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| Just Cause Review by Jonathan Trevisani,Computer Games Online  Ever since Grand Theft Auto stole gamers' hearts and minds with its excellent game play, the hunt for the next great sandbox game has been underway. Just Cause is under the impression that the only thing missing from the vaunted GTA series is parachute and grappling gun. This single tool set changes the game play to the point that the entire island environment is a mere glide away and produces some nice landscape views to boot. Just Cause adds a level of extreme stunts to a wide assortment of features already included in the sandbox game.The storyline involves a cruel island dictatorship that is involved with a drug cartel. When the situation gets out of hand, a specialist is called in to effect a regime change for the tiny island nation. Rico is a special agent trained in combat, diplomacy and all-around extreme daring that will become quite effective in the ongoing campaign to remove the corrupt dictator. Not only is Rico tougher than your average hombre, but he comes equipped with an unlimited parachute and grappling gun for those moments when walking just will not cut it. The story missions progress through the overall objective of making life difficult for the regime and assisting rebel forces to fight back and regain their homeland. Just Cause places you in several precarious situations and equips you powerful jets and armed gunboats. Chances are that there is a vehicle located somewhere near you for just such an occasion. Not only can you fly planes and helicopters, but you can also move into stunt position for every vehicle in the game. This involves Rico jumping on the roof of the car or hanging from the wing of a plane so he can take advantage of the situation with some freefall maneuvering and a bit of luck. The intensity of some of the stunts carries over well and will give you a chance to admire some of the death-defying feats that Rico is able to pull off. The visuals in the game are very impressive as Rico travels all throughout the island on foot or falling from the air at terminal velocity. The explosions and animations are fun to watch and a slight bullet-time effect occurs whenever a lot of fast movement happens on-screen. If Rico is riding a bike off of a cliff in order to catch some air with his trusty parachute, the camera goes into movie mode where it watches the action in slow motion for maximum entertainment. At times, the game is just fun to watch as you witness Rico jump from one perilous encounter to the next. The large island is full of different environments that present various game play opportunities. There are construction sites and villas along with cityscapes and beaches that offer a good amount of change so you don't get bored performing the same stunts over and over again. The side missions allow you to test your skills against specific challenges and will allow Rico to upgrade his arsenal with new vehicles and weapons. At various points, Rico will have the option to liberate settlements by joining up with guerilla forces to destroy the government blockades choking the area. The combat system is typical for any sandbox game and lacks the visceral nature of gunplay. Rico might as well be bulletproof as each hit barely drains his large health bar. He acts more like the Terminator as he walks through armed camps shooting anyone in site as they unload clips into him. There is an auto-targeting scheme that helps with the combat, but it over compensates by locking in the targets and only requiring you to click enough times to win. Overall, Just Cause shows off a nice graphics engine with extreme stunts and some fun game play. The un-inspired combat system and shallow game environments keep the game from really coming into its own, but the plethora of options offset the balance. Rico's adventures offer some cinematic sequences worthy of the big-screen and should keep you occupied with finding new methods of assaulting each mission one parachute at a time. Overall score: 3.5 out of 5. write your comments about the article :: © 2006 Game News :: home page |