, or being chased by a dozen military vehicles while the only weapon available is a tether and grappling hook attached to his left arm.
With Spotify having a playlist dedicated to the title with every song fitting any path taken that day, whether it explosions, “gliding” or trying to ride motorbike from a snowy peak to the beach without dying. From one fan to hopefully some new ones, enjoy games for the sake of being fun.
The Nerdy Bartender 