Just Cause 2 (Xbox 360) (Video Game)

A big, big bundle of fun >>If you haven't played the first just cause then you won't know what the Just cause games are about, unless you have read up on this one. The first game was, for me, amzing and always left me wanting more and more. It had some niggles but was generally a great game. Just cause 2 arrives on the scene and we are, again introduced to the biggest map on a sandbox ever. It's huge size and sheer beautiful landscapes are something you'll never forget. >>You start off as, again, Rico Rodriguez who works for an agency named the agency (good isn't it?). After a few missions you are left to explore the massive 400+ square mile map. Now I could go on forever about the map, but to be orderly i'll cover missions first. Like the first ou have agency missions and faction missions. You work for 3 different factions and the agency throughout the game all intent on bringing down the tyrent leader (or something). You unlock these missions by cause chaos on the streets of Panau. this is done by either attacking the millitary to destroying power stations. Basically the game rewards you more chaos the bigger the destruction. Chaos also unlocks Black market items that can be purchased for money gained by causing chaos and doing missions. Things are pretty expensive to buy though so alot of chaos will have to be done to earn enough to buy a jet fighter. You can purchase weapons and vehicles and extractions to already discovered place from the blck market dealler. To be honest you might aswell just attack the millitary if you want weapons. it is free and you get chaos and money for it. >>Missions are to be frank, boring. Some are cool but most are just plain and pointless. I didn't feel any need to progress the story by doing tha agency missions as the game only shines when roaming. Stuttering also occured in some missions and and it sounded like the disc was scratched and had crashed. >>Just cause 2 is only a brilliant game when you roam around, and you'll be doing plenty of that. Not just to cause chaos but to discover places. Everywhere on the map needs to be discovered. It may sem overwhelming at first but don't worry you only need to drive through a place for it to beome a known place. Areas can also be completed by collecting weapon parts, armour parts cahs and more in them. Every place, no matter how large or small can be 100%-ed so it will also last you a long time in that area. Of course there is tons (and I mean tons) of stuff to collect and see around the island and achievements/trophies to unlock. Getting around the island is simple, hi-jack a vehicle and drive, sail or fly to your waypoint. There are over a 100 vehicles in the game, so you'll never be short of a ride. Each vehicle has different handling, although the differece isn't much. Some, depending on what you get, have mounted guns and some other helpful tools for causing destruction. You can get around, though, by using the updated and better grapple hook and parachute. You'll soon learn how to us ethe grapple and parachute together to stay airborn longer and it is generally hany if you are stuck in the desert without a ride. The grapple is great fun to use, whether you're hooking people to cars or helicopters or whizzing round a millitary airport. >>There are of course niggles. Some frustrating some just pain fixable when the game was in development. Rico seems to be able to withstand not alot of damage when his phoes are strangely hard to kill and alot of bullets do have to be used to take out a couple of guys. The melee attack is also rather rubbish. You press the melee button and Rico slashes someone with his grapple. Not great and the same really as the first. It would've been nice to see a cover system at least. But JC2 doesn't care what people think. It takes pride in being over dramatic and unrealistic. It takes pride in being one of the worst hand to hand games out there, because it as over 400 miles of open places to explore. JC2 isn't about the guns or hand to hand. it is about exploration and discovery. JC2 exists mainly to bring yuo a great big bundle of fun. it is a treat, like ging out and buying yourself the biggest, most chocolaty, unhealthy cake out there. This doesn't make it ok to have the problems listed but to be honest, whe you have that freedom it doesn't matter. It doesn't deliver in the fighting style, but hell does it deliver in size. >>Just cause 2 will take you forever to 100% but if you do, you should have your name in the world records book. it doesn't just give you the map, but things that keep you coming back to the map, things to collect. There are also skulls and different objects belonging to each faction that can be found, some of which are under water (very sneaky indeed). JC2 is, basically a big game that makes you overlook it's niggles with the great visuals, size and replayability. You'll be hooked - fact. I Love: Map size More vehicles Better grapple and parachute Loads to do I Hate: Missions can be boring Stuttering Health system Black market dealer is expensive VERDICT: If you want to treat yourself to the biggest treat in video gaming history then JC2 is for you. If you love mission based games, still look a JC2, but it might not hit the right spot. Overall a great never ending experience. Graphics: Great. Cutscenes can be shabby but the world is an amazing place to view. 8.9 Missions: Alot of them, also alot of dull ones. 7 Sound: Voice acting is pretty rubbish, especially the stuttering, but the gameplay sounds are great. 8.2 Size: The biggest map I know of, and the best. 10 Vehicles: varied but there are quite a few dull ones. Planes are a real treat though. 9

Amazing I recieved the game exactly when the e-mail specified it would so no problem there. Very Speedy. The game itself is brilliant i have put over 40 hours into the game just messing around there is that much to do. The price was a crime on the publisher considering the absolute proportion of the game and the amount of things you can do all around the amazingly textured island of panau. I experienced a few noticable drops in framerates during the most hectic of times while everything you touch is exploding but it happens very rarly. The veiw distance is phenomenal considering the size of the game and the beauty of the graphics. This is a definate buy.

Size doesn't matter. After all the hype I was really looking forward to this title. So short lived. I was amazed to find that the gameplay is nearly as bad as the voice acting and story. There was no progression to the game what so ever, the story really goes nowhere and the weapon/vehicle upgrades made no noticable difference. A fully upgraded pistol will stil take 8-9 shots to take down a standard grunt which is no fun when you get swarmed by enemies if you so much as fart near one of thier bases! However, just keep squeezing the trigger and the AI will make sure every enemy has run into one of your stray bullets. There is only a handful of weapons, 1 pistol, 1 submachine gun, 1 rifle etc... and they are each as ineffective as the last. Getting around the island is a real pain in the behind. It takes FOREVER to get anywhere, with almost nothing happening inbetween. The scale of the map is impressive, until you realise it is just ground texture and lots of trees. So the best way to get about is to purchase a plane from the black market. Which takes a loading screen and 2 cutscenes of the same dialogue EVERY time you order something. Only to find even the cheapest plane costs you more money than you have made in the last 3 story missions. (also it is very very hard to land a plane so they are pretty much one use items.) The grappling hook is great fun, for about an hour, then once you realise that it is too weak and breaks after about 5 seconds all the cool stunts etc you had planed just don't work. The novelty of it soon wears off. The scenery varies quite a bit. but the buildings don't. Especially enemy bases. The layout for these is almost identical for each and there is a few destrcutible buildings dotted around like fuel silo's and barracks. Yet a tiny little mud hut next to the base will not fall victim to any kind of weaponry. This only added to the repetative feel of the game as you could only fell the same 5-6 buildings over and over. Repetative is how I would describe the game as a whole. There is no desire to play through the "story" (if you can call it that) the upgrades are pointless so there is no need to chase those, there is not alot to see anywhere apart from generic towns, enemy bases and tree's ...lots of tree's!!

Good and Bad The game is very good to play. however, driving the cars is very difficult if ur like used to gta, like me. the map is very large as-well which makes the game longer but takes a long time to get to places. overall, this game is worth the buy

Style without substance I really wanted to continue revelling in the jaw-dropping scenery while joyriding helicopters, airliners or fighter planes blowing stuff up or smashing cars into petrol stations - and at the last second leaping clear of the massive explosion. Causing chaos is the name of the game. Sadly, the missions don't add much depth either because they are a bit tricky and rather dull (I end up starting a firefight and being chased by hoards of police). Such a shame. I tried to like this game, I really did. But after a week or so I sold it.