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Just Cause 2

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Just Cause 2
Developer(s)Avalanche Studios
Eidos Interactive
Publisher(s)Square Enix
Designer(s)Jack MacLeany
SeriesJust Cause
EngineAvalanche Engine 2.0
Havok (Physics Engine)
Platform(s)Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 3, Xbox 360
Genre(s)Action, third-person shooter, open world
Mode(s)Single-player

Just Cause 2, not do be confused with Just Dance 2, is an open world action-adventure video game. It was released in North America on March 23, 2010, by Swedish developer Avalanche Studios and Eidos Interactive,[2] and was published by Square Enix. It is the sequel to the 2006 video game Just Cause.[3][4]

Just Cause 2 employs the Avalanche Engine 2.0, an updated version of the engine used in Just Cause.[4] The game is set on the other side of the world from the original Just Cause, on the fictional island of Panau in Southeast Asia. Panau has varied terrain, from desert to alpine to rainforest. Rico Rodriguez returns as the protagonist, aiming to overthrow the evil dictator Pandak "Baby" Panay and confront his former mentor, Tom Sheldon.[4]

Gameplay

The player is free to roam the game's open world, not having to focus on the game's storyline.

Progress in the game is measured with Chaos, which is earned by completing missions, destroying government property, collecting items for the factions and reaching 100% completion in settlements and military bases. Chaos unlocks new agency missions and stronghold takeovers. Chaos and stronghold takeovers expand the factions' area of influence, which unlocks faction missions and race challenges. Agency missions progress the story, while faction missions are completely optional. Helping one faction does not prevent the player from helping the others.

The artificial intelligence uses a planning system which enables enemies to perform various actions. Enemies can use the environment to their advantage, taking cover behind objects and adapting to the objects around them. Additional elements include vertical gameplay using a grappling hook and parachuting maneuvers and also manual aiming system.

There is also a real-time deformation system and individual components can come loose from vehicles.

Initially, the player must acquire weapons and vehicles in the field. Early in the game, the player encounters a black market supplier, from whom weapons and vehicles can be purchased, with an option to have them delivered to the player's location via helicopter. As more Chaos is gained, additional weapons, vehicles, and the extraction option become available on the black market. All weapons and vehicles on the black market have parameters that can be upgraded in several steps, by building upgrades with weapon and vehicle components found within the game world. There are over 2,000 parts that the player can acquire.[5]

Notable features of Just Cause 2 include the grappling hook, which gives players the ability to tether objects to each other. There are no limitations to what can be tethered. For example, in a high speed vehicle chase, the player can use the grappling hook to attach a pursuing vehicle to the ground, forcing it to stop and often flipping or turning the vehicle causing damage to it. The grappling hook also allows the player to pull himself, and hold onto objects such as wall or helicopters.

In addition, the player has a parachute which is always ready to be deployed, even if it has been deployed and discarded only moments before. This can be combined with the grappling hook and used as a fast method of transport.

The PlayStation 3 version of the game allows the user to capture video of their gameplay and either export it to the XMB or upload it to YouTube from within the game.[6]

Plot

The game picks up a couple of years after the first Just Cause, with Agency operative Rico Rodriguez being dropped into the island nation of Panau, located in the Malay Archipelago in Southeast Asia. Formerly a US ally, Panau is ruled by Pandak "Baby" Panay (the son of the former leader, US-friendly "Papa" Panay, whom Baby Panay is suspected to have murdered) who institutes a harsh, oppressive dictatorship and cuts off all ties to the US. Rico's mission is to oust Panay from office, as well as track down and assassinate Tom Sheldon, whom the Agency fears has gone rogue after disappearing during the regime change. In order to find Sheldon, Rico allies himself with the three dominant criminal gangs on the island: the Roaches, an organized crime syndicate, the Reapers, a communist revolutionary army and the Ular Boys, an indigenous tribe opposing foreign influence.[7] He eventually gathers enough information to track down Sheldon, who not only reveals that he's been investigating a larger conspiracy behind Panau, but that he is in fact the "Sloth Demon", the Black Market dealer that often calls Rico to give information on the gangs (with "Sloth Demon" being an anagram of "Tom Sheldon"). He tells Rico to continue causing chaos on Panau while he goes to explain the situation to the Agency.

