PC Review: "Just Cause 2"

Publisher: Eidos Interactive

Developer: Avalanche Studios

Release Date: March 23, 2010 (USA)

Premise:
Just Cause 2 is a 2010 Open-World Action-Adventure game and a sequel to 2006's Just Cause. You take control of Rico Rodriguez from the first Just Cause. The story in this game is you are in Panau fighting with Rebel Factions to overthrow the Evil Dictator Pandak "Baby" Panay.

Gameplay: 

Just Cause 2 is a Third-Person-Shooter in which you roam around a huge island in an effort to overthrow the current Dictator. You can commandeer any number of vehicles, a whole arsenal of aircraft including Helicopters, Airplanes and Jets, you can also simply run or swim to your destination or, if you're so inclined, use a vast array of boats.

The majority of the game involves moving around to different cities and villages where you work on blowing up the Government-controlled equipment and buildings while collecting parts you can use to upgrade your weapons and certain vehicles. A staple of the game is the Parachute and Grappling Hook. Using the combination of the two, you can zip around the country very quickly, as well as use it to reach higher ground, pull enemies to you, tether objects together, and much more.

Graphics:
The graphics for Just Cause 2 are absolutely amazing. The faces and character models are rendered nearly perfectly. The vehicles in the game are highly detailed as well as the map as a whole. The terrain varies from deserts to forests to oil rigs out in the middle of the ocean, and each area has unique textures that are very high resolution and crisp. For example, when you land a Helicopter, the grass and dust will move and fly up as it would in real life.

Sound:
There isn't very much music in the game, it seems for the most part that when you're in combat the same music track plays over and over, which can become annoying for some but I didn't notice it ever becoming bothersome to me. The weapon sounds are each unique and different for the most part, with the exception being the aircraft and vehicles.

Length:
Just Cause 2 is one of the longest games there is, with gametime reaching well over 100 hours on my first playthrough. There is a vast amount of exploring to do in the game and many cities and villages to take back from the government. Sometimes it can feel monotonous and repetitive to go from city to city doing the same thing, but I found it entertaining and fun almost all of the time.

Value:
With the fact that the game can last well over 100 hours, I can safely say that spending full retail price for this title is a good investment that's well worth the money. If you find it in the bargain bin or at your local game store, I highly recommend picking this title up.