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Just Cause 2 PC
User Score
7.2 out of 10

Mixed or average reviews- based on 260 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 194 out of 260
  2. Mixed: 23 out of 260
  3. Negative: 43 out of 260

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  1. MusAddict
    Nov 25, 2011
    8
    This game is a really beautiful game that's extremely entertaining. Thankfully there aren't any story progression map restrictions like Grand Theft Auto, otherwise I don't know if I would have played it. The missions can be extremely repetitive and tedious. The redeeming factor is the surreal action, which is what keeps me hooked if I just wanna be a bad ass for a few hours.
  2. iburnaga
    Sep 16, 2010
    0
    Amazingly repetitive and boring after the first few hours. Over zealous use of the copy paste and clone tool on the environment and the map itself is so huge as to be oppressive with miles and miles between each mission. Sling shotting around is only fun for a little bit until you notice the half assed way they implemented, the **** which happen at random points like trying to hop up onto something reliably, trying to just walk around with percision takes work. And to knock the score down even more, they're expecting 50 bucks for this repetitive, badly produced tripe.… Expand
  3. Downward_Spiral
    Jan 2, 2011
    6
    The harpoon/parachute concept is very enjoyable, but the repetitiveness of the missions, atrocious voice acting, and overall lack of effort that seems to have been put into just about everything except fun game mechanics left a stale taste in my mouth. Flying around causing aimless chaos is fun for a few hours, but when you realize that's the only entertaining element the game has to offer you get bored quickly.… Expand
  4. SPINEY
    Sep 5, 2010
    5
    I've seen too many people jump too conclusions with this game. Many people focus solely on the open-end aspect, saying "Wow, the land you can explore is amazingly huge". When you broaden your sights on the major aspects which make a great game you see Just Cause 2 misses a few crucial aspects. First off is variety: After you've completed 30% of the game you realise you've been doing the same thing over and over. Blowing up fuel tanks, knocking over transmission towers and going through the tedious hi-jack animation. It all becomes a bit tiresome. The voice acting is some parts is terrible. Sometimes the voice stops but the lip-sync animation still runs for seconds after. And in other parts it sounds like the developers are patronising people who actually have accents of those portrayed in the game. The story, no doubt a crucial part of any game is lacking with the ending being unbearably corny. There a plethora of bugs yet to be fixed. Such as the faulty Heat-system (think of the 6 stars in GTA). Many timer I find myself with no enemies around yet my heat refuses to decrease. Also if you are stand right up to a wall and fire you grapple the animation of you hand puts the grapple through the wall, and he doesn't grapple on anything. Apart from all that, the game does have some interesting features. Grappling two objects (or people) never seems to get old. And you do get some pretty hilarious moments. But overall, this game could have a lot improved.… Expand
  5. RIcoR
    May 3, 2010
    10
    This game reminds you why the sandbox game genre was so fun in the first place. TO EXPERIMENT, unlike games like GTA 4 where you lose $1,000,000 everytime you die there is no penalty for dieing outside of missions and that is excellent. the world in this game is huge and amazing and the voice acting is hilarious. you can surf on jets, hijack planes, base jump off waterfalls and all sorts of insane shit that makes GTA 4 seem like watching glue dry.… Expand
    • 2 of 4 users said yes
  6. SomeGuy
    May 14, 2010
    10
    This game got me addicted within the first hour. Whether you're climbing mountains or diivng undernearth, you'll be sure to enjoy the breathtaking scenery. The vast scale of this map is so huge it took me five minutes of flying in a jet plane to get from one side of it to the other. The grappling hook and parachutes in this game will just make you wanna play for hours on end. And did you know there are 104 different vehicles? From cars to motorcycles to planes to jets to boats to...other stuff. And for 50 bucks this game is cheaper than MW2 or AC2(which are both good games nontheless). I think that reviewers rated this game in all the wrong aspects. This is definately not a GTA close, it's more like Uncharted 2. At least it looks like it.… Expand
    • 2 of 4 users said yes
  7. cambria
    Jan 2, 2011
    8
    This game is too much fun. Rediculously good graphics, pimped out for PC, and comes with free DLC if you get it through steam. I've got 50 hours of gameplay and I'm only 39% done, only on the 4th game mission, because the islands of panau are GIGANTIC. you will have tons of fun retaking the hundreds of villages, districts and military installations from the corrupt government, who even cares about the story quests? haha. it can seem repetitive at times, but the close to 200 vehicles available and the great grappling hook mechanics keep it from being tedious. The heat AI is a little dumb, eg: if you manage to run out the gauge, say, right before a truck full of policia crashes into you, they'll have completely forgotten that you're the guy they were furiously chasing 2 seconds earlier. Kinda messes up the immersion, but the gunfight AI is pretty decent and helps draw you in to each little destruction operation, as do the day/night cycles and the random rainstorms etc. Long story short, this game is excellent, give it a try as it becomes less than ten dollars when it's on sale, and it was clearly paid a lot of care in ensuring your enjoyment. I've never had a single player game outside of MMORPGS that gave me so many hours of fun. And I own some 100+ high end PC titles.… Expand
  8. blackmancer
    Dec 18, 2010
    6
    I'm at about 6hrs and its one of those games that could have been great but lacking some refinement and having a few very bad mistakes. the good - graphics engine, flying about with the grapple and chute, free form environment the average - level design, combat the bad - why can't i look straight up? too complicated to change from inside a car to the mounted gun on the back. cars have the best wheels of all time - virtually no friction, u must stop the car before u jump on the back to shoot someone otherwise u'll be rolling down the street for seriously as far as it is straight. grappling up a building has you looking straight at the wall when u haul urself in which is pointless because u then have to move the mouse again to look back in the direction u wanted to go. why are there low lying snow covered mountains within sight of seemingly warm tropical islands? lack of background story or foundation when u start the game. i was confused about the agency thing, they seemed like a government agency, but the guy is an absolute terrorist. to summarize - its a game u play if u just want some pointless blasting, any seriousness about a story or any real envolvement is long gone. its playable and sometimes quite fun but its like a badly made corny movie.… Expand
  9. Addilikemc
    Mar 16, 2012
    10
    This game is epic. perfect game engine all is so.. i don't now this word... I think there are some bugs but that is not important for me. This game is very very very very very very good.
