Just Cause has the ability to whisk you away to an expansive and beautiful paradise, but can let you down on depth.
All of these type of games follow a certain format – creative a massive free-roaming environment, add all kinds of vehicles, guns, explosions, loose women, money and a lead character that uses and abuses them all in a storyline fit for any Tarantino blockbuster.
Enter Just Cause, set on the imaginary island of San Esperito, which is trapped in the throws of political war between those in power and several rebellious groups chomping at the bit to bring the "Man" down. You play Rico Rodriguez, a typical ruthless leading-role ladies man, to make sure El Presidente of the Big Bad Government is toppled in spectacular style.
As storylines' go – it's a pretty lame and obvious plot, I don't think it's going to hit the big screen anytime soon. All you seem to do is jump from village to village, liberating its' people as you gun down local militia using whatever's at your disposal. This works on a basic level, and the all round havoc is fairly exciting, if a little simplistic. But to me, it lacks depth and imagination.
However, as with all good free-roaming games – you don't have to do any of that if you don't fancy it, as there are plenty of side missions to keep you busy. Most of these simply involve collecting goodies from varying places on the surrounding islands, some though are more detailed, and there are racing missions involving various vehicles to try too.
The more missions you accomplish, the friendlier you will become with the freedom fighters & drug gangs hence the more you will be rewarded with Safe Houses, cars, helicopters, guns etc! And you'll need lots of Safe Houses if you're to avoid getting taken down by the National Guard / Army, who don't particularly like you being anywhere near them. You have your own back up though, with your Secret Agent buddies on stand-by offering extractions and heavy-dropped vehicles.
One exquisite feature of Just Cause it's the attention to detail when it comes the scenery. Flying planes / choppers will become a necessity as driving from island to island can be a lengthy and difficult challenge, particularly as most vehicles do not handle well and you'll attract the attention of the police if you make the slightest bump in someone else's mode of transport.
The sheer size of the game brings it's own little annoyances with the map, situated in the top right corner. Unless you're an expert at spatial awareness, you will get lost very quickly and you will have to rely on pressing the back button to access a menu where you can see a larger version. Sometimes though, it's just good to parachute your way around without an agenda, just to appreciate San Esperito.
Parachuting out of a plane, thousands of feet in the air, looking out at the wonderfully created world around you is awe inspiring and here is where Just Cause stands out. Even when you're being shot at, parachutes can still be used to make haste your escape, giving even the most chaotic of gun battles some misplaced serenity. This in itself is quite bizarre, but "bizarre" is a running theme in this game, which can, at times, deter from the overall enjoyment.
Some of the glitches in the game are most random and strange. In a environment that's as huge as Just Cause, there are bound to be some crazy events happening – but sometimes you just have to rub your eyes and think "Did that really just happen"….I think it's probably one of the most error-prone games I have played, but it's something that just becomes the norm the more you get used to it.
If you can take the glitches with a pinch of salt, then there's plenty to admire in Just Cause. There are some amazing backdrops to explore in a world that seems never ending. Going on an exploration hunt through San Espirito is like taking a real vacation! And you may find that completing the various side-missions is a lot more rewarding than progressing through a monotonous storyline. It's cheaper than GTAIV, it's larger than GTAIV – I don't think it's better, but it's not too far off of being a great game.