Just Cause 3

November 30 – December 6

Section: 

You might say your favourite meal is a turkey dinner with all the trimmings, but how often do you get to eat it? What you’re actually built from is the ninja-vegetable bolognaise that your mom produced by the vatload on Sundays, then re-presented to you every day until about Thursday.

Sid Meier’s Civilization Revolution was my PS3 bolognaise. I look at it the same way an ex-college student looks at a packet of ramen noodles.

CivRev 2 added more techs, units, leaders and scenarios and unfortunately was mobile-only. Sid Meier’s Civilization Revolution 2+ is CivRev2 for the PS Vita, plus exclusive extra units, leaders and scenarios, most of which relate to Japanese history. Will it be as buggy as CivRev2 was on release? Probably not by the time you next take a flight.

There’s something about Tenshu General that’s giving me strong hints of Ancient Art of War, but refined for the modern palate. Similarly with Militia and Archon. These might be good strategy snacks.

One thing I always liked about Just Cause 2’s emergent chaos was that it was based on you setting things off, mostly by tethering 2 things together, as distinct from Far Cry 3’s motto of “Semper Interruptus”. Just Cause 3 contains a bunch of iterative improvements: increased verticality, environment variety, more traversal options, but for me, the most exciting are the ability to tether more than 2 things together and infinite C4.

Even though it’s my GOTW, Just Cause 3 was still robbed because who will notice it at this time of year? It will be the best game of 2015 that you play next year.

What scrummy treats have our other writers found?

Chris "C" Cesarano

Black Friday has passed, and most major game releases have already hit shelves in hopes of being snagged for the holidays. December is typically a rather vacant month, save for one final Nintendo release and a collection of indie games and shovelware.

So it comes as a surprise that not only are we seeing Xenoblade Chronicles: X break out of shipping boxes, but we're seeing Rainbow Six: Siege releasing by its side. I must say, the E3 footage of Siege looks incredible, but the Beta sounds to be ridden with enough problems that I cannot help but wonder if the game would be better served with yet another delay.

Which means I'll be getting my JRPG on with Nintendo's Mech-piloting epic Xenoblade Chronicles X. I'm really feelin' it.

Greg "Doubtingthomas396" Decker

As much as I’d love to play to my type and to foist Cityconomy – a game where you run the municipal services of a large metropolis – on you as my game of the week, I don't think I can do that in good conscience. You see, there's another big, open-world game coming out just begging the player to wreak havoc upon it. Just Cause 3 arrives just in time to make Square Enix’s fiscal year.

Of course, I'm currently loaded to the gills with open-world games featuring explosions as the primary mode of communication, so Just Cause 3 will probably have to wait for me to get around to it. I'm sure it will get by just fine. Just Cause 3 is my game of the week.

This week:

PC

  • Tenshu General
  • Expander
  • Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six Siege
  • Just Cause 3
  • Cityconomy
  • The Light Empire
  • Militia
  • Corgi Warlock
  • Dariusburst: Chronicle Saviours
  • Dragon Quest Heroes: Slime Edition
  • Store Manager: Cellular Edition

PS4

  • Dariusburst Chronicles Saviours
  • Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six Siege
  • Just Cause 3

Xbox One

  • Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six Siege
  • Just Cause 3
  • Chivalry: Medieval Warfare

Wii U

  • Xenoblade Chronicles X

PS3

  • Just Cause 3

Xbox 360

3DS

  • Dementium Remastered

Vita

  • Dariusburst Chronicles Saviours
  • Sid Meier's Civilization Revolution 2+

Comments

I well and truly didn't know anything other than Xenoblade Chronicles X was releasing this week. I haven't been so hyped since, well, Mario Maker a few months ago, but outside of those two it's probably been years since I've been this hyped.

Sorry, JC3, you're definitely a 2016 game for me.

garion333 wrote:

I well and truly didn't know anything other than Xenoblade Chronicles X was releasing this week.

Same. Also, Dragon Quest Heroes is releasing on PC the same week as the PS4 version? What madness is this?

shoptroll wrote:
garion333 wrote:

I well and truly didn't know anything other than Xenoblade Chronicles X was releasing this week.

