From Phil's five absurd things from the Just Cause 4 E3 demo roundup, I learned Rico can control tornadoes. This seems suitably On Brand for the action-adventure series, whose new engine is said to make number four "bigger, brighter and more beautiful than ever".

That's according to Avalanche Studios' latest dev diary. Featured above, it explores Just Cause 4's new dynamic weather system—which includes tornadoes, sandstorms and blizzards, among other extreme conditions—its artificial intelligence, dynamic spawning, and, obviously, massive explosions.

Avalanche explains that its Apex Engine underpins everything in Just Cause 4, which, built from the ground up, does not aim to reinvent the wheel, but does "want to turn the bicycle wheel into a monster truck wheel." That line is so cheesy that I actually quite like it.

Showcased at the PC Gaming Show at E3 2018, here's another look at the Apex Engine in action:

And here's Phil's words on the aforementioned tracktable twisters:

In the mission I'm shown, Rico's enemies, the Black Hand, have deployed a number of wind cannons, designed to direct the tornado away from their base. Naturally, then, he decides to destroy the wind cannons, redirecting the twister back towards his foe. This is a pretty standard Just Cause mission, in which you go to an enemy base and blow a bunch of things up.

More exciting though, is the suggestion that Rico himself will at some point be able to deploy his own wind cannons, letting the player use the tornado for their own elaborate schemes. The demo ends with the Black Hand base thoroughly destroyed—first by Rico and then by violent winds. As the demo fades to black, it's revealed that the tornado is now headed directly for a nearby city. Now that's a level of wanton destruction I can't wait to see.

Just Cause 4 is due December 4, 2018.