Last week, at very short notice, I had a swift invite to a preview event of the Sweedish boomfiesta Just Cause 2, held in the confines of a bar in London.
Despite the last-minute vibe of the event, the production team was on hand to show the throng the latest build of the game on Xbox 360 and PS3, as well as the latest from Avalanche studios, who appeared (in giant head form) via videolink.
Here’s the highlights:
At this late stage of the production cycle the game is looking pretty good. While the Xbox 360 version, which was using the older build, still seemed a little rough around the edges, it was clear the developers had listened to the myriad criticisms fans and critics alike levelled at the first Just Cause, and have responded with more weapons, more missions, more vehicles and more explosions.
The grapple/parachute mechanic has really been ramped up this time, with agency-dogsbody Rico’s signature grapple gun now permanently attached to his left wrist.
The ease with which Rico can use the grapple is a welcome change, as the canny agent can now grapple on to any building or vehicle, latch on and drag himself in to it and either hijack it or just use it for a ride, parachute in tow.
The more interesting aspect to the grapple is its ability to grapple any two objects together, such as a speeding car and the road beneath it (sending the car flipping end over end), a gas canister and an enemy (so the man is dragged along by the explosive canister as it takes off), or even a man a 737 jet – sending the man skyward, screaming all the way, the fun is endless. The overwhelming sense of Just Cause 2 is one of fun, exploration and causing chaos – a real stressbuster.
The AI also seems to have had an overhaul, as enemies will now steal other vehicles to catch up with the agent if Rico blows up their rides – so seeing a bunch of militia chasing the agent down in a bus is a common (and hilarious) sight.
The whole look of the game (on the PS3 build) seemed sharper and more streamlined. Rico can still perform his signature vehicle stunts, and the ‘Hollywood physics’ the developers have incorporated make the game a real blast to play – exploration and improvisation is the key, and the lush environment of the island of Panau, which ranges from desert to city to icy mountaintop, is only too happy to oblige.
Also, the PS3 version is now confirmed as having the ability to record up to 10-minutes of gameplay, save it as a video and either share it with friends or even upload it to YouTube – the developers want you to discover, improvise and enjoy yourself with Just Cause 2, and they want to give you the tools to share it – a clever move by the Swedes.
Though it is still to early to tell if Just Cause 2 will deliver everything the fans have been asking for, I can’t wait to step into Rico’s shoes once again and start blowing things up – let the good times roll.
Andy Hemphill is a freelance journalist, sub editor and entertainment pundit based in South London. 