Same. Also, Dragon Quest Heroes is releasing on PC the same week as the PS4 version? What madness is this?

No, that definitely came out back in October. It's only releasing on PC now.

I'm definitely torn about Xenoblade Chronicles X. There is no doubt that I will buy it, but I don't know if I will get it on Friday or get it after the holidays. On the one end, I'm going to be on a business trip next week, and I'm driving, so I could certainly bring my Wii U with me. On the other end I have about three long RPGs in progress (Valkyria Chronicles II, Borderlands 2 and Trails in the Sky SC), and starting XCX means I will probably play that exclusively and obsessively for the next three months (like I did for the original Xenoblade).

I think I'll wait. Plus I will probably have a gift card or two to spend after the holidays.

Just Cause 2 was hands down the best game of it's time. However, I am deep in the throes of Fallout 4. I have no doubt I will love Just Cause 3 when we eventually inevitably purchase it but there is simply NO TIME right now.

garion333 wrote:
shoptroll wrote:
garion333 wrote:

I well and truly didn't know anything other than Xenoblade Chronicles X was releasing this week.

Same. Also, Dragon Quest Heroes is releasing on PC the same week as the PS4 version? What madness is this?

No, that definitely came out back in October. It's only releasing on PC now.

Was that PS3 or something? Release list shows a PS4 version as well.

shoptroll wrote:
garion333 wrote:
shoptroll wrote:
garion333 wrote:

I well and truly didn't know anything other than Xenoblade Chronicles X was releasing this week.

Same. Also, Dragon Quest Heroes is releasing on PC the same week as the PS4 version? What madness is this?

No, that definitely came out back in October. It's only releasing on PC now.

Was that PS3 or something? Release list shows a PS4 version as well.

No, I don't believe so. The PS3 version didn't ever leave Japan. I'm not sure why it showed up on their radar. PS4 version came out already because I was hoping for a (digital) sale but it's still full price.

(Amazon link fwiw.)

Just Cause 2 might be some of the most fun I have ever had with a game not called "Saints Row the Third", and I actually held off on Fallout 4 because I was keeping the deck clear for JC3, even with the FO games being probably my favorite series ever among with ME. Cannot wait.

Just Cause 3 is the first game that requires a newer processor to run than what I have (first gen i5 - a 750). It needs at least a 2nd (3rd?) gen core i5. Since I had been seriously considering upgrading, this is helping me resolve to make the move.

Ancient Art of War

Sold.

shoptroll wrote:
garion333 wrote:
shoptroll wrote:
garion333 wrote:

I well and truly didn't know anything other than Xenoblade Chronicles X was releasing this week.

Same. Also, Dragon Quest Heroes is releasing on PC the same week as the PS4 version? What madness is this?

No, that definitely came out back in October. It's only releasing on PC now.

Was that PS3 or something? Release list shows a PS4 version as well.

Game's website isn't helpful, but Wikipedia lists these release dates:

PlayStation 3
JP February 26, 2015
PlayStation 4
JP February 26, 2015
NA October 13, 2015
EU October 16, 2015
Microsoft Windows
WW December 3, 2015

Amazon confirms the PS4 date, so I'll pull it from our PS4 list this week.

Just Cause 3 was an instant purchase for me as soon as I learned it was available.

Xenoblade Chronicles X is the game for me this week. Of course, I won't have time to play it. Fallout 4, Trails in the Sky SC, and a few others are on the list first.

Evidently Mario & Luigi: Paper Jam is already out in Europe.

Reading Eurogamer can be confusing sometimes. I thought I somehow missed that it was releasing this week. Speaking of release lists being a mess to keep track of...

Man, I wish Firaxis would release a pc version of Civ Rev. I played the crap out of the original on Xbox. Never happen though. It would confuse us poor dumb pc gamers.

Dr. Langeskov, The Tiger, and The Terribly Cursed Emerald: A Whirlwind Heist, the new game from the designer of The Stanley Parable, William Pugh, came out yesterday on Steam, for free. It's a 15-minute romp with Simon Amstell and Justin Roiland (Rick and Morty). Catch-all is here, and it's just me so far which is a little less than the game deserves.