  10. lildanny
    Nov 13, 2011
    7
    Utterly enjoyable. Gameplay is so much fun, when you get the hang of it. Jumping around with your grapplehook and parachuting from tree to tree to avoid gunfire is just one of the many aspects of this game that makes it awesome. Here's the catch: Storyline is thin, and can be finished TOO quickly. Once you've completed the campaign, you get stuck in "Mercenary Mode" where you then attempt to complete the rest of the game (blowing stuff up, driving every vehicle available, etc.). Unfortunately, once you've gotten to that point, it just loses it's fun-value (unless you're comfortable running around and blowing stuff up for hours on end). Good enough game to buy if you can get it on sale. 7/10.… Expand
  11. vaell
    Mar 29, 2011
    8
    FUN, thats it, after years of seeing games feel more like work than games, i enjoy a fun game, not a perfect one, but fun, an over the top intentionally cliche story, with over the top action scenes(almost all the time) and a world " two times the size of the known universe" to destroy. It is true it gets repetitive and the sensation of the copy paste brush gets on to you after some hours, but it is without a doubt a fun game. as a game should be.… Expand
  12. Rems
    Mar 1, 2012
    6
    The game itself is fine and really good looking but there is a lot of unused potential and the main story is extremely short + side missions after few hours are simply boring and doesn't surprise with anything new. There is so many locations that could be used for amazing missions but from unclear reasons there is no activities there besides those activities which you can find anywhere else.. like blowing stuff. Driving model is simply pain in the ass but we can have a lot of joy from flying.… Expand
  13. doritosandmarij
    Feb 6, 2012
    10
    Just Cause 2 is a phenomenal game which implements so many features that no other game - at the time of release or now - has ever implemented. You have a parachute and a grappling hook along with more than a hundred vehicles and tons of weapons as well. It only took 20 hours to get through the main story, and the game has so much more than that. Some badass things I do: standing on a boat and shooting rpgs off of it, grapple hooking my low-flying 747 to a boat and flying away with it, defusing nuclear missiles while riding them, and base jumping out of a hot-air balloon. The great thing about this game is that none of the things I said will ruin the game for anyone because the world is so many kilometers wide that you could play for 100 hours and not even see any of the things I'm talking about. I truly recommend this beautiful, action-packed game for anyone that likes sandbox, FPS, action, or story games.… Expand
  14. MartinH
    Apr 20, 2010
    9
    Just Cause 2 is great fun and a big improvement over the first installment. Panau is absolutely huge and although the game takes time to get into, you can easily log 80 hours plus into this game. Many people have stated that the gameplay is similar to Gran Theft Auto 4 but Just Cause 2 has it's own unique style that it pulls off quite well. The graphics and sound are just beautiful and work really well. This game has enough to keep you coming back for more although the DLC on the Limited Edition of the game was a bit disappointing.… Expand
    • 0 of 1 users said yes
  15. VictorL.
    Apr 3, 2010
    8
    Its an very cool game. But it has bad things. The game needs somthing. A good story maby? And the voices wern't good. But if you want a FPS, prey and spray this is a nice grafik game with lots of space and action to do it in:) I'm going to use alot of time in this huge game.
    • 0 of 2 users said yes
  16. CameronB
    Mar 24, 2010
    10
    This game is HUGE and AWESOME!!!!! Sometimes hard to finish towns due to hard to find packages but that makes it more worth while! Super fun gameplay!
    • 0 of 1 users said yes
  17. JamesR
    Mar 27, 2010
    9
    Haven't had this fun with a sandbox game in a while. True, the story and characters are pretty shallow (who would expect interesting characters from a sandbox game? well GTA4 but thats very rare), but the gameplay makes up for it. While the gunplay can be somewhat simple and Rico may seem overpowered (you can easily manage with one un-upgraded pistol headshotting everyone for most of the game), the game's real richness is its in freeform exploration. You get the whole map at the beginning, you dont need to unlock new areas. When not using fast travel the map feels HUGE. There are many things to do from surfing on top of an airplane to running amok around the island causing chaos everywhere. The slingshot/parachute mechanism is well made. Warning to realism seekers: you can kiss goodbye to laws of psychics, because this game employs its own. This is one of the most things I like: you can experiment with everything try, and fail with different things and then fail some moar. Mission design is pretty sloppy, but they are GRAND! You can expect lots of big things to blow up. Just Cause 2 is not a perfect game, far from it, but its able to deliver a very entertaining experience and is game which you will be returning to play for some moar freedom.… Expand
    • 0 of 1 users said yes
  18. ArranH
    Mar 31, 2010
    8
    There are a few unfortunate niggles with Just Cause 2 that really let down the myriad of wonders Avalanche dished up. The incredibly short main storyline is rather disjointed and seems to be over before it really gets going, hinting at plot twists that never materialise. The worst oversight is that some of the most spectacular missions are optional, and it took me hours of extra toil to find one particular one that friends had raved about, but on the flip-side, some missions are SPECTACULAR. The best I've seen from any game of this type. I also found myself wishing that the wanton distruction Rico dishes out every other second has a more meaningful impact on the game. After blowing up every fuel silo on the island, for instance, it seemed strange that the military could still field an infinite number of jeeps to persue me endlessly across the map. Often there are floating messages to say you have weakened the regime's grip on the island in various ways, but nothing actually comes of it. It would have been an extra carrot on a stick to see the 'chaos' rico incites actually occur. Lack of a cover system is also a little unforgivable in this day and age. These gripes out of the way, Just Cause 2 is incredible. The island of Panau is beautiful on an unparalelled scale, it is literally a joy to just fly around for an hour or so and take in the views... until you see another aircraft that you decide you'd like to hijack in mid flight. The explosions are satisfying, as is hooking an enemy to a propane tank and launching him into the stratosphere. The parachute and grappling hook combo is an inspired bit of game design, and so easy to use you may never want to drive around like a mere mortal ever again. All in all, avalanche have strayed dangerously close to a perfect game, but just missed the mark in a few key areas that will leave you dissapointed if not spitting with rage. It all bodes well for the inevitable Just Cause 3 though. I for one am counting the days.… Expand
