Gamers into sandbox anarchy are in for a real treat this March with Just Cause 2 making its explosive arrival. The original Just Cause made a sizable impact when it was released in 2006; featuring a huge free-roaming world, some fun weapons and a pile of opportunities to use them, the game had a lot to offer. Unfortunately it also came riddled with bugs that attracted a fair bit of criticism. With a few years to clear up these issues and add a lot more content to the mix, third-person shooter Just Cause 2 has the potential to be a more tightly produced package.
Developer Avalanche Studios doesn't have the biggest history of games production, aside from Just Cause the group has only worked on one other title- The Hunter. Despite this, the team has successfully built its own engine, the Avalanche Engine, which is capable of powering vast landscapes in a high level of detail. Just Cause 2 also has the better known teams Eidos Interactive and Square Enix behind it.
Just Cause 2 continues to follow the story of Rico Rodriguez, the protagonist of the first game. In his first outing Rico, a CIA operative, infiltrated the fictional Caribbean island of San Esperito in order to topple the dictator Salvador Mendoza. The story was loosely inspired by the US invasion of Panama, named Operation Just Cause.
Just Cause 2 will continue the tradition of its predecessor with Rico once again facing up against an island dictator. This time the fictional island, Panau, is in South East Asia and there is a twist to your mission- while fending off the dictator's minions you're also going to be hunting down rogue agent Tom Sheldon. Sheldon was Rico's mentor and he's bound to have a few tricks up his sleeve.
Like other sandbox games of this kind you'll be free to completely ignore this story if you want and just explore the island, seeking out side-quests and attacking enemy bases at your whim. You'll also be able to do all of this from land, sky or sea; with over a hundred vehicles at your command and a whole bundle of gadgets there will be plenty of ways to engage the enemy. The vehicle selection is particularly impressive with everything from jeeps to choppers and jet fighters to a huge passenger plane at your fingertips.
The land you'll be exploring should satisfy the tastes of most players with pretty much every terrestrial environment included. Panau features beaches, snow-topped mountains, cities, deserts and jungles for you to wander through. All of this is spread across over 400 square miles of terrain- plenty of space to try out those vehicles.
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