In fact, saying that it’s just destructive doesn’t really do the game any justice. You go places, you blow them up, you enjoy the feeling, then you rinse and repeat. It’s very repetitive by its nature, but that repetition is a testament to how fun seeing things erupt into flames is. You do the same thing a lot, yes, but it manages to never get old. Every base, guard post, town, and facility is just another opportunity to leave your mark on the world however you see fit, even if you choose to do so the exact same way every single time.

All your actions are recorded, as well, thanks to leaderboards that rank nearly every single thing you do. Slingshot an enemy, kill soldiers from a helicopter, pop a wheelie, glide with your wingsuit? Just Cause 3 will tell you how far the soldier flew, how many soldiers suffered due to your chopper, the distance of your best wheelie, and how long you stood in the air. Everything is a competition with friends and strangers and that adds to the excitement of the single player only game without having anyone get in the way of your mayhem spree. Of course, the leaderboards do bring Just Cause 3’s second issue to the forefront.

When you power up the game, it will log you into Square Enix’s servers. No big deal, right? Unfortunately, you’ll constantly be disconnected from these servers which pauses your game as it tries to log back in. At this point if things aren’t working out you will have the option to retry or play in offline mode. The thing about offline mode is that it will once again lock your game up to try and sign in if you go to use your map, pause the game, or if enough time has passed. The only way to counteract the constant bombardment of log-in attempts is to disconnect your console from the internet, but that means losing access to everything else that requires the internet such as party chat, messages, invites, and music services. I’m not entirely sure why Offline Mode isn’t exactly that, but it became more than a slight nuisance during my many hours of play time. To have your game constantly interrupted, especially one that is so damn fun, is not something easily ignored.

Moving around the world is just as fun as messing it up. A whole slew of land, sea, and air vehicles roam around waiting to be commandeered as you provide them a more exciting experience. When there are no vehicles around, though, is when getting from place to place becomes really exciting. Use that grappling hook to get some air speed then launch into your wingsuit to glide through the city looking like a total badass. Swoop low between traffic, skim the top of trees, smack into the side of a mountain… well, maybe not that last part. It connects you more to the world as you move in and around it, and it’s very well done, making the country of Medici a place you actually want to explore.

Tying all of this together are the beautiful visuals that stand in perfect contrast against the ugliness of corruption and the ash of flames. Just Cause 3 takes place in a fictional Mediterranean country and, just like you probably imagined, it is gorgeous. Take a chopper up into the air and you can peer out over glorious vistas, dive into the clear blue water, climb up snowy mountains, and just sit in flower fields if that’s to your liking. It looks just like a paradise you’d expect to have some seedy practices, and it’s difficult not to become entranced by your surroundings. Just Cause 3 is a great game plagued by two issues that constantly rear their ugly heads to break up the fun. The unbearable load times and incessant login attempts can often times sap the energy right out of the excitement. Luckily, just a few seconds with the game can bring the life right back for those willing to deal with the constant frustration.

SCORE: 4.5/5