After clearing everything up, Sheldon suddenly demands that Rico quickly make his way over to his hideout. They tell him that Jade Tan, a mysterious agency asset whom Rico had met earlier, has been caught snooping around in Panay's military base, and will be tortured without questions. Rico heads to rescue her, and destroys the base where she is held. However, Jade is bundled into a truck and a fleet of gunmen attempt to make a getaway along a frozen lake. En route, a nuclear submarine emerges from the ice, but Rico hijacks the truck carrying Jade, and they are both are airlifted to safety by Sheldon and Kane. Later, Jade reveals that the Roaches, Reapers, and Ular Boys are secretly being supported by benefactors of Russia, China, and Japan respectively in an effort to bring down Panay, and Rico and Sheldon wonder what the small nation that is Panau has that is able to attract such dominant superpowers. Nonetheless, Rico and Sheldon track down the foreign intelligence officers liaising with the factions and assassinate them. Soon after, the island is amidst so much chaos that Panay is forced to leave the capital and take refuge in his fortified military base. Enlisting the aid of the factions, Rico assaults Panay's hideout. Panay is apparently killed during the assault, as well as Karl Blaine, and Rico discovers that Russia, China, Japan, and the US have been secretly fighting over Panau for its oil supply, which is supposedly the richest in the world.

With Panay dead, the situation in Panau turns into a free for all as foreign nations scramble to claim the oil. Russia, China, and Japan send a fleet of supertankers to Panau, while the US begins scrambling military forces to defend the island. Rico is tasked with holding off the supertankers until reinforcements arrive. However, a massive nuclear submarine suddenly surfaces from the sea. Rico investigates the submarine and discovers Panay, who is still alive but injured. Panay proceeds to fire four nuclear missiles at Russia, China, Japan, and the US, but his clothing is accidentally snagged on one of the missiles and he is hauled off with it. In pursuit, Rico grapples onto one of them and both men battle in mid air as Rico disarms each missile one by one. Finally, on the last missile, Rico pins Panay into the exposed missile core and reprograms the targeting computer before leaping to safety. The final missile changes course and explodes over Panau's oil fields, killing Panay and destroying Panau's oil reserves. Rico reunites with Sheldon, Kane and Jade, who express their dismay at this decision as the oil was worth millions, but Rico explains that the oil is not worth dying over, and now that it's now destroyed, all interest in Panau will be lost, preventing a war between the major superpowers and sparing the innocents of the island. Sheldon agrees, and assures Rico that a US-friendly president will be installed on Panau, and that the nation will be closely monitored. The group raise their glasses, to good friends, and a job well done.

Development

Eidos originally announced a Christmas 2008 release date for Just Cause 2. However, on October 10, 2008, Eurogamer reported that Just Cause 2 was pushed back to 2009, and later, 2010. On November 24, Square-Enix announced that the game was set to be released in North America on March 23, 2010, three days later on March 26 in Europe, Middle East, and Asia, and April 1 in Australia and New Zealand.

The PC version only runs on DirectX 10 hardware and is thus incompatible with Windows XP.[8] It supports several features and graphical effects that are missing from the console versions such as Screen Space Ambient Occlusion, soft shadows and increased detail.[9] Compatible Nvidia graphics cards additionally support Bokeh lens effects, enhanced water simulation and stereoscopic 3-D.[10]

Limited edition

Customers who pre-ordered the game received a map and access to exclusive downloadable content (DLC) which includes Rico's Signature Gun, the Bull's Eye Assault Rifle, a chaos parachute (a different skin), the Chevalier Classic car and an agency hovercraft. In the US, DLC included Rico's signature handgun and the Monster Truck, which was a GameStop US exclusive before being released in other regions. The DLC was made available over the PlayStation Network, Xbox Live, and Steam on June 22, 2010.

Downloadable content

Two vehicle packs have been released. Two larger packs were released on the PlayStation Store, Steam and Xbox Live Marketplace. The black market aerial pack and black market boom pack have now also been released as downloadable content for purchase. A Chevalier Ice Breaker car, themed as an ice cream truck was also released for free.

Soundtrack

Untitled

On 22 October, 2010, the original soundtrack to Just Cause 2 was released to consumers for free via the game's official website. It features music composed by Mats Lundgren and Anders Ehlin [11]. These tracks are no longer available from the Just Cause 2 Website, with staff from Eidos forums uploading them to download sites.[12]

Just Cause 2: Music To Blow S**T Up By Track-listing:
No.TitleLength
1."Just Cause 2 Theme"0:32
2."Title Screen"1:12
3."Mile High Club"2:22
4."Tom Sheldon's Theme"1:17
5."Panau National Anthem"0:50
6."Ice Cream Truck Jingle"0:06
7."Espionage"0:57
8."Stealth"3:22
9."Propaganda Theme"0:11
10."End Credits"3:52
11."Pimped Ice Cream Truck Theme"0:17