    • 0 of 1 users said yes
  19. GlennH
    Apr 28, 2010
    8
    The game works as as a sandbox very well but it is missing a 'Ongoing' central story. It is definitely addictive to play (and the graphics are awesome) but eventually the "Destroying the same objects" theme gets boring - for a few days at least anyways since I keep being drawn back... With a longer and more involved storyline, this game would be up there with the best games of 2010. The lack of a ongoing story just creates a huge sandbox to blow stuff up. The game is good but you get the feeling that it could have been so much more if only there were more Agency (or Main) missions.… Expand
    • 0 of 1 users said yes
  20. JamesJ
    Mar 28, 2010
    9
    Everyone knows this game is huge. But there's no point in having 400 square kilometers if theres nothing to do there. When you first start just cause 2, it can seem a little desolate. There are some highways and a couple of small settlements, 3 faction missions, but there really doesn't feel very action packed. Especially if you've already played the demo and the novelty of the grapple has worn off some. My advice is to push through it. The first faction couple faction areas you unlock will open up something like 20 or 30 missions alone, and once black market equipment starts getting unlocked, and you find new areas of the game, its a complete blast. Some of the larger military bases are epic in scope, and the level of freedom, once you fully realize it, is unparalelled. That being said, this game has its share of annoyances. While car handling is quite excellent (you can drift in a limo, how cool is that?) Plane handling is pretty awful, and helicopters are slow and difficult to maneuver. When you attack a base, destructable items stay destroyed, but guards will keep on spawning until the entire base is destroyed. While this seems like it would keep the base assaults action packed, in practice it becomes a chore to keep taking out every new wave of baddies. As far as I know, there are patches and DLC in the works for this game, so even if you dont get it immediately, keep it on your radar. When it comes down to it, its just really effing cool.… Expand
    • 0 of 1 users said yes
  21. RichardC
    Apr 21, 2010
    10
    I guess alot of these reviewers didnt get enough of a kickback payment for there revirew because anyone that has played this game would give it no less then a 9, I have played literally thousands of pc games and this is BY FAR one of the most fun games to play as well as excellent graphics and voice acting. I dont think I have ever played one game continuously for 100 hrs and still cant wait to play it every day. Kudos to the creators, and shame on you to all the reviewers who rated this game lower then 90 especially the idiot that put it in the 70 percent range obviously NOT a real gamer and probably didn't even play it.… Expand
    • 0 of 1 users said yes
  22. Dalek
    Apr 17, 2012
    10
    This game may be repetitive and the voice acting sucks and the storyline isn't that good either. But does the storyline really matter? No. I love exploring in this game and the the graphics are insanely beautiful even for two years later. The grapple hook is fun to travel around with and there are mods for this game, such as free vehicles you can buy, when they actually cost a lot of money which makes me play the game 1000 times more. The game is simple, go blow up stuff, and kill if you want or need to. The game may be repetitive but it's still fun. This game is very well optimized and if you have a bad card then you'll have to lower quite a few things..… Expand
  23. Valleymsx
    Nov 8, 2011
    10
    I love this game, the objective is create the Chaos, all things you destroy are good for the progress of the game. This Sand Box is very very funny. The game have 7 principal missions, 49 secondary missions and 70 racing missions. In the game there are a total of 370 locations (Militar bases, towns, cities, points of interests etc...). The weapons are very very more good that you found on GTA IV. You can update all weapons and vehicles. In this game you can search a total of 3200 Item box... realy realy a lot of things to do. I recomended 100% this game. [10/10]… Expand
  24. dklingen
    Sep 29, 2010
    9
    This game is loads of fun if you like sandbox style games (which I do). According to my Steam account I have logged 158 hours in the game, so that should be an indicator of how good the game is or how insane I may be... If you don't love the parachute/grapple hook combo you are really missing out on the fun. I have played the GTA games (except IV) and found this to be more my style. One note: I did go buy an Xbox360 controller because that is the only controller this game recognizes. So, I used the controller for driving and flying and the mouse/keyboard for running around/fighting and parachuting! I can hardy wait until Just Cause 3 comes out...… Expand
  25. Fireside
    Sep 14, 2011
    7
    Good times initially, the open world is so impressive. Nothing like it on the market. Controls better than GTA, looks good, but it's just boring after a while. I found myself rushing to complete the game so I could mark it off my list.
  26. marqpas
    Oct 23, 2010
    10
    Great fun. Beautiful graphics and world. Loads of action and funny situations. The physics simulation is something like HalfLife 3. Good replayability. A very good game, deserving somewhere around 9 points. To rate this game below 6 is absolutely ridiculous.
  27. D4avid
    Oct 11, 2010
    7
    A really good game for all action fans. I am also a fan of it. But there is only one thing. At least I miss a little bit the alternation in this game. Thats why I evalueted it only with 7 points. Have fun with it.
  28. AndyRock
    Jul 2, 2011
    9
    an amazingly fun game, that kept me coming back, and in the current steam sale, the value for money has never been better, only let down is some of the repetetiveness
  29. LiqMat
    Oct 13, 2010
    8
    What Far Cry 2 should have been. Whether you like the story or you think it's boring this game is just plain fun to screw around in. If you can see it way out in the horizon you can go there by any means possible. Sets a new standard of what a sandbox game should be.
