Kicking off the Square-Enix E3 2015 press conference, Square-Enix CEO Phil Rogers brought Roland Lesterlin, game director on Just Cause 3, to show off some of the new gameplay features which are to be found in the game.
With an emphasis on redefining the open world genre and then coupling it with a new standard for sandbox creativity, Lesterlin was keen to stress that Just Cause 3 will permit a unique brand of explosive freedom that no other title has previous exhibited.
Planting players in the boots of series protagonist Rico Rodriguez, Just Cause 3 shifts the conflict to Rodriguez’s home country of Merichi where our hero must liberate the Central American territory from the rule of the brutal General DeRubelo.
With over 400 square miles of open world spread across ground, air and sea and with over 80 vehicles to take advantage of that freedom, Just Cause 3 seemingly provides a myriad of avenues for players to indulge in wanton destruction, all in the name of liberty and freedom.
From riding a helicopter by hanging upside down by sticking Rico’s feet to its underbelly to ejecting out of a monster truck in mid-air before parachuting and grappling onto a building, the possibilities for Michael Bay style stunt spectacle looks to be gloriously realised here.
Beyond the variety of vehicles and weapons that are available to Rico, his regular set of gadgets have also seen a massive upgrade, too.
A retooled wingsuit allows Rico to complete stabilise his parachute, floating seemingly endlessly as he wreaks havoc with both one and two-handed firearms.
Rico’s trusty grapple hook has also seen a substantial overhaul too. With a much higher tensile strength that allows him to pull off such feats as smashing helicopters into the ground, the grapple hook can also now be fired multiple times, creating some brilliant opportunities for widespread devastation in the process.
In addition to the missions and side-missions that echo the activities seen in the previous Just Cause titles, the third instalment in the franchise also boasts a wide range of activities such as wingsuit courses, races and more with each activity unlocking additional upgrades and equipment for Rico to use. These activities have an online leaderboard component too, allowing players to compare themselves to their friends in the pursuit of ultimate bragging rights.
Finally, Lesterlin promises a hugely robust amount of support for the game after it launches for PS4 on Dec 1, 2015.