Happy New Years everyone! I hope everyone had a safe and fun time during the holidays. I know it has been a little quiet from me for about a week or two, but now that the holidays are finally winding down and I’m getting back into a normal period, I’m ready to jump back into the open world fray and what better way to do that than with more Just Cause 3 impressions now that I finally have had some time to spend with the game. Do not worry though I will post a full review of the game later on this month, I just want to talk about some of my experiences early on in the game.

As I mentioned above, I really haven’t gotten to spend much time with the game since it was released back on December 1st of last year (can’t believe it’s 2016!). Lots of new downloadable content has been released for other open world games such as Need For Speed and Grand Theft Auto V that has kept me busy and having lots of fun with as well. As a matter of fact, I recently posted my in depth experience with the latest content for Need For Speed that was very challenging! I am glad to say that I was finally able to beat it and put Need For Speed aside for now.

If you remember not too long ago, I posted my very first impressions of the Just Cause 3 game not too long after I first purchased it which you can read here. I did post some concerns and issues that I was having with the game at the time, but there has been updates released since then that has fixed some of those issues. There are still some long load times, but not as bad as it was before. The graphics are just a tad bit better and I do like how the explosions look. If you want the best graphics for this game though, you’ll want to go with the PC version.

Getting back to my impressions of the game, I first had to start getting used to the controls again. I wasn’t too familiar with them the first time I played the game and since it was quite sometime since I really played Just Cause 3, I had to learn some of the controls again. I am glad to say that I am now getting used to them and the different things that Rico has at his disposal. I have done some of the first few missions in the game where you have to take out some of the dictator’s roadblocks and army, but I’ve finally advanced far enough to where I now have access to something that is new to the series that Rico uses for the first time.

What is this new contraption Rico is using (if you haven’t already played the game)? It is the wingsuit and let me tell you, it is a BLAST to use! It is just so freaking amazing to jump off a cliff and with the tap of a button the wingsuit pops out and away you go, gliding nicely through the sky or descending at a rapid pace! It’s almost like you are Batman, but it also reminds me in some ways of Assassin’s Creed as well. I love the fact that you can use the wingsuit to glide and descend rapidly and switch to the parachute quickly to have a safe landing. The first few times though I started using the wingsuit, I didn’t use my parachute to land safely and hit the ground very hard. Rico certainly was hurt when I hit the ground, but surprisingly didn’t die which is of course kind of crazy as any normal person and real life would probably be dead, but this is a game and not reality.

I do want to talk about the grappling hook. It is not new to series, but it does get some really cool upgrades. With the help of someone in the game, you get access to these upgrades and are able to try them out. Instead of just using the grappling hook to hook onto something in the distance and propel yourself away or out of a dangerous situation, you can now use it latch onto certain objects and propel them towards different things. A good example of this when you first get access to the upgrades is that you have to take out what I believe is a fuel depot. I was able to latch onto explosive barrels and then launch them out the big flaming towers causing massive explosions that also caused other ones to explode nearby.

What I love about the upgraded grappling hook is that you can also use it against enemies, launching them at objects such as explosives, other enemies, or into the great blue yonder. It can also be used to incapacitate them. I haven’t done this a whole lot yet so I still have to get used to it. The good thing is, I have to basically liberate this town before I can proceed to doing one of the main missions so I should be able to get plenty of practice with the grappling hook as a deadly weapon.

I still have a long ways to go yet in the game and get into some of the crazier stuff that awaits me, but I certainly look forward to it. I was a little reluctant with the game at first, but I’m really starting to enjoy it and I can’t wait to do some of the insane things that other players are already doing and posting awesome videos of. I want to eventually use the wingsuit and grappling hook to latch onto a jet, open the cockpit, launch the pilot out of it and gain control of the jet to cause some mayhem and take out some of the dictator’s forces. There is just so much insane stuff you can do in this game that I barely have even scratched the surface. As I said earlier though, I will have a review of the game this month and might post some more impressions before then. In the meantime, here’s a short video where I get to use the wingsuit and get into some action in a town that needs to be liberated. Enjoy!