Just Cause turns takes the GTA gameplay out of the city and into the jungles of a fictional Caribbean island nation. It has taken seemingly forever, but we finally get an open world sandbox game where we don’t have to play as a thugged out gangsta. Just Cause features some nice visuals, a very interesting story and overall concept, and some satisfying gameplay, but it is filled with glitches and bugs and annoyances that seriously hurt the experience.
Quick Hits
- Title: Just Cause
- Platform: Xbox 360
- Publisher: Eidos
- Developer: Avalanche
- ESRB: “M” for Mature
- Genre: Third person action, driving
- Pros: Nice graphics; great concept; stunts; huge world to explore
- Cons: Character models are ugly; tons of bugs and glitches; 1,000+ square miles to explore … the game is a little too big; vehicles handle very poorly
Story
Eidos
Gameplay
The gameplay is very similar to Grand Theft Auto or Saints Row. You steal cars, boats, airplanes, and helicopters in order to get around the country. One huge change in Just Cause is that the “sandbox” is more than 1000 square miles this time around, so it takes a long, long, long time before you see it all. The planes and helicopters use very simple controls and once you get your hands on them, they are a joy to fly. The cars, motorcycles, and boats, however, handle pretty poorly. They float all over the road and can be a challenge to drive during police chases, particularly when driving up winding mountain roads.The firefights in Just Cause are simple and straightforward, but I have to admit I rather like them. Rico automatically targets enemies and all you have to do is hold down the trigger. Enemies drop health and ammo and grenades as they fall, so you just run around, constantly topping off your supplies and taking dozens of enemies out at a time in any given skirmish. It makes the game ridiculously easy, but it is still enjoyable. Another thing I really like is that you can target grenades in the air (including ones thrown by enemies) and shoot them to make them blow up early.
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