Why? Just Cause..2

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I thought I'd do another game review. It's been awhile, but it is only the second new game I've purchased since the last review. I'm doing much better. This time it's for Just Cause 2.

I had bought the first Just Cause back in 2006 since I'm a fan of sandbox-type games like GTA and it looked like that sort of game. While it was that sort of game, it was pretty weak. I quickly made the decision to sell it on eBay and get something for it before other people heard it wasn't too good. Which is why I wasn't expecting much from it's sequel. I played the demo and it was pretty fun, but it really didn't explain much and sort of threw you into the action.

I read an early review, I forget where it was now, that said you shouldn't play the game. In the review it went on to say that you shouldn't actually play it, but don't get it to actually “play” it, get it to “use” it. Just Cause 2 gives you a plethora (ooh, neat word) of tools and ways to destroy, kill, and make boom of everything in the game. The voice acting is really weak, but it a funny way, so it's not horrible to deal with. The story isn't really all that important anyway. Asian country is taken over by some crazy leader, super mercenary goes in and creates choas, everyone is happy, things explode, etc. The missions in the game are pretty simple: go here and steal this, go here and blow this up, rescue this person, take over this base, and all of the other standards.

The real essence to this game is the sandbox portion. The map is huge and maybe to a fault, but once you've been somewhere, you can call a chopper to take you there later. The huge map gives you a crap-load of things to do. You need to collect “Chaos” points to buy things on the black market which you get by destroying things and “completing” areas (basically blowing up all of the leader's contraband.)  There are probably 50-100 villages, bases, and other areas to complete, including 2 major city-type areas. Good luck on trying to get the 100% completion achievement.

The cream-of-the-crop tool that your buddy uses is his grappling hook. He had it in the first game, but it was pretty weak. You can now hook it onto one thing and then hook the other end onto something else. This creates endless fun and chaos. Oh, yes, you can hook it onto innocent people. It never gets old hooking an innocent old lady and then hooking the other end onto a truck speeding down the highway. Or hooking a enemy vehicle and then hooking the other end onto a tree. They stop quickly. Hell, they even made a “Grappling Hook Trailer” for the game,

I haven't completed the story, mainly because I spend so much time just traveling around and creating chaos and seeing what neat things I can do with my grappling hook. Did I mention he has an unlimited supply of parachutes, too? Steal a plane, jump onto the nose (why not?), jump off, parachute down, grapple onto a car, ride on the roof for a few miles, then jump and parachute off of a bluff. The possibilities are endless. Realism? Who cares?

Verdict: Buy, if you're in the buying mood, otherwise definitely rent it and give it a shot. The demo doesn't do it justice.

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