Games

Best of 2008 | 07 | 06 | 05
Advanced Search

Stars indicate the most critically-acclaimed games.

Just Cause

EMAIL PRINT pc

8.0 User Score:

Generally favorable reviews

Based on 21 critic reviews
How did we calculate this?

Based on 103 votes
Read user comments
Rate this game >

Game Info

Publisher: Eidos Interactive

Developer: Avalanche Studios

Genre(s): Action

Players: 1

ESRB Rating: M (Mature)

Release Date: September 26, 2006

Summary

Assume the role of the flamboyant Rico Rodriguez – an undercover CIA operative specializing in regime change - as he tries to overthrow the corrupt government of San Esperito. This rogue South American island is suspected of stockpiling WMDs and it’s your job to negate the threat to world peace. It could be to your advantage that this tropical paradise is about to implode as various factions vie for power – it just needs a gentle nudge in the right direction. Just Cause offers the freedom to tackle your assignment however you want: play the island’s factions off against one another; incite a rebellion among the masses; or build alliances with rebel forces and drug cartels. The game world consists of 1,225 sq. miles of mountains, jungles, beaches, cities and villages which can be explored by land, sea and air. And you will have at your disposal a varied and exciting array of vehicles, planes and watercraft. [Eidos Interactive]

Cheat Codes & Hints: GameSpot Hints & Cheats

Also On The Web: Official Website

What The Critics Said

All critic scores are converted to a 100-point scale. If a critic does not indicate a score, we assign a score based on the general impression given by the text of the review. Learn more...

100

Times Online

Fans of the Nintendo SNES classic "Pilotwings" will literally jump at the chance to parachute from any of the aircraft for spectacular views of the vast landscape below. There is bound to be a sequel, because this original is so good.

Read Full Review >

PC Gamer

But it's wealth of diverse missions--which includes assassinations, routing drug dealers and arms dealers, and liberating villages--will give you good cause to hope that unrest continues to flourish around the world. [Dec. 2006, p.52]

PGNx Media

One of those amazingly fun, carefree games and doesn’t take itself too seriously. The action is hectic and breaks every law of physic and though the gameplay isn’t that varied, it’s still quite fun.

Read Full Review >

PC Gamer UK

It's a game that has a Nazi in a gyrocopter as one of your enemies: that's all I really need to say. [Nov 2006, p.82]

PC Format

JC isn't perfect. There are some stolid, on-rails bits, the missions get repetitive, and did we mention the physics is crap? But there's abundant pleasure to be found. [Dec 2006, p.116]

PC Zone UK

In injecting regime change with such sheer raggedy-ass size and balls-out bluster, the developers have joined Rico Rodriguez in pulling off something of a coup. [Dec 2006, p.86]

AtomicGamer

Even with its technical and gameplay-related issues, Just Cause's unrealistic, arcade feel still winds up being loads of fun once you start getting creative with the game's stunt system and fiddling with some of the more hilarious options.

Read Full Review >

Pelit (Finland)

Has a fun, over-the-top attitude and a great looking world to explore. Unfortunately, the missions repeat a pattern and get boring fast. Still, good entertainment in short doses. [Oct 2006]

PC Gameworld

Just Cause is content to be a bologna sandwich amidst games trying to be filet mignon.

Read Full Review >

Cheat Code Central

After you liberate the island and eliminate the dictator, there is simply no other reason to put the disk back in your system. The island looks pretty and there are plenty of attractions to see, but once you spend a little time there, you are ready to leave.

Read Full Review >

Gaming Age

For the most part, though, Just Cause pulls players along with a promise of bigger and badder weaponry.

Read Full Review >

Game Informer

It is a fun game with some cool ideas, just one with its share of problems. If nothing else it tries a few new things, which is more than you can say about many games. [Oct. 2006, p.93]

Game Almighty

I had a blast playing it for the first hour, and the next hour or two was still fun. But as time went on, it quickly dwindled into something stuck between a linear action title and a sandbox game, with neither of those done well.

Read Full Review >

GameSpot

Just Cause is able to justify its relative brevity and disrespect for physical law with some extremely visceral and often satisfying action.

Read Full Review >

Game Chronicles

You’ll have a fun time breaking the law to overthrow a government and not even know who you’re working for.

Read Full Review >

eToychest

It may not be the deepest kid in the class, but it sure does know how to have fun at recess.

Read Full Review >

IGN

The lack of depth really comes through once you get more than about 10 hours into the game and the monotony of doing the same side quests over and over takes its toll. After that, it comes down to how much fun you can create by yourself.

Read Full Review >

ActionTrip

Unfortunately, these fun elements simply don't gel well together, so the end product seems rather flat.

Read Full Review >

Games Radar (in-house)

And the world is huge. If it was more packed with opportunities for us to use those tools and stunts, this could have been a GTA-killer.

Read Full Review >

Sydney Morning Herald

Sloppy vehicle handling, some bugs in the design of the missions and the endless travel means it doesn't hit the same high notes as GTA and others, but the mindless action is still good dumb fun.

Read Full Review >

Computer Games Magazine

Just Cause adds some crazy skydiving, car surfing, and a grappling hook that lets you parasail, but its storyline missions are kind of dull and predictable. [Jan. 2007, p.72]

What Our Users Said

The average user rating for this game is 8.0 (out of 10) based on 103 User Votes

Note: User votes are NOT included in the Metascore calculation.

k-oz gave it a6:
A pretty good try at doing something creative, but just not good enough. the stunts, even though creative, get repetitive after a few hours of gameplay. mission designs should be able to give the player a bit more freedom. the physics suck to the core! and rico is downright invincible and dies only when mowed down by a vehicle. also the game starts to stutter after an hour of gameplay or so. one of the few good points to the game is the island itself which is really pretty, but too eventless to actually bother exploring. some of the vehicles are fun to ride too.

Sam gave it a4:
Demo was fun but the game got boring after just a few hours. GTA ripoff, no storyline. Every mission was "kill this guy" or "retrieve this item."

[Anonymous] gave it a0:
Full of bugs, terrible controls.

Gunnar K. gave it a10:
Fun game and good graphics.

Chris gave it a3:
Bad controls. no storyline. a cheap,shallow GTA spin-off.

Justin T. gave it a10:
I thought the whole game was cool the helicopters and being able to go arouns the island and adventure its just cool idk who wouldnt like it. its all action packed i love it. but of course my computer stoped playing it for some reason it wont even load into the game any more i think its cas my computer has windows xp 64 bit.

[Anonymous] gave it a10:
This is a really good game. I love the ragdoll physics!

Games

Sony

Microsoft

Nintendo

Other Platforms

Upcoming &Recent Releases

Just Cause

Game Info

Summary

What The Critics Said

What Our Users Said

Upcoming &
Recent Releases