Upon revisiting JC3 years later, my perspective has shifted significantly. I no longer view it as a disappointing follow-up to JC2. I have come around to loving it due to stuff like the wingsuit, which makes traversal very fun, as well as the endless arsenal of weapons that are both enjoyable & satisfying to use when conquering bases or villages.
I have also found the side challenges to be engaging now, which is a stark contrast to years ago. This newfound appreciation is likely due to my increased enjoyment of the gameplay loop & unlocking meaningful upgrades. All of this is complemented by the presentation, which still holds up nearly 9 years later with the soundtrack being surprisingly good & crunchy sound design.
Even though I have developed a greater appreciation for this game, it unfortunately also highlights why it falls short in comparison to JC2 in my eyes. The main issues lie in the map design and story missions, which are such downgrades. The story missions lack the consistent bombastic moments that JC2 threw at you and the map seems to not have been designed with them in mind.
Medici looks beautiful but lacks any personality that Panau oozes with & having such diverse environments prevents it from feeling repetitive, which Medici does unfortunately suffer from. There are so many locations in JC2 that I can still recall years later, but after only recently replaying JC3 again, I can barely remember any locations because they all just blend.
However, these flaws didn't completely derail my revisit journey, which has made me realize that the game is truly great, contrary to my initial mixed feelings when it was first released. I can see why it's considered the best one in the series for many people, although for me, JC2 still holds the top spot in the series. Nonetheless, that shouldn't discredit the stuff that JC3 has done right, and I still give it a strong recommendation if you are looking for a simple but fun open-world game.
I have also found the side challenges to be engaging now, which is a stark contrast to years ago. This newfound appreciation is likely due to my increased enjoyment of the gameplay loop & unlocking meaningful upgrades. All of this is complemented by the presentation, which still holds up nearly 9 years later with the soundtrack being surprisingly good & crunchy sound design.
Even though I have developed a greater appreciation for this game, it unfortunately also highlights why it falls short in comparison to JC2 in my eyes. The main issues lie in the map design and story missions, which are such downgrades. The story missions lack the consistent bombastic moments that JC2 threw at you and the map seems to not have been designed with them in mind.
Medici looks beautiful but lacks any personality that Panau oozes with & having such diverse environments prevents it from feeling repetitive, which Medici does unfortunately suffer from. There are so many locations in JC2 that I can still recall years later, but after only recently replaying JC3 again, I can barely remember any locations because they all just blend.
However, these flaws didn't completely derail my revisit journey, which has made me realize that the game is truly great, contrary to my initial mixed feelings when it was first released. I can see why it's considered the best one in the series for many people, although for me, JC2 still holds the top spot in the series. Nonetheless, that shouldn't discredit the stuff that JC3 has done right, and I still give it a strong recommendation if you are looking for a simple but fun open-world game.