Just Cause 3

Just Cause 3 is a big, messy, slightly-samey sandbox that excels at destructive physics experimentation and not much else. Good for unwinding, but gets old sooner rather than...

When Just Cause 2 released back in 2010 it came with a wave of excitement, as the sequel was much improved over the original title and made the series be noticed. The second instalment took the concept from the original game and – with the extra power...

The explosions are amazing, and it’s fun in short bursts, but Just Cause 3 is ultimately an unremarkable, shallow experience.

It's easy to be bowled over by Just Cause 3 at first. It's big and brash and gives really great explosion. There's just not much more to it, and over 30 hours, what was once exhilarating becomes rather wearying.

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.

When Just Cause 3 is consistent, however, it's a stunning display of cause and effect, as watchtowers topple into fuel tanks, which blow up nearby helicopters, which sail into oncoming vehicles. I often spent hours setting up outlandish chain reactions, or trying new gear mods, knowing full well I wasn't making any progress in the traditional sense. I was content to just sit back and marvel as it all happened.

Horrendous loading times, a lack of synchronous multiplayer and optimization issues hold it back from pure bliss, but Just Cause 3 is an absolute blast, an experience equivalent to a shot of adrenaline straight into the heart.

Meet The Phantom Pain’s disposable, delinquent cousin, dedicated to the art of blowing things up as loudly and as frequently as possible. Just Cause 3 doesn’t have the depth or richness of the year’s big open-world blockbusters, but it has a fantastic set of toys, some great destructible environments and a physics engine designed for maximum carnage.