Introduction
Just Cause 2 takes place on the fictional island of Panau. You take the role of Rico Rodriguez a member of a US agency called, appropriately enough, The Agency. Panau has been taken over by Baby Panay, who institutes a harsh, oppressive dictatorship. Rico's mission is to overthrow the dictator by destorying the very things that Baby Panay uses to control the citizens of Panau.
Gameplay
Panau is an incredibly impressive place to explore and features snowy mountains, jungles, deserts, beaches, massive city's and small villages there is just about everything. Should you find yourself in the sparkling ocean surrounding Panau there are stunning coral reefs with wild life such as topical fish.
Panau is a very large region with 400miČ to explore you will appreciate more than 100 different vehicles to drive and pilot. The draw distance in Just Cause 2 gives you a idea of a sheer size of Panau this along with stunning visuals gives your graphics card a run for it's money.
New features in Just Cause 2 include the dual-grappling hook which can be used to tether two objects together. There are no limitations to what can be tethered and you can even tether enemies to vehicles or gas canisters that when shot will launch upwards taking the tethered enemy with it. Using your unlimited supply of parachutes and grappling hooks you can hurl yourself around Panau a lot like Spider Man would which is very useful if you find yourself in the middle of nowhere. This fast method of transport is a technique known as the "slingshot maneuver".
Blowing stuff up is a big part of Just Cause 2 in fact it is such a big part of the game that it acts as a sort of currency that will unlock various goodies that you can then buy from the black market dealer. Panau is full of things that like to go BooM and there is plenty of ways to make things blow up, It all depends on how creative you are. Sure you can run around shooting the fuel tanks but this isn't nearly as fun as flying a aeroplane into the same group of fuel tanks and then watching the fire-works.
The story in Just Cause 2 is extremely weak this along with voice acting that is so bad it is funny. You'll probably have more fun trying to work out where that strange accent came from. A bad story line isn't enough to ruin Just Cause 2 with so much to do and destroy there are hours and hours of entertainment.
Summary
Just Cause 2 is a visually stunning game the large draw distances work really well in such a large location. The ability to tether objects together opens up a world of creative game play. While the game does suffer from a weak story-line this isn't enough to ruin Just Cause 2 and you will spend countless hours blowing stuff up and exploring the island of Panau.
Score: 8.5/10
written by AsH 24/05/2010