“Just Cause 3” has reportedly come with several problems with its release, such as low framerates and long loading times.
According to IGN, the open-world game's problems have been reported by various sources, indicating a widespread discontent.
NX Gamer reported that framerates drop as low as 17 frames per second and loading times reach as long as more than 15 minutes. These problems occur when the Xbox One console clears out some RAM.
Additionally, slow-downs commonly seen in old NES and Super-NES console games have been reported. These usually occur when the processor can't keep up with what's happening in-game.
The Games Cabin, after checking both pre-patch and post-patch versions of the game, also reported similar framerate problems on the PlayStation 4 version. These take place "whenever any explosion is introduced to the proceedings."
Loading times, however, are way shorter in the PS4 than in the Xbox One version at a mere 30-120 seconds or so.
A review by Digital Foundry gives a more detailed explanation of what's happening in the framerates for both consoles:
“What’s clear is that neither version of Just Cause 3 is able to sustain a locked 30fps, but it is indeed the Xbox One release that offers a noticeably lower level of in-game fluidity,” the review explained.
“In our tests, we’ve compared both cut-scenes and gameplay, and our lowest recorded drop occurs on Xbox One, where a massive explosion sends us plummeting to 20fps, while PS4 plateaus to 24fps in entirely different circumstances - with CPU power the likely culprit for bottlenecked performance there.”
The website added that the problem is indeed worse on Microsoft's system, as Sony's is able to handle the game's performance.
According to Forbes, these problems sound like the effects of memory leaks and other optimization options, given that current games are already digital and are not dependent on discs for content.
Kotaku reported that on the positive side, some players aren't that bothered by the game, as seen in the game's subreddit.
Casual player Majd777 wrote: “[the framerate issue] doesn't really hinder me nor decrease the 'fun' of the game, but again, that's relative to every person. ”
Another player, Aurorafluxic, shared in the same thread that the reviews and negative responses already got him depressed about the game, “But seriously, once you actually start playing, you'll focus less and less on framerate and more on the game itself.”
“If you're a PC gamer, you'll notice the frame rate. Otherwise, in terms of large explosions lowering framerate, I find it's generally not much different than GTA V for the Xbox One either.”
