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Just Cause 2: Black Market Aerial Pack now available
We don't know how one tires of wreaking havoc across the countryside of a third-world island nation. What more do you need? But if you have, you'll be happy to be reminded that the "Black Market Aerial Pack" is now available for Just Cause 2. For 160 /$2 you can add the the chaingun-toting F-33 DragonFly Jet Fighter, a multi-lock missile launcher and a hangtime-extending parachute thruster to your cavalcade of chaos. The destruction's already begun on Xbox Live, but you can look for it to continue on PS3s when the PSN update arrives today. Xbox.com: Add Just Cause 2: Black Market Aerial Pack ($2) to your download queue
Toy Story 3 trailer explains the customizable 'Toy Box' mode
We've got to hand it to Avalanche Software: You guys sure know how to inject a modicum of ingenuity into an extremely tired genre. For instance, the upcoming game adaptation of Toy Story 3 was off our proverbial radar moments after it was first announced -- however, a recent trailer for the game's "Toy Box" mode, which allows its (presumably juvenile) players to make their own levels and missions, it's now taking up a tiny place in our minds. (And our hearts.) Check out the highly customizable trailer above.
Just Cause 2 and BioShock 2 getting DLC April 29
The latest Xbox Live Newsbeat update included release dates for two pieces of downloadable content that we didn't even know existed. We typically don't care for surprises, but we're willing to make an exception if it means we get more maps for the multiplayer component of BioShock 2 and more things to explode in Just Cause 2. On April 29, six new multiplayer maps will be added to BioShock 2 as part of the "Rapture Metro Map Pack." For 800 ($10), players get the new arenas, three new masks, a "Kill 'Em Kindly" Melee deathmatch mode, and three new Achievements. Just Cause 2 will receive the "Black Market Aerial Pack," a 160 ($2) booster which adds the chaingun-toting F-33 DragonFly Jet Fighter, a multi-lock missile launcher and a parachute thruster which extends your airtime whilst leisurely sailing across the Panauan landscape. How... unexpextedly soothing!
Just Cause 2 gets free 'pimped-up' ice cream truck DLC
Since it's universally accepted that Just Cause 2 is completely butt-crazy-gonzo, we weren't really surprised by today's release of a free, downloadable, "pimped-up" (according to the Xbox Live listing) ice cream truck for all platforms of the game. The "Chevalier Ice Breaker" features ultra low suspension (for those hairpin mountainous curves), front-mounted bull bars (for the ramming of things) and, presumably, more ice cream sandwiches than you could shake a Popsicle stick at. Xbox.com: Add Chevalier Ice Breaker to your Xbox 360 download queue Also available via PlayStation Store later today and for PC.
Avalanche: You 'shouldn't be surprised' if Just Cause 3 is announced
Just like the all-grappling hero of the Just Cause franchise, developer Avalanche Studios is exercising an unusual amount of freedom. Like the freedom to start talking about Just Cause 3 one week after the release of Just Cause 2. Studio head Christofer Sundberg told Develop that we "shouldn't be surprised" to hear another sequel announced. "We are absolutely interested in working with the Just Cause IP again," Sundberg said. Sundberg is confident that Avalanche would be behind the continued development of the franchise, as well. "The studio lives and breathes the Just Cause franchise, and handing that over to another developer would spoil it," he said. "No one has the attachment to this IP as we do." He told Develop that after a series of layoffs, the company is being cautious about growth. "We now have a very reasonable staff size in terms of requirements, and we now have a core team who can produce quality and give each project the care it deserves." Well, that core team and a new casual-focused studio. But that's it.
