Gaming’s prettiest holiday spot is back in Just Cause 3

What’s the story ?
Avalanche Studios is bringing Just Cause to its third consecutive console generation. Set in the fictional region of Medici, it features now-ageing hero Rico returning to his childhood home for an uncharacteristically serious mission that said, it still lets you attach bad guys to helicopters and drop them in the sea, so we wouldn't worry too much.

Why should i care?
Because Just Cause is one of the few open-world shooters to actually justify the term ‘sandbox game’. Previous entries have always focused more on enabling you to perform grotesquely stupid stunts than story drudgery, and the introduction of some real processing heft behind Avalanche’s lush world means that should be more fun than ever.

What happens next?
We wait until whatever ‘TBC 2015’ means. Given how fleshed out the early demo appears to be, the game looks deep into production. As such, we're assuming it won't be too long but the new game features a 400-square-mile map, so the developer will probably need to spend a few months just dropping palm trees and oppressed villagers in there.

Top Fun
Rico’s always had a grappling hook and an infinite amount of parachutes, but he now carries a wingsuit, too. By using a combo of your entire stunt-ventory you can fly indefinitely, dealing death from the skies.

Balancing Act
Rico’s unerring centre of gravity (seriously, he must be made up of neutron star) means he can not only ride on vehicles’ roofs, but run around on top of them, like tiny platforming levels.

Veni, Vedi, Medici
Just cause 3’s world isn’t just a pretty face it’s got depth, you know? By which we mean avalanche has spent as much time crafting the region’s caves and tunnel systems as it has the gorgeous mediterranean architecture.

No Charge
Having given up on any semblance of realism/sanity, Just Cause 3 now gives you a (hopefully bulletproof) backpack filled with endless c-4. You can drop up to five packets at once.

All Fall Down
Remember when Red Faction: guerrilla  made destructability actually fun? Well, here almost your entire environment is blow uppable walls, suspension bridges and radio towers (eat it, ubisoft) are all your structurally unsound playthings.

Hook Of Love
While JC2 let you connect two things with your grappling hook, the sequel adds physics tension, so you can sling foes about.