  30. Dogmeat
    Mar 9, 2011
    8
    Sometimes I just want to blow up the world, and that is exactly what Just Cause 2 was made for. The game is one bold love letter to the bygone era of fun-if-slightly-trashy action movies. It's an enormous playground where the player is free to do anything he wishes, as long as it's blowing stuff up and causing havoc. It's surprising that the gunplay is the weakest part of the game, with bullets feeling very flimsy and explosives being rarer than they should be. Of course, this encourages the player to experiment with the game's more unconventional ways of fighting back. Using the grappling hook to tether enemies to various objects in the world never gets old. There are no barriers in this game. See something on the horizon? You can get there. The combination of parachute and grappling hook enables the player to effortlessly traverse Panau and take in the stunning scenery. And make no mistake, the game looks incredible. All in all Just Cause 2 is an outstanding open world mayhem simulator with an unrivalled sense of scale.… Expand
  31. Saukuy
    Dec 15, 2010
    5
    Well, first off the good bits. This is an amazingly beautiful game with some of the prettiest vistas and locations ive seen. Diverse enough to have snow, desert and tropical island in one game. Oblivion eat your heart out. Whats more is that it seems to be well optimised that lower spec pc's (within reason) can play it and still have it look fantastic. It has some pretty cool vehicles (military jet) and and awesome little locations like the floating zeppilin night club and the island from lost easter-egg. Sadly however these gold stars are not enough to make up for the river of crap they are floating on. Beginning with the smaller flaws: the weapons and most of the vehicles. Most of the guns are just plain boring with the revolvers being the coolest, if not the most efficient to use. Granted there is DLC but that doesnt add a great deal of fun stuff either. The most fun by far is the remote explosives which make stunning explosions (especially if you put them throughout an entire base and set them off simultaneously). Most of the vehicles are terrible. they are not fun to drive, handle like dogs and look a bit like barbie-mobiles. Even the tank is just a glorified APC (would have been so much cooler to have a T-80 or a challanger or something). Greater faults: the grappling hook + parachute. Yes they are fun. For the 1st hour. After that they become a tool for getting about mostly and the novelty of tying people up gets lost after the 50th group. There is only so many times you can do something before it gets dull. Getting about using the combo is waaaay too slow for the size of the game and is really just for when you cant find a better vehicle to do so in. Even in vehicles it takes stupidly long times to get anywhere and a jet is the only real way of doing so. This wouldnt be a problem however if it wasnt for the last, big major flaw: The Big one: Nothing exciting to do in sandbox mode. At all. Almost all the locations (of which there are hundreds) provide nothing to do other than find briefcases or kill some dumass AI soldiers in random villages or cities. Jumping off of buildings and generally doing stunts isnt actually any fun as it takes almost no amount of skill to do. This would also be less of a problem had a healthy storyline and side quests been present. They are however, identi-kit rush this base, pick up minigun, gun down chopper, repeat, missions. the storyline ones offer some variation, but even that is cheesy and only visual. Not to mention the ever present lip-sync bugs. Its all a real shame too. This game, with a better storyline, more varied and interesting side-quests (look to peers like GTA and Saints Row 2 for inspiration guys) and my personal desire (not actually that big a deal) more destructable objects other than radio towers, would have made this game almost perfect. On a sidenote, i personally noticed that this game became a lot more fun for me after i began using cheats. Infinite ammo (while still needing to reload) as well as infinie explosives were my favourite and seemed to make a massive difference to the entertainment value. Im still not quite sure whether this is in favour or against the game as a whole. In Summary: + Beautiful game, almost no peers in this respect. + Great explosions and demolitions + Some cool vehicles, weapons and locations - Ways of getting around too dull, most vehicles not fun or useful - Most weapons not actually fun to use - Not much to actually do that is different - gets boring quickly - Repetitive missions and side quests - Bugs in sound syncing and other various non-game braking ones - Poor AI Overall: 4.5/10 (i rounded up to 5) P.S. at the time of writing, the game is £5 on steam. It is very hard to not recommend the game at that price as it will most probably provide enough play time and enjoyment for the money.… Expand
  32. Itsapaul
    Dec 26, 2010
    7
    Not a game you want to get into for deep gameplay, but for dicking around purposes its top notch. When you get used to all the insane things you can do to the laws of physics it gets more boring, but as a rental game it's perfect.
  33. metacriticFAN
    Apr 15, 2012
    10
    Just Cause 2 - lets you play as an American secret agent running around a tropical island sandboxes creating chaos to destabilise the government; allie yourself with three different local factions vying for power. The factions give you adventure missions to prove your loyalty, get cash and power ups. Also - jump out of planes, off of trees or mountains, and base jump with a really cool parachute - if you can say something in Japanese then say it now ! OverallScore 9.7 Played the SteamPC version in 2012.03 (2 years after release) [DRM] Steam only (and always easy) [Challenges] Main mission run and gun adventures provided by the factions are straightforward and short (just right for that ADD in me). Weapons are standard and great, the grappling hook is awesome and essential to the game and easily mastered - this is so cool - allowing you to parachute fly across the land. RPG-like progression requires accumulation of parts, armor, money, and chaos points by completing missions (which are easy and abundant). To help your abilities progress complete enough SIDE missions. If you like to run and gun the highest adrenaline side missions are to take over military installations (always lots of fun like that first latte in the morning); if you like to explore and run away then discover the towns around the countryside for loot (simple and repetitive after a while - like eating marshmallows). I played on expert level and rapidly RPG-maxed out my favorite weapons and cars making the game much easier. There seems to be a mission for every mood. There is a bunch of optional but lucrative mini games like racing with cars, planes, boats, and base jumping - they all take skill - and if playing on a PC then you need a Joystick for full enjoyment of flying minigames. The AI is good and will kill you (do not eat cheese doodles while playing) [Value] This game is quite fun and quite long. I do not think you can replay this game - if you try to complete every side mission I think you have a 300 hour game on your hands.... The real fun ends around 100 hours - sounds like too much eh? [Children] This is not for kids - this game keeps track of the number of headshots; at least there is no smoking (smiley face wink) [My PC] i7-2600K 3.4GHz / ASUS Z68 ProGen3 / 8Gig RAM / Radeon 6870 / 1920x1200 / W7 PRO SP1 [Graphics 9.0] Why is there so much texture popping? [Controls 10] I always play with a Logitech keyboard and a Kensington trackball. Remapping the keys was easy and appears in the onscreen instructions. [Sound 10] I always play with headphones. I liked the way the music energy moved with the action - like Deus Ex - and at times was soothing; there was a good music variety; I turned up the volume ! [MyFavorites] [PC Win7] Crysis&Warhead JustCause2 Rage [PC XP] DeuxExHumanRevolution&TheMissingLink DeadSpace1&2 Fallout3&NewVegas HalfLife1&2 Bordelands BatmanArkumAsylum AssassinsCreed1 Magicka RedFaction Portal1&2 FromDust MrRobot Sam&MaxSeasons1&2 CulpaInnata TheSecretOfMonkeyIsland DreamfallTheLongestJourney Syberia1&2 CrayonPhysicsDeluxe DefenseGridTheAwakening PlantsVsZombies Prototype Bioshock1&2 UnrealTournament3 Quake4 [360] AfroSamurai BrutalLegends [XBOX] HALO KOTOR1&2 Crackdown ArmedAndDangerous AggressiveInline BeyondGoodAndEvil DeadOrAlive1&2&3&ExtremeBeachVolleyball Psychonauts [AppleG4] DeusExMachina ReturnToZork Suspended UnrealTournament TombRaiderSeries Suspended [Born] 1964… Expand
  34. bricky
    Jan 7, 2011
    8
    first thought: OMFG WHY WONT THIS RUN ON MY WINDOWS XP?!?! second thought: Screw it i need to upgrade anyway Third thought: OMG its still laggy as crap becuase my computer only has 2 gb of RAM and an 8800 GTX graphics card Fourth thought: *ding* ill turn the settings down Fifth thought: this is actually pretty fun with all the settings turned to the lowest Sixth thought: *about 5 hours in* this game has the most horrible story that has ever been created by a game seventh thought: *about 10 hours in* who cares about story? i just attached a jeep to my plane with a grappling hook, flew the plane off the runway, got the jeep caught in a tree and had to jump out of the plane before i got hurtled into the ground and exploded! Final thought: Fun game, bad story, very high system requirments, can be a tad repetitive (especially if your going for full completion)… Expand
  35. NormalGuy1996
    Feb 22, 2011
    10
    This game is one of the best sandbox games out there. The possibilities are almost endless. The set pieces are beautiful, and the explosions are some of the best explosions I've ever seen in a game. The only downside to this amazing sandbox experience is the campaign. The voice acting is hilarious, and the campaign basically sucks. Recommended to all people who love exciting, ridiculously fun sandbox adventures.… Expand
  36. R31nm4n
    Feb 15, 2011
    7
    First and foremost, if you're a completionist, you will absolutely love this game; but I'll get to that later. Instead, I'll start out by saying that the graphics in this game are close to stunning. Between the setting sun and the motion blur while on top of a car, the great visuals make experiences vary from beautiful to intense (but epic). Not to mention the explosions, they're the best explosions I've seen in a game (so far). However, the water whitewash looks 2D and like clip art at times (same with smoke when it passes through buildings), but water has always been an extremely difficult thing to design and program in all games. Also, the vision haze that comes with going underwater was not applied to some objects. So, you would see a rock as clearly as if you were out of the water, but this only happened rarely. The soundtrack was, unfortunately, unoriginal and, even though the setting was a southeast Asian island, the oriental accents and touches in the soundtrack didn't quite work. For some reason, also, they decided to make some ambient tracks hispanic/spanish themed and (even though Rico Rodriguez, the protagonist, is clearly hispanic or hispanic-american) that didn't seem to match the other James Bond/oriental tracks of the score. This takes us to voice acting..........which was atrocious. The Asian accents were over exaggerated and I never felt like I was actually listening to someone have a conversation. The writing was pretty bad, too, although some of Rico's one-liners (excluding the ones heard during actual gameplay, those were just blunt and lacked any clever input) were nice. Many times, the dialogue felt like they were simply trying to put in a cutscene for the sake of it and the cutscenes that were shown before each Stronghold Mission were just strange and random proclamations of the faction leader's hatred of Panay or appraisal of Rico's skill. The only part of writing that was okay was the gist of the main story, not the actual dialogue of the main story, but the ideas behind it. Panay's plan for global dominance wasn't something like mind control or something ridiculous, it was an actual economic advantage that would have allowed Panay to control trillions in the world's economy. This takes us to mission variation, which is also not so there. Although the action is usually great, the 42 missions that are available are either go destroy, go kill, go retrieve/steal, or go kidnap a guy. Now, for the completionist. There are 362 locations with a percent completion score for each location, allowing you to be sure you've done everything possible within that town/base/village. It'll even mark the location as "complete" which allows you to systematically complete all the locations, this will take much more of your time than you expected, and much more time than it felt like. Similar to locations are collectibles and races which are marked as completed (or collected) just as locations are. The only downside to this is how overwhelmed you can get until the world is divided into faction territories and you will also never reach 100% completion as they made it impossible to find every little crate in the 50 sq miles of land and sea. Just by the by, the world is enormous in a good way, but sometimes a bad way. Distance between locations can be a bit annoyingly large. But, the way the world varies from tropical islands, cities, deserts, mountains, snowscapes, grass planes, jungles, and forests is astonishing. It feels like a living, breathing world instead of a boring plane that the designers called "land." Especially when it comes to explosions and destruction, the world reacts smoothly and beautifully. The grappling hook makes for an amazingly useful tool to traverse the world and the ability to ride on top of vehicles (including airplanes) makes the action even more intense. To the action: explosions look terrific, this may be a little specific but when cars crash, roll, and flip, it is extremely awesomely cool. Needless to say, you will have extreme action experiences throughout the game. Downsides, however, the police system is completely unscaled. There really is no level of how pissed off they get. If you have level 1 "heat," the will send a helicopter and every police vehicle and person within 5 miles will converge on your location. This level of intensity doesn't change until level 6, where it isn't even a challenge but just a whipping. Trying to fend of 3 helicopters at once and the entire government army is not possible, my friends. Hijacking a vehicle is also completely unexciting: as you watch the pilot and Rico sit in place, you push a button and one single punch is executed, then another, and another, then your done. Also, you will get extremely frustrated with your health, as the same weapon will inflict radically different amounts of damage under the same conditions. It's frustratingly unpredictable. But if you're a completionist, buy this game, no question.… Expand
  37. kieranwilson32
    Mar 15, 2011
    9
    Damn fun game. From parachuting off skyscrapers to tying a soldier to a passenger jet and taking off with it, there will never be a moment when you're bored. The downsides of the games are mainly in the story and voice acting. I had no idea voice acting in games could be that bad, and I much preferred the game when I set the voice volume to 0. If you're looking for a pointless game to blow stuff up in, this is it. It also has the biggest playable map I've ever seen, with tonnes of easter eggs and unique vehicles there to find. The mod community for the game is also pretty incredible. Definitely worth checking out at least. Reminded me of Prototype a little.… Expand
  38. Schweinehund
    Mar 11, 2011
    10
    I love sandbox games. Despite what some people might tell you, genuine open world sandbox games are few and far between. Just Cause 2 is one of them. It plays much like a B-movie, which of course is a good thing when it comes to an action game. I even downloaded a mod that turns the protagonist into John Rambo, it's hilarious (good job, modder!) The island paradise game world is huge and strikingly beautiful, but despite the game being so big, it never gets tedious getting from point A to point B, because you have your trusty grappling hook, and multitude of vehicles you can steal GTA style or purchase on the black market. The black market guy can also extract you to any previously discovered location, for a price. The combat is quite satisfying, it can get really hectic when a lot of enemies are on the screen. The explosions are over the top and incredibly fun as well.… Expand
  39. wordy_actions
    Jun 19, 2011
    7
    THE GOOD: Unbelievably huge game world. Fantastic graphics. Lots of vehicles and weapons. Blowing stuff up is fun. THE BAD: Blowing stuff up is repetitive. Missions are boring. THE UGLY: Racial stereotypes and bad accents.
  40. homestar4000
    Mar 14, 2011
    9
    A great free-roaming game that is set in communist Panau. The gameplay is great, the story is alright, replay value is high, the graphics are well done, the characters are decent, and the style is cool. A great recommendation for those who have played games of the Grand Theft Auto series.
  41. Tomwelcome
    Mar 25, 2011
    8
    Gameplay - 8.5 , Graphics - 9.0 , Story - 5.5 , Playing time - 20+hours. Sandbox gameplay with beautiful graphics. At first it's fun, but it turns boring pretty quick. And the story is ****
  42. KangarooKurt
    Apr 19, 2011
    9
    If you base JC2 on JC1 at all - you are really missing out. That's what I did, and I initially missed an amazing game. The controls take a while to get down, but then you're inside one of the best sandbox games made yet. You can play it like an idiot, guns blazing, not worrying about dying, or you can be careful, precise, and make it a real challenge. The only complaint would be that once you finish the storyline missions, the game goes a bit on auto-pilot (in fact it offers to a chance to just be done). Things should really change once you've 'won' the main story, but they do not. You could argue that it just allows you to continue playing sandbox unabated (and trying to hit 100% - good luck!), but it feels like there should be a fundamental change in the game once you've hit the main objective. That's a minor complaint, overall it's a blast.… Expand
  43. HighwayUK
    Apr 21, 2011
    8
    Some of the best graphics out (for Dx10 anyway) on the PC, huge area without any joins to explore and play havok in (wish GTA5 would use this engine for PC) marred by no multiplayer... and dumb Ai spawning... not enough to spoil the game, a multiplayer version would be awesome maybe for JC3?
  44. ozgeek
    Feb 24, 2012
    8
    This game is only fun if modded. The default base game is "restrictive". The gameworld is expansive and huge, it'd take 15 minutes in even the fastest plane to from from one side to another. It has different environemnt - tropical, snow, desert, forest. The vehicles operate funny and if driven at high speed, can spin out easily. The story is meh and short but what you can do in the free mode, makes it up.… Expand
  45. bhannify
    Jul 26, 2011
    9
    Only in Just Cause 2 can I grapple onto a fighter jet as it's taking off, throw its pilot from the **** fly to a cliff-side enemy base high in the snowcapped mountains, strafe it with missile and machine-gun fire, get shot down by a SAM site, bail out of the flaming wreckage, grapple onto a passing attack helicopter while in free-fall, resume my attack of the enemy base using the chopper's guns, get shot down again, bail out again, land nimbly onto a tower, kill the soldier inside, take his mini-gun, destroy the rest of the base on foot, and then base jump from the edge of the cliff onto the beach half a mile below. Just Cause 2 does action right. It's so wondrously over-the-top it makes me wonder why all sandbox action games don't give the player a grappling hook and a parachute. It makes Grand Theft Auto IV look like a game about a 12-year-old kid's newspaper route. It makes Red Faction: Guerilla look like a shiny tech demo on Mars (Oh wait, it's always resembled that). What about the story? Oh right, there's a story. You are Rico Rodriguez, and you have to overthrow a corrupt regime on an island nation. You work for an agency. And you have to shoot and kill your way into a number of crime factions in order to cause sufficient "chaos" that the regime's leader will finally come out of hiding and confront you. That's about it. I skip every cut-scene the game shows me. I just. Don't. Care. The fun in this game is being able to explore the largest game world I have ever played. I understand that larger game worlds have existed before, like Asheron's Call. I've never played that game, so the worlds to which I can compare that of JC2 are from Fallout 3, Oblivion, and Far Cry 2. These worlds are mere islands in JC2's vast nation. One final note: Just Cause 2 is the best game to play in conjunction with Steam's screenshot feature. F-12 yourself some excellent shots.… Expand
  46. cbfw86
    Jan 11, 2012
    6
    Where's the story? It's a fun game but I just don't care about stuff. It's just blowing stuff up for the sake of blowing stuff up. The island feels too big. It takes too long to get places, even in a plane. There is not enough ammo considering I'm supposed to destroy things before I can move onto the next mission.
  47. Siekierra
    May 17, 2011
    9
    The best sandbox game I have ever played and a great springboard from the GTA series, which are getting tedious. The area you can scour is enormous and breathtakingly beautiful, the possibilities - countless, and they are expanded even more by the mods available for the PC version. People criticize the story, but I find it to be a good satire - it is not supposed to be serious and it's not the usual American pathos (which is a plus for me). Flaws - while it's a brilliant title, it certainly doesn't use its full potential. The amount of missions and their variety could be higher. The AI could use some work, but show me a game with a good AI nowadays, huh. It also isn't a game for people who prefer being hand-pulled and follow a straight line. Just Cause 2 is a game for people who value freedom :)… Expand
  48. Baenlynn
    Mar 3, 2012
    7
    If Ubisoft ever make an assassin's creed game with a grappling hook, civilisation as we know it will be over. People will lock themselves in their houses and refuse to leave because the combination of close-quarters contextual combat with the ability to pin enemies to the environment and turn them into viscera-filled pinatas will be like cartharsis on a stick to anyone who loves to play sandbox games. Funny way to start off a review about Just Cause 2, but I feel that this is the major misstep that the game makes. As a sandbox game it follows in the footsteps of GTA, the trigger-happy titan among sandboxes. Just cause 2 does everything I've seen done in the GTA franchise and it does it smoothly and cleanly. But as a sandbox game trying to do something different it should've cast a wider net in looking for inspiration. Because while it is a sandbox, it is NOT a GTA game. The grappling hook changes all the rules, but I don't think the folks at Avalanche really cottoned onto that because the hook feels underused, and under-developed. Some more combo/contextual moves coupled with the ability to upgrade it and streamlining of certain manoeuvres (like dragging enemies behind your car, or holding a grappled enemy so you can fling them OFF of things etc.) would elevate this game beyond simply being a 'more interesting GTA clone' to something truly exceptional. That is not to say that Just Cause 2 is not fun. It is, and more fun than the last GTA game I played in fact (San Andreas for those of you keeping score). The vehicles while nowhere close to real-world accurate in terms of handling are massive fun to drive, skipper, and fly. The slingshot mechanic which turns your parachute into a paraglider is a stroke of brilliance, and the gunplay, while not stellar still manages to perform better than other sandbox titles. I just find myself wishing that the developers hadn't stopped on the threshold of greatness.… Expand
  49. MrCofeisDed
    Jun 21, 2011
    8
    The best part of this game is also the worst part of this game. And the name of the game is chaos. For a game that doesn't take itself seriously, doesn't place any emphasis on plot, character development or an engrossing narrative, it could be a lot worse. And a lot better. What this game is, however, is everything GTA 4 wants to be and isn't. No more annoying phone calls from your virtual friends. No more game dates wherein you never get to see any closed-doors action. Murder, of everything and anything, is the name of this game. And if you're looking to waste hours of your life destroying haphazardly anything and everything, then this is certainly what you're looking for. Expect a game that sacrifices narrative for cliche characters and big explosions, but requires you to follow the nearly propagandist plot to find the biggest and best of all the die-hard scenarios.… Expand
  50. daveyy12
    Jan 6, 2012
    9
    Very exciting game, but I agree with other reviewers that there is too much parachuting and grappling. Overall, the game has great scenery and super weapons. Just Cause 2 is much more entertaining than its predecessor, and that was a great game too. I may actually buy the DLC for this one.
  51. objektiv
    Jul 19, 2011
    10
    Well, actually this game is one of the greatest games ever made, open world, great graphics and lots of fun with the grappling hook, but there are two bad things. First: the missions get boring with some time, and second: that indolent control drives me crazy!!! Please, Square Enix, improve that the next time!!
  52. GolovA
    May 10, 2012
    7
    The game is graphically pleasing - you can just stand and admire the beautiful island landscape. Good job. The gameplay however, did not keep me involved - i played only for about 6 hours until i got bored. What's the motive? Why should i continue playing? Everything is the same - you come to a village, start shooting, soldiers come in never-ending waves, you shoot them, etc. Perhaps for kids this is a fun way to spend time - for me unfortunately the gameplay is extremely monotone and boring.… Expand
  53. fuzzybass6
    Aug 14, 2011
    9
    I give this a nine, it's seriously good, fun and awesome! You can drive a car, a boat, and fly and yeah I say everything is good about it. Just that I don't like that I have Level 3 Deagle and if I shoot an enemy in the head with it he doesn't die I have 2 shot the enemy 2 times and it's not kinda real I could have a level 1 Deagle and kill and enemy by a headshot :/
  54. wiijobo
    Aug 20, 2011
    6
    Its a little bit of fun mostly. The appeal of this game really only lies in the beautiful graphics and the open world with the ability to destroy and to do a few amusing things if you were to put your mind to it. As for the story its not very interesting and the missions are rather generic and repetitive.
  55. BadCupboard
    Dec 19, 2011
    10
    If you want a well driven narrative, good voice acting, fun missions, or exciting combat look elsewhere. This game is not for you. Who is this game for, then? People who love massive worlds and just general screwing around. The draw distance is insane and whatever you see, you can go to. You can hijack jets, helicopters, cars, boats, and motorcycles. You can harass the citizens, or just fly around and enjoy the scenery. The world is MASSIVE, I believe it was something like 400 square miles. The joy in the game is finding things to do for yourself. If you're just slogging through the missions, you're playing it wrong. It's worth getting just to see a fully realized world like this.… Expand
  56. kaj510superdude
    Oct 8, 2011
    9
    I give Just Cause 2 a 9/10 its a terrific game the only thing i would really change tho is i would make it so you could enter buildings I love this game and I certainly reccomend it
  57. Rule2006
    Oct 23, 2011
    7
    Just Cause 2 has A LOT of destruction, a lot of guns and an absolutely stupid story, but overall I found this game a lot of fun. The grapple system is great, the graphics are descent and the vehicles are great as well. I didn't really like the idea of having to cause destruction to progress in the story, but the destruction was extremely fun. Tethering someone to a rocket and then setting the rocket off never gets old. =D… Expand
  58. shaun37
    Oct 26, 2011
    7
    This is clearly a game designed around a sandbox, instead of a sandbox around a story. It is pure, unadulterated fun meant to entertain those who seek to down their foes in the most creative ways possible. Played as a standard third-person shooter it will feel tedious and unimaginative, so only buy this if you are out to explore the various extremely entertaining ways to do things. The graphics are amazing and performance very, very good for what you get and the physics..WOW. All in all, a great FUN experience meant only for the creative gamer, I would not recommend this game to anyone looking for a deep story and fleshed out characters.… Expand
  59. Manmade3
    Jan 23, 2012
    8
    I picked up this game on a sale impulse buy. I had seen my friends play about half an hour of it and was not impressed, a lot of the stuff you could do looked over the top and stupid. But after playing I found guilty pleasure in the over-the-top parachuting, ass kicking, and grappling. The environment was something I did enjoy quite a lot, the beautiful graphics combined with the setting, think Cuba combined with North Korea was very pleasing. The vehicle driving is implemented very nicely as well. If you don't mind stunts that are totally unrealistic, a mediocre story (Most cinematic are skippable though) and a massive free roam expanse filled with explosions, gunfire and god knows what else, this is the game for you.… Expand
  60. AutumnEffect
    Dec 15, 2011
    8
    With a terrible storyline, God-awful voice acting, and the most cut-and-copy cutscenes ever seen in a video game, it's a wonder that Just Cause still manages to deliver a thrill ride of a time. If this game were judged solely on the aspects listed previously, then I would give it a zero in a heartbeat. However, I have a feeling that Square Enix purposely made it out to be this way. Just Cause isn't a game to be taken seriously, it's a game to mess around with in your enormous sandbox of countless toys. As soon as the first mission's over, you're free to explore the island of Panau to your heart's content. From hijacking airplanes and crashing them into congested areas, to keelhauling an enemy soldier along your speedboat, the possibilities are seemingly endless. You'll have loads of fun simply testing out your grappling hook on unsuspecting enemies, discovering all the ways you can mess with your prey. Once, I tethered my grounded boat to an airliner, which then proceeded to drag me across the runway and lift off, carrying me with it. It's all a bunch of silly nonsense, but it's what makes this game so enjoyable. If you're looking for a giant sandbox to piss around in, you can't do much better than Just Cause 2.… Expand
  61. Asmodeas
    Mar 31, 2012
    9
    yeah it's repetitive but thats ok because i just came here to MOD......and wow does this game have an AWESOME modding community :) you can fly like superman get every car, plane, helicopter, boat, weapon. The missions are an afterthought cause the meat of this game is exploring the gargantuan map, and it's soo pretty i thought i went to a tropical island. Flying planes then jumping ontop of them while you crash into a mountain and then parachute to safety.......epic and awesome :) GET yourself a trainer and go to this website www.justcause2mods.com… Expand
  62. Waffie
    Dec 26, 2011
    10
    A big 10 from me ____________________ This game is amazing people say the fun ends in some hours, It does not. Only if you are lazy, In just cause 2 you can explore stuff on every single place, Gun upgrades vehicle upgrades and the map is so HUUUUUUUUUUUUUUGE and beautiful. If youre tired of going slow, Go to the airport and you will vind a very fast plane in one of thoose garages or complete 5 missions or so and unlock escort to reach the entire map in less than 10 seconds. Buy this game if you have not already.… Expand
  63. namDa65
    Jan 17, 2012
    6
    I played for 50 minutes and got bored. The animation and dialogue I didn't appreciate. The graphics are absolutely gorgeous maxed out, but that cannot pull it's score up. The gameplay is open, however the gunplay does not feel satisfying. Uninstalled off of steam after one session.
  64. smirky
    Feb 16, 2012
    9
    I was a fan of the first version of this game, and had to grab the second as soon as i saw the trailer come out. I couldn't believe when playing there could be so much freedom of movement and travel in an open world game. I've never traversed such a massive game world so teeming with npc's, enemies and activities. It's really astounding that they were able to put all of it together. I would honestly have to say the faction missions and a lot of the story get repeditive, but thankfully when playing the opportunity to get a refreshing dose of pure free flying chaos between those missons makes up for it. Highly underrated, a pure gem!… Expand
  65. lahjaunelmia
    Mar 21, 2012
    9
    + giant map and lotsa things to search, + dozens of vehicles, + graphics are amazing, + missions are fun, + rope and parachute works great, + over 100 hours of gameplay, + songs are good, + sometimes pretty challenging - story is not that great, - some places are copies, - can't buy ammo, - no online. I would give this game 10 if this had online.
  66. wood431
    Mar 29, 2012
    7
    Excellent game. It excells in freedom, destruction, and entertainment. It is not the perfect game, however. After a while the game gets slightly repetative and replayability dims. This does not mean it is a bad game, rather not worthy of the 8-9 score due to the lack of significant motives for replayability, as I do not find myself coming back to it terribly often. However, it does provide fun on a scale of the huge map that expands from many different seaons. It looks beautiful. Sunsets are astounding and the dynamic weather is well executed. The gunplay, on the other hand, is not so strong. Point and click mechanics are, however, balanced by the opportunities provided by the grapple - which provides a new dimension to shootouts. Definately worth a buy on a Steam sale, although not full retail. A solid 7.… Expand
  67. l0rdm0rd
    May 16, 2012
    3
    This game gets boring after a few minutes. If this game defines anything, it's repetition. Most cutscenes are repeated, the dialogues are generic and voiced badly, the story can't be named a story. The grapling hook is an interesting feature, but it stays the only interesting thing about this game. The driving physics are bad, the vehicles are slow, the map is enormous but with so few details, that you just take a jet, and fly up to 5 minutes in a straight line with afterburner on, just to get to a point 6 km away. Technically the game looks fine, but not great at all. Repetition is the main motive, trees, rocks, streets, landscapes get repeated so often, that the large map is of no use. Anyone can blow up a map using ctrl+v. Blood looks strange, explosions lack a real bang but the lighting of sunsets is quite nice. But gta4 looked better. Driving by car is annoying, all 30 sec the police starts shooting. They are not very difficult to fight back, but still it gets repetitive a lot. Just like Just Cause 1, the game is a nice feature, but fails to fulfill the rest of qualities a good game needs. The upgrade system does not make a big difference, there are very few different guns and all the good stuff is available from the beginning so you have seen all the game has to offer in the first hour of gameplay. After that, nothing new happens. Really, nothing. Some parts are ridiculously difficult, but just because 3 helicopters and a lot of soldiers fire directly at you after reloading. The controls are ok, the helicopter controls are really good, the only thing I'd like to see in another game. Countless counters track you during the game, but nothing interesting happens when accumulate 500 or 600 headshots, more than 100 stunt points and so on. And it is so easy to progress these stats, that you start to ignore them. In hindsight I wonder why i played this thing for over 15 hrs. I think I wanted to know if the end is as lame as the rest of the game, maybe I had some hope that the game surprises me with a good ending. But no. Not at all. So buy this game only if you have alzheimers and don't realize when things get repeated every 2 minutes or if you really want to waste time.… Expand
  68. SJ555
    May 24, 2012
    7
    well .. i liked game's gorgeousness ... but still its not worth .. game is having weak driving controls ... weak shooting mechanics and Worst Voice Acting ever i seen in my life .. but still the good thing is the open sandbox gameplay .. with Grapple Hook getting me feel like a true stunt guy ... still give it 7/10 .. not any best game .. but just fine
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Critic Reviews

All reviews »
Metascore
84 out of 100

Generally favorable reviews - based on 33 Critics

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 31 out of 33
  2. Mixed: 2 out of 33
  3. Negative: 0 out of 33
  1. Game Informer
    90
    One of the most enjoyable sandboxes for players to experiment in this side of Grand Theft Auto. [Issue#204, p.86]
    Read full review
  2. Edge Magazine
    70
    Just Cause 2 can hardly be called an average game. It's a good one undermined by a selection of mediocre elements, and it's all the more frustrating this time around because Avalanche shows us glimpses of just how much fun two weeks on holiday with Rico should be. [Apr 2010, p.96]
    Read full review
  3. GameDaily
    80
    Just Cause 2 is a sequel that outdoes the original with gripping gameplay, exquisite visuals and a variety of missions that will keep you playing longer than you might expect. If you're an action fan, you need this.
    Read full review
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