Joyswag: Just Cause 2 (Xbox 360) [update]
Update: The contest is now over and two winners will be emailed, so keep an eye on your commenter-tied inboxes. We understand that, during the game flood this March, you might be forced to choose your battles (financially speaking) carefully, possibly to the detriment of a game like Just Cause 2. And while we respect your decision, we'd like to inform you politely that: A.) The game's (mostly) a lot of fun! Didn't you read our review? B.) We've got a couple of copies for the Xbox 360 that you're welcome to try and win by entering our week-long contest. All you've gotta do is let us know which of the many, many Just Cause 2 trailers was your favorite in the comments below. Next Wednesday we'll pull two of you at random and forward a copy for the Xbox 360! Does March seem a bit less stressful now? Good! Oh, and keep an eye out for us at PAX East -- we've got some JC2 swag to put in your eager hands. Leave a comment telling us which of the many, many Just Cause 2 trailers was your favorite. You must be 18 years or older and a resident of the US or Canada (excluding Quebec). Limit 1 entry per person per day. This entry period ends at 12:01AM ET on Wednesday, March 31. At that time, we'll randomly select two winners to receive one copy each of Just Cause 2 for Xbox 360 (ARV: $59.99). For a list of complete rules, click here. What is Joyswag? Since we don't keep the games and merchandise we receive for review or promotional purposes, it becomes "Joyswag," which is passed along to our readers. Please note that Joyswag may be in "used" condition. For more info on our policy, click here. %Gallery-78125%
Avalanche opens casual online studio Expansive Worlds
The Hunter (well, technically, the hunted) Having created massive worlds for the Just Cause series, Swedish developer Avalanche has formed a new studio called Massive Worlds focusing on games in the casual online space. GamesIndustry.biz (login required) reports that the new unit will (unsurprisingly) be developing games using Avalanche's in-house game engine -- the same engine that powers Just Cause 2 -- but hasn't announced any specific titles just yet. The company recently acquired full rights to the free-to-play online hunting sim The Hunter, which it co-developed with UK studio Emote. Further development of the game -- along with the rest of the studio's titles -- will be overseen by Stefan Pettersson, who joins Expansive Worlds as managing director. Prior to taking the job, Pettersson worked as a consultant and, at one point, a producer/designer at Avalanche. (We're sure that had nothing whatsoever to do with his selection.)
Review: Just Cause 2
You have to promise me you won't play Just Cause 2. Now, don't misunderstand me, because you should absolutely buy Just Cause 2. It's got a lush, almost dauntingly large world to explore (and destroy); it's got a combination of grappling hook and parachute travel that lets you swoop through the world in a way that's just as, if not more thrilling than anything the Spider-Man series has ever cooked up; and it's got a lot of explosions. But the moment you play as intended, helping CIA agent Rico Rodriguez as he attempts to eject dictator "Baby" Panay from the island of Panau, you'll discover the sad truth: The tools at Rico's disposal are a hell of a lot more fun than what he's asked to use them on. %Gallery-78125%
You can expect 'a lot' of Just Cause 2 DLC
Say you were to jump a sweet speedboat off an even sweeter ramp, then climb onto that speedboat and shoot a rocket at a dude in a tower (which is a real thing that happens in Just Cause 2) for 15 to 20 hours. Afterward, if someone asked you how much more time you wanted to spend doing things like that, we imagine the answer would be "a lot." Perhaps it's no coincidence, then, that that's exactly how much DLC lead designer Peter Johansson tells Eurogamer is coming to the Just Cause 2: "a lot." And that's on top of all the content already on the game disc, which, by all external signs, is pretty darn imposing. Johannsson claims that his 60-percent-complete save file is about 55 game hours worth of playtime, which, if you let the math play out, means that if you were to play all 100 percent of the game, it would take roughly 73,000 hours. Roughly.
Reminder: Just Cause 2 demo grapples XBLM
As promised, the Just Cause 2 demo is now available on Xbox Live Marketplace. While this post was written as a reminder of that fact, the game itself also serves as a reminder. You see, it reminds just how incredibly handy grappling hooks are. Watching the various trailers released for the game thus far, it's kind of hard to imagine starting a revolution without one. Just remember to bring your parachute. Shortcut: Add the Just Cause 2 demo to your Xbox 360 download queue [Via Xbox.com]
Just Cause 2 demo drops in March 4
Just as promised, operative, you'll soon get your chance to bone up on your rocket car skills before entering the field, as the Just Cause 2 demo has been set for release next Thursday, March 4. The demo will arrive on Xbox Live, PSN and Steam and will grant access to 35 square miles of the Lautan Lama Desert -- one of the islands making up the game's promised 400 sq. miles of explorable Panau archipelago. So oil up that grappling gun and get your best black ops duds off to the dry cleaners. We want Rico looking mucho suavé out there! Just Cause 2 is set to dive into retail on March 23 for the Xbox 360, PS3 and Games for Windows platforms.
Just Cause 2 plays chicken in second 'Anatomy of a Stunt' trailer
If Just Cause 2's previous trailers have taught us anything, it's that the second game in Eidos' "do crazy sh##" series will absolutely relish in the lengths to which it enables you to live out its mission statement. As evidenced once more in the second "Anatomy of a Stunt" trailer, wherein the game's main character mounts a speeding fire engine and takes on an aircraft, the game certainly seems to be jam-packed with the kind of insanity we like from our games (ask Red Faction Guerrilla!). Just wait until the trailers introduce a shark into that equation -- and the shark's on fire! But hey, you gotta save something for March 23 when the game comes out, right? %Gallery-65577%
New Just Cause 2 trailers dissect the 'Anatomy of a Stunt'
We love that Just Cause 2's trailers have simply devolved into demo reels showing off the ridiculous destructive powers the player can harness using a hookshot, a parachute and a bit of ingenuity. Two such videos were recently released by Square Enix, subtitled "Anatomy of a Stunt." The first, which shows a rather exhilarating car jump over explosive-lined jet fuel tanks, is posted above. The second, embedded after the jump, shows all the clever ways one can dispatch enemies using gravity. Sorry, Square Enix marketing team, but we're not comfortable classifying "murder" as a "stunt," no matter how creative said "murder" might be.