Reception

Just Cause 2 has received generally positive reviews from critics. On GameRankings, it had an average score of 85.83% on the PC,[13] 83.69% on the PlayStation 3[14] and 82.91% on the Xbox 360.[15] On Metacritic, it has an average score of 84 on the PC,[16] 83 on the PlayStation 3[17] and 81 on the Xbox 360.[18] Ben "Yahtzee" Croshaw of Zero Punctuation named it his "Game of the Year", calling it a "bundle of free-roaming fun."[25]

Sales

According to Square Enix, sales reports ending March 31, 2010, Just Cause 2 has sold over 1,480,000 units worldwide.[26]

References

  1. ^ a b c Tom Bramwell (2009-11-24). "Just Cause 2 out in late March". Eurogamer. Retrieved 2010-01-08.
  2. ^ "Eidos Announces Just Cause 2" (Press release). Eidos Interactive. 2009-04-09. Retrieved 2010-01-08.
  3. ^ Matt Wales (2006-09-18). "IGN: Just Cause Review". IGN. Retrieved 2008-01-14.
  4. ^ a b c PSW Staff (2008-01-03). "Preview: Just Cause 2". CVG. Retrieved 2008-01-06.
  5. ^ Matt Wales (2008-01-29). "Just Cause 2 Q&A". IGN. p. 2. Retrieved 2010-01-08.
  6. ^ "Just Cause 2 Video Capture Feature Is Exclusive To PlayStation3 – PlayStation.Blog.Europe". Blog.eu.playstation.com. 2010-01-22. Retrieved 2010-03-30.
  7. ^ Karl Blaine, after Casino Bust mission: "The Roaches are Panau's Urban Mob.- -The Reapers, well, they follow in old Che Guevara's footsteps.- -Then there's the Ular boys: a crazy jungle mob who plan to turn this island into a natural paradise. Meaning: no foreigners, no foreign goods or foreign pop music, dig?"
  8. ^ Luke Plunkett (2010-02-23). "Just Cause 2 Won't Support Windows XP". Kotaku. Retrieved 2010-12-23.
  9. ^ Andrew Burnes (2010-03-02). "Just Cause 2 PC Interview". IGN. Retrieved 2010-12-23.
  10. ^ "Just Cause 2 Adds Support for Latest NVIDIA Technologies". PRNewswire.com. Retrieved 2010-12-23.
  11. ^ Eidos. "JustCause.com (Google Web Cache)".
  12. ^ Forums.eidosgames.com
  13. ^ a b "Just Cause 2 (PC) reviews at". GameRankings. 2010-03-23. Retrieved 2010-03-30.
  14. ^ a b "Just Cause 2 (PlayStation 3) reviews at". GameRankings. 2010-03-23. Retrieved 2010-03-30.
  15. ^ a b "Just Cause 2 (Xbox 360) reviews at". GameRankings. 2010-03-23. Retrieved 2010-03-30.
  16. ^ a b "Just Cause 2 (PC) reviews at". Metacritic. 2010-03-23. Retrieved 2010-03-30.
  17. ^ a b "Just Cause 2 (PlayStation 3) reviews at". Metacritic. 2010-03-23. Retrieved 2010-03-30.
  18. ^ a b "Just Cause 2 (Xbox 360) reviews at". Metacritic. 2010-03-23. Retrieved 2010-03-30.
  19. ^ "Just Cause 2 Review for the PS3 & Xbox 360 from". 1UP. 2010-03-23. Retrieved 2010-03-30.
  20. ^ Simon Parkin (2010-03-23). "Just Cause 2 Review | PS3". Eurogamer. Retrieved 2010-03-30.
  21. ^ Cork, Jeff (2010-03-23). "An Open World Game Packed With Spontaneous Excitement – Just Cause 2 – Xbox 360". GameInformer. Retrieved 2010-03-30.
  22. ^ "Just Cause 2 Review for Xbox 360". GameSpot. 2010-03-23. Retrieved 2010-03-30.
  23. ^ "IGN: Just Cause 2". Pc.ign.com. 2010-03-23. Retrieved 2010-03-30.
  24. ^ Gaskill, Jake (2010-03-23). "Just Cause 2 for Xbox 360 – Reviews". G4tv.com. Retrieved 2010-03-30.
  25. ^ Croshaw, Ben (2011-01-05). "Zero Punctuation: Top 5 of 2010". The Escapist. Retrieved 2011-01-05.
  26. ^ "Results Briefing Session The Fiscal Year Ended March 31, 2010" (PDF). Square Enix. Retrieved 2010-07-08.
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