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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%
Kmart selling Just Cause 2, not just another discount
Reader Glenn just noticed that Kmart's Sunday ad has the just-about-released Just Cause 2 listed for the low price of just $44.99. The offer is just available for the dates of March 23-27, so just as soon as the game releases, you can just run on over to the store and just walk away with the game after paying just $45. The police can't even stop you -- your actions will be just. Just saying -- it's just a really good deal. Even if you pick the game up just for kicks, a price like that is just wonderful. We're not sure why Kmart is selling the game so cheap, but why question it? Just consider this your just deserts.
Just Cause 2 trailer analyzes anatomy of the 'Rocket Launcher Jump' stunt
Though we've thoroughly enjoyed Just Cause 2's "Anatomy of a Stunt" videos, we're not sure the one you see posted above is accurately titled. Though the name "Rocket Launcher Jump" does capture some of the components of the stunt, it fails to mention a few other important buzzwords; namely "speedboat," "ramp," "explosion," "death," "aerial," and "unimaginably awesome." Do yourself a favor and check out the video above, which we've chosen to remoniker "Unimaginably Awesome Speedboat Ramp Jump Aerial Rocket Launcher Explosion Death." %Gallery-65577%
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 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%
Just Cause 2's Achievements sound delightful
Sometimes, Achievements and Trophies require you to complete tedious tasks or collect hundreds of a certain type of token before they unlock. Sometimes, they only require you to murder a whole bunch of people with hookshots or do awesome base jumping tricks. It seems Just Cause 2 will have a balanced assortment of both. Inside MGC recently uncovered the full list of Achievements (and, assumedly, Trophies) for Eidos and Avalanche's upcoming revolution simulator. Check them out after the jump!
Just Cause 2 pre-order bonuses revealed in latest trailer
Listen, we're pretty sure we're only going to need two things to complete our first playthrough of Just Cause 2: A hookshot and an arm on which to attach it. Still, we admit that the bonus equipment that the game's pre-orderers will have access to looks pretty intriguing: A skull-emblazoned parachute? An outrageously powerful handgun? A hovering deathtank? Yes, please. (Check out the trailer above to see these bonuses in action.) Even if you're vehemently opposed to pre-ordering a game, you need to watch this trailer, if only for the last 20 seconds. It's a real -- wait for it -- drag. %Gallery-65577%
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%
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 calmly explains why grappling hooks are awesome
We've seen a great deal of media for Just Cause 2 which shows the protagonist's physics-defying grappling hook in action, but the latest Avalanche Studios mini-doc really displays the tool's destructive properties. Here's just a few uses for the game's grapple-arm, as demonstrated in the video above: You can use it to stick two enemies together, forcing them in an eternal bro-hug. You can whip an enemy into the air, then juggle him with bullets. You can pull down giant statues of presumably evil dictators. You can attach a man to the back of a small, personal jet, like a can fastened to the back of an automobile carrying a newlywed couple.
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 looks amazing in developer walkthrough video
Now you can see why our preview of Just Cause 2 was so glowing ... it has 62% more chutes! Yes, it looks this good. Lead game designer Peter Johansson from Avalanche Studios takes us through the game with his sexy accent, and base jumping / parachuting alone looks like a hell of a lot of fun. Seriously, why has no one developed a skydiving game? (Mention Go! Sports Skydiving and we'll hurt you.)Watch the entire video above (it's long) and you'll see why Spider-Man has nothing on Rico. After all, he didn't carry a gun. The original Just Cause was a slightly buggy mess that was caught up in the changeover from the Xbox to the Xbox 360, although it featured some enjoyable and innovative gameplay. This sequel looks much, much better and we'll be keeping our eyes open for more info before it comes out in 2010.
Avalanche Studios lets 20 more employees go
Avalanche Studios CEO Christofer Sundberg confirmed to GI.biz that the studio has had to hand 20 employees their walking papers, following the 77 employees the studio let go back in October. Sundberg says that these layoffs will not affect the games the studio currently has in development. Just Cause 2 is still set to appear at E3 next month, and the company is even looking to reveal a new game it's been working on with a publishing partner, though any further details on the project could not be revealed at this time.Excuse us while we pour one out for the latest homies that have fallen victim to Joystiq's dreaded layoffs tag.
Just Cause 2 mission structure detailed, new screens
Eidos' surprisingly addictive GTA-clone, Just Cause, is getting the sequel treatment and, according to IGN UK's eyes-only preview, Rico's return will blow the wool socks off your feet and back onto the sheep from whence they were created. Looking to leave the life of a bad ass, helicopter-jackin' special agent, Rico Rodriguez is forced back into action when his friend and mentor, Tom Sheldon, supposedly goes rogue. Just Cause 2 includes maneuvers immediately familiar to fans of the original. Rico has a seemingly infinite supply of parachutes and grappling hooks, which can be used to glide around the world, hijacking aircraft and vehicles, Pursuit Force style. New to the series is the ability to use the hook in combat, allowing players to grab and throw enemies as well as impale them with the ferocity of a Mortal Kombat character. Just Cause 2 also attempts to up the ante, as it were, by revamping the visuals -- new screens available on IGN already look infinitely better than the hi-res, prev-gen version released on the Xbox 360 in 2006. Developer Avalanche says the game will include over 100 vehicles and 50 "varied" missions. Just Cause 2 is slated to release on the Xbox 360, PS3 and PC later this year.
