Games

Just Cause 3 – Should You Buy It?

Just Cause 3 brings a bomb or two to sedate tropical island Medici this week – but are critics blown away by its boisterous open world action?

Published

9 years ago

December 2, 2015

Staff Writer

This week sees the release of explosive revolution-sim, Just Cause 3, but while the game is sure to deliver the high-octane stunts and action, has Avalanche Studios produced a well-rounded experience or will it spark a rebellion?

Here’s what the critics are saying:

TheSixthAxis – 7/10

“Just Cause 3 is a wonderfully constructed open-world, that successfully builds on its predecessor’s legacy with humour and aplomb. The key problem however is that at the moment there are too many technical problems which hamper play. You’ll want to be wild and free, blowing everything to hell in a variety of ways, and so often you can be, but that only serves to emphasise those moments where Just Cause 3 struggles to keep up.”

Polygon – 8.5/10

“If you can judge a game based on the moments that make you put it down for the night, Just Cause 3 is hard to criticize: I only stopped when I needed to sleep, not because I wanted to put the game down. The “did you see that?!” factor seems unlimited here, and it kept me coming back to discover what unexpected domino of explosions I could start next with a single grenade. The formula of the Just Cause series hasn’t been expanded, but it has been improved. And it’s rare that a game is so comfortable in its own skin.”

Just Cause 3

Destructoid – 8/10

“I’m sure you’ll be seeing a ton of animated GIFs of Just Cause 3 for a while to come, due to all of the wacky things that can happen within the game. It truly is an insane, explosion-filled romp through a beautiful nation chock-full of cheeky humor. It provides some of the best open-world tools ever. This is definitely a case of “it is what you make of it,” and for those with intrinsic motivation to make it the best will be greeted with just that.”

IGN – 8/10

“Just Cause 3 is a playground where you get to be a physics-defying force of destruction, and its loop of liberating dozens of towns across this enormous scenic world would’ve gotten old much quicker if the combat wasn’t so full of options for free-form mayhem. Getting the most out of it requires some creativity and tolerance for performance bugs on your part, so come expecting to make at least some of your own fun.”

Digital Spy – 3/5

“From its intense firefights to its wanton destruction and carmageddon, Just Cause 3 has all the hallmarks of a classic action movie – it’s just a shame the end result is more Van Damme in quality than vintage Schwarzenegger or Stallone.”

Gamesradar – 3/5

“A chaotic action romp, tragically let down by repetition and padding. There’s fun to be had, but all too little variety in its huge open world.”

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Gamespot – 8/10

“Despite the explosions and instant gratification throughout, Just Cause 3 also encourages experimentation and foresight, planning and careful approaches. The results are as rewarding as they are entertaining.”

Giant Bomb – 4/5

“A one-note experience isn’t necessarily a bad thing when it delivers on that one thing exceptionally well. Just Cause 3 has occasional physics problems and a lack of variety, but it’s fantastic if you just want to drop into a world and immediately start blowing it up. Upon completion of the story, you can even “re-oppress” individual settlements purely for the purpose of blowing them up all over again. It’s hard to complain about the gameplay feeling samey considering I’ve spent over 40 hours in the game and I’m still looking forward to going back and taking out more settlements. Avalanche clearly knows what this game is all about, and you should too if you want to give it a shot. If you’re aware of the game’s limitations and you’re still eager to blow an open world straight to hell, few games do it better than Just Cause 3.”

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God Is A Geek – 8/10

“Rico is going home, back to where it all started for him, and that’s a weird reminder for video games. Games can just be fun without all the drama, and that’s what Just Cause 3 is. If you love open world games that are ridiculously over the top, or if you want to grapple to the underside of a helicopter before stealing it, or perhaps call an airdrop of a tank onto the top of a destructible tower, then this is the game for you – and honestly, who doesn’t want to do all of that? It’s a crying shame that such a fun experience is marred by technical issues and poor choices when it comes to gating progress.”

Videogamer – 6/10

“There’s a lot to do in Just Cause 3, it’s just that doing it all isn’t really that much fun. In fact it’s probably a better game in retrospect than it is when you’re playing it: freed from the controls and other issues, you’ll remember it fondly. You’ll also likely want to get back to it: there’s a moreish, Ubisoft-style vibe here that encourages repeated playing. Those of you that wanted Just Cause 2 Part 2 will love what’s on offer, but it all feels lesser than the sum of its parts.”