Just Cause 3: Mech Land Assault Review

New equipment? Check. Motion comic-style cutscenes? Check. More explosions and things that explode? Checkity check! It must be the next part of the Air, Land & Sea Expansion Pass - Mech Land Assault! Taking place shortly after the Sky Fortress DLC, which I reviewed here, we see the return of eDEN -- a technologically advanced organisation that attempted to steam Medici’s bavarium ore.

As you play Mech Land Assault, you find out that eDEN was in the area long before Sky Fortress. In fact, in an audio log you come across they specifically name-check General Di Ravello, the dictator in charge of Medici at the start of Just Cause 3, and say that he deserves ‘that promotion’. I assumed that some of the wide open areas of Medici would filled in with some new areas, as with Sky Fortress (which also included the massive titular airship).

However, within minutes of starting (because I happened to be really close to the mission point after my last play session), you find yourself on an entirely new landmass! Called Lacrima, it has four new areas to liberate and about a ten different settlements, so it’s not the biggest area in the game but it is a welcome addition. As well as a new landmass, it also brings in a new -- practically useless -- weapon in the form of the Bavarium Power Core Rifle. It is a two-shot rifle which has two uses: disabling shields and disabling mechs. It can only be reloaded by either destroying a mech or from a mech refueling station (which incidentally have no other uses for Rico).

Now, what’s all this about mechs? Have I buried the lead too much? You get a motherhumping battle mech in this DLC! With a gun and everything! But no jump-jets, only a slight hop…

Shortly after arriving in Lacrima, you come across a mech -- in case you got this far without knowing, a mech is a robot suit which you can pilot from inside. Created by eDEN, the mechs were designed for construction, but have been weaponised by The Black Hand -- a mercenary organisation last seen in the original Just Cause.

The mechs are equipped with a GRIP (Gravitational Remote Influence Projector), which allows you to lift most objects and throw them. It also has a force push ability which will knock things away from the mech. They come either equipped with an autocannon, or a Bavarium Spitter (Rico obtained a rifle version in Sky Fortress), and you can get one sent to you in a Rebel Drop after a certain point.

Honestly, I was really excited when I saw the first trailer for Mech Land Assault. A mech and gravity manipulation? Alongside the jetpack from Sky Fortress, I have to say that the Just Cause 3 DLC has not disappointed with its additional items. However, where it’s fallen down so far are the lack of missions.

There are only two missions for Mech Land Assault, if you don’t include being required to liberate the entire of Lacrima before being allowed to do the second one. It extends the experience, and both missions are quite lengthy ones, but when it’s finished you have no reason to hang around Lacrima. There are two challenges -- you use the mech to destroy all of the enemy types sent in waves against you -- but some of it feels like stalling measures to make the experience seem longer than Sky Fortress was.

In all, I’m happy with the DLC, just annoyed that it is so short. It’s fun to use the mechs (they’re not the sturdiest of vehicles), and it’s interesting to learn more about Medici’s past for a lore hound like me. No doubt the next DLC will add more to the story of eDEN, so I can’t wait for Bavarium Sea Heist.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iYaTBxccKY4