Just 'cause you should know: Just Cause 2 coming in Q3 '09
Because it's important news, sandbox action title Just Cause 2 is scheduled to free-fall to retailers sometime during Q3 2009. It isn't quite the 2008 release window Eidos was targeting, but whatcha gonna do? Eurogamer Germany broke the news (translated), confirming the release in the wake of developer Avalanche Studios' layoff announcement and subsequent promise to put more focus on the anticipated (?) sequel. As long as Just Cause 2 gets ample time to cook in the developer oven, the title could soar from mediocrity to something special. Know that putting care into the development cycle is always a just cause.[Via VG247]
Avalanche Studios developing 'open-world fantasy' AionGuard
Open-world fantasy news now, with Edge's latest issue taking a first look at "AionGuard," a new Lord of the Rings-inspired project from Avalanche Studios. According to the British mag, AionGuard follows the exploits of an army intent on capturing land that is otherwise "occupied by numerous mythical and magical creatures." As any band of armor-clad warriors will tell you, that's by far the worst kind of land to capture. It inevitably leads to violence, which is probably why narrative director Odd Ahlgren says it's like "God Of War, but it's a lot more open and you have lots more choice in how to tackle these situations." He insists that the game isn't an RPG, however, and allays fears that action will revolve around grinding. The folks at Avalanche, who previously parachuted into the jungle with Just Cause, have yet to announce a publisher for the Xbox 360 and PS3 title.Not that they should have trouble finding one -- it says here you'll also be able to pilot dragons. We'd be lairs liars if we said that didn't excite us.
Avalanche Studios sliding 77 employees pink slips
Avalanche Studios is preparing to terminate 77 of its 160-member staff following the loss of two publishing contracts worth $34 million. The Just Cause developer is currently working on a sequel to that game for Eidos, which it says will receive a "stronger focus" after the layoffs, and some other game called The Hunter.Avalanche Studios' CEO Christofer Sundberg is "positive" the company will get back on its feet, but he doesn't believe the studio will grow to 160 employees again. He says the company became "industrialized and impersonal," and plans to keep the studio smaller from now on.
Eidos confirms plans for Just Cause 2 in 2008
With an investor coup and plummeting stock to worry about, investing in sequels to already average properties would seem to be one of the last things on the mind of Eidos parent SCi Entertainment. The game world, however, seldom subscribes to our own brand of logic, as Eidos has announced plans to revisit one of its non-entities in Avalanche Studios' Just Cause, a decidedly tepid – and altogether brief – stunt-focused action game that managed to parachute below most players' collective radar in 2006. Set for release later this year for the Xbox 360, PS3, and PC, the game will once again cast players in the role of vigilante Rico Rodriguez, this time taking him out of the Caribbean and into the fictional island country of Panau in South East Asia. Of course, more over-the-top action and stunts are promised, though if Eidos was unable to make players care about the franchise the first time around, we doubt that "the same but more of it" is enough of a tag line to make anyone but the most ardent action fans blink in the game's general direction.
Some Just Cause 2 details, just 'cause
PSW magazine has the revolutionary skinny on the sequel to the stylish -- but ultimately blah -- Just Cause. Rico Rodriguez is now ready to overthrow the government in the South East Asian country of Panau and developer Avalanche is using a new engine for Just Cause 2, which will focus more on exploration and experimentation than the original according to the developer. The original Just Cause benefitted from a huge world, tropical setting (green and blue is so much better than modern gaming's brown obsession), and the stunts Rico could perform -- it failed on almost every other level. The game's lead designer Peter Johansson says the sequel will enhance the stunts and improve combat. As long as Avalanche takes the time to polish Just Cause this time around it might make for a great alternative to every other sandbox game's gritty urban settings -- well, almost every other sandbox game.
Just Cause 2 will do away with side-missions, say devs
PSW Magazine got some details about the sequel to developer Avalanche's game Just Cause. Titled, who would've thought, Just Cause 2, will carry on the surprisingly decent legacy the first sandbox title delivered to fans. Lead designer Peter Johansson explained the process in creating the second title: "We identified the key areas we wanted to improve for Just Cause 2. We wanted to make better use of our huge game world, enhance the stunts, improve the combat and reward exploration more." Sometimes more is better.You still play as Rico Rodriguez, but your setting has changed from the island of San Esperitio to an undisclosed (for now) location in Southeast Asia. Another shift from the original title is the complete dismissal of side-missions. This might make the game different enough from the clogged sandbox market to stand out, or it might make it terribly short and rather mediocre. We'll see the game on PS3, 360, and PC at an unspecified date.
