‘Just Cause 3’ First Hour Of Gameplay Revealed, Brings Rico Rodriguez Back To His Homeland [Video]

Set for a Dec. 1 launch date, Just Cause 3's first hour of gameplay is online now for those who either forgot the game was this close to release or just didn't care much.

Though the hour-long video reveals few details about the game and its grappling hook-wielding protagonist, publisher Square Enix and developer Avalanche Studios have indicated that there are enough variables in the game's first 60 minutes to offer unique experiences.

"Obviously with a game as vast, varied and as open as Medici with its 400 square miles of beautiful beaches, towering mountain peaks and Mediterranean inspired towns your first hour of play might be different to ours," Square Enix says. "But we thought we'd focus on some of the early missions and content to whet your appetite ahead of next week's launch."

Just Cause 3 sees the return of series protagonist Rico Rodriguez as he finds himself in yet another exotic location, his home this time, with hopes of overthrowing yet another dictator at the behest of his handlers at The Agency.

Familiarity may not be a bad thing, especially in an open-world game such as Just Cause 3. While the world in the latest installment of the game may be as wide as the one in Just Cause 2, Just Cause 3's Mediterranean map will be bigger vertically.

From the beginning, Avalanche Studios has taken a good look at the gameplay and Rico, says Roland Lesterlin, game director. Eventually, they arrived at Medici.

"And we wanted to create an environment that was very vertical, that allowed for navigation in a way that got Rico quickly into the air," says Lesterlin. "So we thought about, what places in the world have cliffs that are 100 meters tall? What places in the world have crystal clear waters?"

On Dec. 1, players on current-gen consoles, Xbox One and PS4, and on PC will have the chance to explore Medici in Just Cause 3. Shown is the gameplay video for those who missed it: