These days, downloading a game is a commitment. It really doesn't matter what kind of game it is - if you're buying the digital version, it's almost guaranteed that you'll be waiting to download at least 40 gb of data before you can boot anything up. Obviously, there's a reason for this - if games are going to get bigger, so will their install sizes - but at times, it almost feels as if buying a physical version is still the better deal.
At first glance, it's easy to assume that Just Cause 3 would be one of the worst offenders. It features an immense game world, an insanely complex physics engine and some absolutely gorgeous graphics. Grand Theft Auto V, a game that was released a few years ago, takes up nearly 60 gb of space - surely, something like Just Cause 3 will require an additional hard drive just to run, right?
Actually, no: surprisingly, Just Cause 3 takes up a relatively small amount of storage space. Granted, it's still pretty big, but compared to a lot of its contemporaries, Just Cause 3 is actually pretty small. If games like Halo and GTA V take up more than 50gb, how can Just Cause 3 get away with a 42 gb install size?
According to the Xbox Store (via IGN), the Xbox One version of Just Cause 3 will take up just 42.49 gb of space. There's still no word on the PlayStation 4 or PC versions, but there probably won't be much deviation between the different platforms.
It's kind of amazing that Avalanche Studios was able to cram the entire game into such a small space - Just Cause 3 features over 1,000 square kilometers of playable terrain, making it one of the biggest maps in gaming history, and they somehow managed to squeeze it in just 42 gb. Not only is that a technical feat, but one that gamers will surely appreciate come launch day.
And or those who are worried that a smaller file size indicates less content, don't worry - storage space requirements are based more on the game's engine and assets than actual quests or missions.
Regardless of file size, you'll have to wait just a bit longer before you can get your hands on the game: Just Cause 3 is due out on Dec. 1.
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