Just Cause 3 - A car guys perspective

Just Cause 3 is not a racing game. It wasn’t designed to be a racing game (it has time trials, but that’s it), nor does it need to be a racing game: there’s lots of other games out there that were released this year.
But… As a car guy, I have to explore Just Cause’s attention to detail with the 4-wheeled side of the game, and after a playing the hell out it for the last few weeks, I’ve been able to come up with a conclusion.

Positives

1. The map

By far the best bit about Just Cause 3 for car guys is the map. Every road in this game is amazing. From the Mediterranean country roads, to the snowy mountain passes, to the rally stage-like quarries and high-rise cities, the map puts every other racing game to shame. Think a cross between Forza Horizon 2 and Grand Theft Auto 5, only 20 times bigger, and even more variety. Its like the design team for the roads were trying to make the ultimate car guy playground: cambered sweeping curves, tight and twisty mountain roads, and hundreds of perfect places for car meets.

2. The cars

What Just Cause makes up for its fairly small car list is the amount of variety between each vehicle. Every vehicle is a bit generic, and I’m not a fan of the car design itself (GTA does a better job of parodying cars in my opinion). However, as most people could go the entire game without stepping foot in a civilian car, the car selection is varied enough so you don’t see repeats of the same cars. There are modern and classic versions of cars, from hatches, to supercars, to SUVs and even a Formula One racing car.

Negatives

1. The physics

Although Just Cause seems too good to be true, there is one major flaw: the driving physics. With the best roads in any game I’ve ever played, I feel like crying every time I drive down them, because it feels too easy and floaty. Cars are too slow for the game, and they handle far too well. Driving isn’t fun, it just doesn’t feel rewarding in the same way most games do. It suffers from the same problem as The Crew. At high speeds, the cars become too twitchy, and any bump/curb will send you into a thousand barrel rolls.

2. Multiplayer

I might’ve turned a blind eye to Just Cause’s physics if there was a good online where everyone had the same problems or we could cruise, but - just like Just Cause 2 - it is missing a multiplayer. Especially when the core game mechanics can be pretty tedious, and being a next gen game, it feels strange to not have a multiplayer. It would really increase the replay value, as there’s not too much to do once you’ve finished the game - at least, until any DLC is released

Verdict

As a car guy, this is unfortunately not the best game for us, as the negatives outweigh the positives in my opinion. However, it is still a great game nonetheless, for its pure silliness.
They could have also included a customisation to cars, but as aforementioned, this is not a racing game, so its not necessary. Mods can be unlocked for cars like nitrous, but they require winning the time trial challenges scattered across Medici. Overall, if this game was better developed, and had better physics, an online feature, more cars and customisation, it would be my favourite racing game ever.

Thank you for reading this slightly long winded post, have a potato car :)