I raced a heavily armed helicopter to the ground, pulling my chute seconds before I hit the ground. I decimated cranes and snatched up plenty off bystanders and forced them to embark on a 250 meter free fall most likely ending with more than a splat. Why would I commit such reckless and depraved acts? Just Cause. Ok, so the joke is getting old, but I spent some time with Just Cause 2 this weekend and have grappled my way back home to talk about it. Just Cause 2 is the continued tale of Rico, the grapple-gun for hire. Our base jumping hero travels to the luscious island of Panau in hopes of finding his missing mentor and overthrowing the evil dictator Baby Panay. It may surprise you, but the plot isn’t the reason you should be visiting Panau when Just Cause 2 hits stores. However, the two biggest game mechanics should make Just Cause 2 appealing to anyone who has even slightly enjoyed a sandbox game. Rico has been endowed with the 2 items we all really want in a large scale environment, a grappling hook and an indestructible stunt parachute. These two items really bring what would just be an average third-person shooter to new levels.
No building is too tall, since you can climb it easily with the use of the grappling hook, and what do you do when you reach the top? Jump off and rip open your parachute while picking off a few of the local militia and dropping a few grenades to cause mass destruction. JC2 contains a lot of your typical sandbox warfare with over 100 vehicles to commandeer, an arsenal of firearms, as well as branching missions that you must complete for 3 different factions with chaos being the focus. But again, the parachute and grappling hook are what really bring out the best of Just Cause 2. I caught myself climbing the same radio tower over and over just to jump off. It’s even fun to let Rico plummet to his death without pulling his chute, letting him bounce on impact with the ridiculous physics that might be just a tad over the top but enjoyable nonetheless. The hook is also a great weapon that could most likely get you through the entirety of the game as you can strap enemies onto passing vehicles with it or just pull an enemy at you so you can lob him off the nearby cliff. The best part is that it almost never gets old. No matter how many times I repeated the same kill, the hook mechanic always feels so rewarding. However, my biggest complaint about the combat is the gun fare.
During the demo of Just Cause 2 the combat just doesn’t feel fresh (makes sense since it’s a sequel), especially compared to the chute and hook, which feel unparalleled. It never gets old taking a helicopter as high as you can, and hopping out to free-fall for a few minutes. With this fall, you also get the chance to see the layout of Panau as you plummet towards the ground and what a view it is. Panau is massive and looks great, with plenty of villages and cities to lay waste to. The draw distance of the game is incredible, but the visuals weren’t really anything to call home about. But I must reiterate that it does not lack in the “fun” department. The game is way over the top and the devs knew it. I think that is what really makes JC2 so enjoyable is the fact that it doesn’t ever take its self seriously. Everything and I mean everything in the game is over the top, from the structures you destroy to the maneuvers you pull off in quick succession. I had an absolute blast playing JC2 and cannot wait to get my hooks around it when it freefalls into retail on March 23, 2010.