Just Cause 2 trailer focuses on 'Freedom and Chaos'
Look, we were going to start off this post by making some ham-fisted joke about how the Just Cause 2 trailer posted above shares a moniker with our rippling biceps -- that is to say, "Freedom and Chaos." We're not going to do that, though. We're simply going to advise you to press that little play button (assuming you're of age, of course), and skip ahead to the 35 second mark. Don't even watch the beginning of the trailer -- just skip to that point, and watch it. We'll wait. Holy crap, right? Okay, feel free to watch the rest of the video. There's some pretty great stuff in the remainder; but nothing quite as rad as an improvised personal space shuttle.
Just Cause 2 visits small island, kills everyone
The acquisition of Eidos by Japanese publisher Square Enix earlier this year brought with it some strange consequences. Aside from the obvious Tomb Raider/Final Fantasy crossover that we all know is bound to happen, the above trailer for Just Cause 2 ends with a glaring Square Enix logo that still feels a bit out of place to us. Maybe it's the theme of deposing a South East Asian dictator, the pronounced "Engrish," and the musclebound American protagonist in the trailer -- or maybe it's just us being weird! Who knows?! We do know that the gameplay itself looks like a ripe barrel of monkeys and we're looking forward to its release on March 23, 2010. %Gallery-78125%
Just Cause 2 grapples onto March 23 release date
A recent Square Enix press release has dropped some rather unfortunate news in our laps: Just Cause 2 won't be hitting North American store shelves until March 23, 2010 (or March 26 for Europe, Australia and the Middle East). That's quite a ways past the title's original Q3 2009 launch date -- in fact, that's two whole Qs later than we initially hoped. Oh, well. It's difficult for us to get in a huff about the game's distant launch date. See, as soon as we feel the huff approaching, we simply watch a bit of Just Cause 2's grapple-and-parachute-centric gameplay, and then we feel inexplicably soothed to our very core. %Gallery-65577%
Hands-on: Just Cause 2
Action movie sequels always aim to be bigger and better than the original. Having played two missions from Just Cause 2, we can unequivocally say it's bigger than the first game, a cult favorite open-world romp starring a South American super-agent with an inexhaustible supply of parachutes. But better? That would require much more playtime to answer.We've posted no fewer than six videos of Just Cause 2 to date, but this week I had my first chance to actually get behind the controls of the Avalanche Studios developed title, which reintroduces us to Rico Rodriguez, who's bringing his Desperado-era Antonia Banderas looks (sans the long locks this time) to the massive -- yet fictional -- island sandbox of Panau.%Gallery-78125%
Just Cause 2 trailer has fun with the grappling hook
In this new trailer for Just Cause 2, you can see a helicopter tow a speed boat into a factory. How badass is that? You can also see protagonist Rico Rodriguez attach an unsuspecting individual to an airbound plane as it's taking off. It's this kind of inventive grappling that really gives the game a flavor all its own and makes this latest trailer necessary viewing for any self-respecting Joystiq reader. %Gallery-76895%
Just Cause 2 dev diary is free, free fallin'
Spider-Man's got nothing on Just Cause 2's returning protagonist, Rico Rodriguez. Sure, Spidey's got a whole host of arachnid super-enhancements -- but Rico's various modes of aerial travel make web-swinging seem so ... pedestrian. The dev diary posted above gives a great look at our hero's proclivity for base jumping, hookshotting, parachuting and helicopter-jacking. We're sure Isaac Newton would have a few hang-ups about the poetic liberties Just Cause 2 is taking with physics -- but you'll hear no objections from us.
Just Cause 2 trailer wants to destroy something beautiful
Clearly appealing to our more destructive impulses, a new trailer on Videogamer.com for Just Cause 2 is inviting us to the beautiful island paradise of Palau, only so we can tear it asunder in a hail of bazooka fire and trucks tied to helicopters. We're a little ashamed to admit how well the approach is working.We're holding out hope that when it drops in 2010 Just Cause 2 will be able to deliver on the promise that games like Mercenaries 2 and the original Just Cause were unable to fulfill, because the trailer really does look like a lot of fun. One quibble: Are we the only ones who miss Rico's Banderas hair?
