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If Just Cause 2 was a Uwe Boll film, then Just Cause 3 is “an Expendables movie”

Just Cause 3

As anybody even loosely acquainted with Bolo Santosi will remember, Just Cause 2 did a flabbergasting sideline in horrendous voice acting. Its storytelling was perfunctory at worst, and risible at best. The cutscenes seemed to enjoy a second life on YouTube, and as Just Cause 3 grapple-chutes its way into view, we had to wonder – where now for its theatre of the absurd?

Avalanche have told us to expect a slight upgrade in the entertainingly mindless action movie stakes.

In the aftermath of a propane-fulled demo at Gamescom, I asked Just Cause 3 art director Zach Schläppi whether the studio had decided to study the art of dialogue more seriously – or simply embrace the bonkers. The fact that he chose to cite the notorious silver screen serial murderer of several well-loved games suggested the latter.

“You know, I see Just Cause 2 as sort of a Uwe Boll movie,” he said. “And I see Just Cause 3 as an Expendables movie, or a Michael Bay movie. That’s how I’d compare it.”

That’s one rung up the ladder, isn’t it? But this is a true open-world game – players won’t be exposed to a plot they’d rather claw their eyes out than witness.

“If that’s your thing, great. If it isn’t? Just play our game,” said Schläppi. “You don’t have to watch the story.”

We’ll have a proper preview coming in the near future. Did you see the most recent Just Cause 3 trailer from Gamescom? It went bang.