Just Cause 3 is one big sandbox!

A sequel to the 2010 open world action-adventure game, Just Cause 3, is all about blowing stuff up with a massive arsenal of weapons. The over-the top-action is a welcome change of pace from other games.

As you’re hanging upside down from a helicopter while throwing grenades at the enemy base, Just Cause 3, is a reminder that games don’t need to take themselves too seriously, and great things can happen when you let imagination run wild.

The game begins with Rico Rodriguez returning home to Medici. Upon arriving, he finds out that Medici is being ruled by dictator General Sebastiano Di Ravello. With the aim of freeing his hometown, he joins childhood friend Mario in helping the rebellion against the general.

Gameplay mostly consists of using rocket launchers, grenades, bombs and every sort of weaponry imaginable to tackle enemies. New features include the fantastic wing suit which helps in navigation and the ability to tether objects as you watch them come together and explode. Players can even call in vehicles and weapons in the form of rebel drops.

There is a lot to see and do in the open world of Just Cause 3 including varied challenges scattered across the map that usually focus on one element of the game. Completing these challenges follows a fairly standard progression system as you unlock useful abilities.

But Just Cause 3 also falls into a many structural problems open world games find themselves in. Progression and story missions are gated behind side-activities, which usually ask you to liberate areas. Open world games are at their best when players are set free to make their own stories, play the game at their own pace.

Just Cause 3 was also clearly not ready to be released. The game is prone to frame rate issues, crashes, stuttering, long loading times and many more woes. But when it works, it is one of the most fun games to come out this year. Utilising the wing suit and figuring out how to best use your arsenal to complete the objective results in a satisfying experience. But a tried and tested open world formula and the sheer volume of technical issues make Just Cause 3 hard to recommend in its current state — just wait for a few patches before picking it up.