Review: Just Cause 2

Game: Just Cause 2 (2010)
Genre: Action (Sandbox)
Developer(s): Avalanche Studios, Eidos Interactive
Publisher(s): Square Enix
Platform(s): PS3, Xbox 360, PC (Windows)

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Rating: 7.5 out of 10
Pros: Vast sandbox, spectacular graphics, intuitive controls, large selection of vehicles and weapons, varying types of missions.
Cons: Limited story telling, limited upgrade system, recycled cut-scenes (but skip-able), lack of mission rewards.
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    Just Cause 2 revolves around Agency agent, Rico Rodriguez, as he is heli-dropped into the South-East Asian island of Panau. Panau, a former US ally, has recently undergone a shift in power and now is under strict military rule. Rico allies himself with the leading gangs of the island in an attempt to gather information and loosen the military's stranglehold over the island's innocent inhabitants.


    Now, I'm not sure if the game is called "Just Cause" or "Just Cuz", because the main premise of the game is to cause as much chaos on the island as possible by destroying military property and disrupting military operations. Apparently, the reasoning behind causing all this chaos is to gain the gang organization's trust in an attempt to gain information. What it actually feels like, however, is that you are blowing stuff to bits just because you can. Mechanically speaking, causing chaos enables you to progress through the main plot by unlocking agency missions, expand gang territory by unlocking faction missions, and unlocks new equipment through the black market.


   From the very beginning of the game, Rico is a proposed badass. He leaps from helicopters or buildings without a moments hesitation, takes on the entire Panauan military single-handedly, and is the buzz of the gang world. He is armed with a retractable grappling-claw, which can be used to traverse the game's terrain, yank around enemies, and solve some puzzles. As a side note, you can also use the grappling claw to avoid falling damage. I am not sure how the physics work out here, but apparently yanking yourself faster toward the ground while free-falling allows you to land on your feet, completely unscathed. He also has a limitless supply of parachutes, allowing you to grapple-glide your way around the island. Of course you could also hijack a car, truck, helicopter, boat, or plane in order to get around, but piloting vehicles can be a tad twitchy at times and it is more scenic to just glide around the massive island.


    The game's sandbox environment is freaking massive. You could literally spend hours just traversing the island and taking in the scenery. With several modes of transportation, there is practically nowhere you can't explore.


    I did, however, notice a few bugs here and there. Random object floating in midair, a few pathing issues, some graphics clipping. I would have liked to see a little more clarity in the game's story telling, though. And it would have been nice to buy more than one thing at a time from the black market (having to endure the obnoxious cut-scene each and every time you use it). Otherwise, the game is crazy fun, especially if you love to just jack around. The graphics and environment are spectacular, and combat can be a challenge at times.

    Over all, I would recommend devoting a weekend or two to playing this game. After playing this game for about a week or so, I had only about a 30-35% completion score. The lack of multiplayer functionality kind of deters me from purchasing the game, but otherwise there is tons of stuff to do in the game and countless hours of gameplay to be had, so you may have to rent it twice.