Tips & tricks | Key aspects of the gameplay Just Cause 3 Guide

Last update: 11 May 2016

1. Try to complete a couple of challenges, that you should be able to unlock early in the game, as soon as possible. Getting a few gears into each one of them will allow you to unlock MODs, which will make the next hours of gameplay a lot easier. You should be primarily interested in the following ones:

• Destruction Mods - getting 3 gears in this challenge will allow you to throw modified grenades, which explode upon contact with surface, or an object. 5 gears will increase your grenade supply from 3 to 4.
• Tether Mods - 3 gears will increase the amount of dual tethers you are able to use at once, from 2 to 4.
• Explosive Mods - getting 3 gears in this challenge will increase the amount of explosives you are able to carry from 3 to 4.
• Traversal Mods - 3 gears in this challenge will allow you to increase the retract speed of your grappling hook, allowing you to achieve greater speeds.
• Land Vehicle Mods - 3 gears in this challenge will upgrade land vehicles received from rebel supply drops, as they now come equipped with nitro, allowing you to get a quick boost in speed.

2. Use your grappling hook and dual tethers during combat. Thanks to them, you will be able to, for instance, attach one end of it to a helicopter, and the other one to solid surface. Tightening the rope will cause the helicopter to immediately crash into the ground.

3. Dual tethers are an extremely effective tool when liberating cities, as they allow you to destroy objects quietly, without getting heat. It is especially effective while destroying billboards - all you have to do is to attach the tether and tighten the rope, and the sign will hit the ground.

4. Explosives can be used to liberate cities quietly as well. While causing an explosion may not seem the quietest thing, as long as you plan the explosive while not being seen by the enemy, you can trigger it without worries, as it won't cause you to get any heat. You can check whether you are seen by the enemy easily, because when a soldier sees you, an adequate icon will appear on the screen - if it's not there, you are safe to go!

5. Restock your ammo before beginning a mission. It is especially important when you are going to liberate a base. Those places are literally flooded with enemy units (dozens at first, hundreds during most of the game), using all types of equipment (armored vehicles, tanks, helicopters, fighter jets). Firing even a few rockets or grenades may cause a chain reaction, obliterating half of the enemy base in seconds, making the liberation process a breeze.

6. Test all the available weapons in the game - there are no "best", as each piece of equipment may come in handy in a different scenario.

7. If you are planning to liberate a military base, use a helicopter - several models available in the game have insane firepower, allowing you to obliterate entire bases in a matter of seconds. However, you must be careful when doing so and avoid contact with enemy AA defenses (SAMs), as their rockets are deadly and can bring down a chopper in two hits.

8. Watch out for enemy snipers. When a green or red laser line appears on the screen (marking your character), move as much as you can, because you are being targeted by an enemy sniper. If you are hit, Rico will be thrown off balance (and dealt huge amount of damage), you won't be able to move for a few seconds, making you an easy target for the rest of the enemies.

9. When liberating enemy cities and / or military bases, pay attention to messages received via radio - most of them are useless to you, but you will often learn that rebel forces will be able to aid you in the liberation as soon as you meet certain requirements. Those can be various, such as opening the main gate of the base, or destroying SAM installations. Rebel forces will attract some of the enemy forces' attention, making your job a lot easier.

10. Learn how to use the grappling hook, parachute and wingsuit to fly. Those are your main means of transportation, and even if they aren't as fast as, for instance, fighter jets, proper usage of those tools will allow you to move around the area almost just as fast, while having a lot more control and possibilities.

11. Use the terrain and items around you. Attaching an explosive barrel to a watchtower with dual tethers, and then tightening the rope will cause an explosion, bringing down the tower and any enemies standing on it to the ground. They are also extremely effective when dealing with ground vehicles (which can be used during escape missions) - attach one end of the rope to a vehicle, the other one to solid ground (or another vehicle) and observe the result.

12. As you are completing story missions, don't forget about liberating military bases. You will be given powerful weapons and vehicles, which are practically a necessity later on in the story, as the enemies will have access to more powerful and numerous tools as well.

13. If you are unable to lose heat (because you are, for instance, being chased by helicopters), try to locate the nearest monastery. Interacting with the priest you will find there will allow you to advance the time a few hours, during which you will lose the heat.

14. Liberating certain military bases can prove extremely useful, as some weapons in the game are extremely effective during certain missions. The rocket launcher Leech is one of those weapons - it is essentially a few times more powerful than a regular rocket launcher, or a grenade launcher. Details on weapons and vehicles you are able to unlock can be found in the "Equipment" chapter of this guide.

15. Remember that you can replenish the ammo of one weapon by taking it from another one. It's useful when you are wielding a weapon that you've not yet unlocked (like the above mentioned Leech), and you want to refill its ammo - all you have to do is to order a supply drop (or find a cabinet with ammunition) of any rocket launcher, and you can use its ammo. It looks the same with other types of weapons.