Just Cause

Just Cause has been making headlines since the Xbox 360 version debuted at E3. One persistent, enormous (make that colossal) world, jaw-dropping graphics, and the promise of taking the Grand Theft Auto concept to new heights. Whereas other games merely cloned the GTA style, Just Cause looked like it was going to tackle the genre from a different angle.

Aside from being more cinematic, the game defied the laws of physics – even James Bond physics – by allowing players to jump off a cliff, grab hold of a fleeting plane, jump inside and take control of it. From there you could fly wherever you wanted, or abandon the plane for any vehicle you see on the road. The vehicle you desire was to be acquired by air via parachute.

Jump out of the plane – dive through the sky – trigger your parachute – then use a grappling hook to lock onto the roof of a moving vehicle. Land on top and you can steal the car while it's still in motion. But wait, what's that a quarter mile down? A better vehicle. Now get back up on the roof and leap from your vehicle to the next (as one of the suits did in The Matrix Reloaded).

Could all this be true? Could the E3 demo (which we weren't allowed to control) have been real, or an exaggeration of what the developers hoped to achieve?

Just Cause lives up to the hype of providing frantic, superhuman gameplay. The game is set in a world of several massive, interconnected islands. Rico Rodriguez is the main character, but let's not waste time talking about trivial elements you're just going to skip. The story features better voice acting than most, but the plot isn't all that intriguing. Your mission is to free enslaved villages from guerilla soldiers. That's not the most common video-game tale, but I've seen too many similar-themed movies to become interested in the aftermath of what I'm doing.

All I cared – and all you'll care about – is the action and excitement that comes along with every scenario. Just Cause is the video-game equivalent to a popcorn flick. Guns are constantly being fired, explosions come out of nowhere (look up – you'll see the source), and car chases are as common as crime in LA. Popcorn game or not, don't think you can put down the controller and start chowing down. You're going to need both hands to get through these missions.

Just Awesome

Just Cause lets you do almost anything. Every vehicle can be controlled. Every weapon can be fired. Trees can't be destroyed, but they can stop you in the middle of a chase (drive around, not into them!). All cars, motorcycles, mopeds, boats, etc., control differently. Each has its own kind of driver. Farmers like big, slow-moving (but very powerful) trucks. Civilians like old sedans and station wagons, as well as the Baxter Petit, an unofficial mixture of the Mini Cooper and the Luigi from Cars (a 1959 Fiat 500). Ruthless mobsters can be found cruising around in the Rossi 866 Corral, a semi-retro Rolls-Royce kind of vehicle with a futuristic flair. Cutler and Chevalier are two of the game's main auto manufacturers – gee, I wonder how they came up with those titles?

The vicious guerillas stick to their military jeeps, vans, and other armored cars. But you'll notice that the environment has a lot do with the kinds of vehicles people drive. You won't find many cars on dirt roads, but you will see a lot of motorbikes. Bridges are packed with giant trucks and other large vehicles. Cities could have any type of vehicle, with people coming and going frequently.

Just Do It

There are two mission types for you to conquer in this game: the main, required missions, and side missions that reward you for your patronage. The former has you assassinating evildoers, protecting those in need, thwarting the enemy's plans – things like that.

The latter is more repetitive but can still be fun. When you see a green exclamation mark on your map, go to it and talk to the gentleman with green arrows hanging over his head. He'll tell you what needs to be done: kill the enemy and take control of the area. In other words, you're going to have to slaughter every villain in sight until the words "capture the flag" finally appear on screen (in which you'll need to find the flag, shown on your map, go to it and press A to capture it).

While the slaughtering is going on, barricades might need to be destroyed. You have the freedom to kill enemies any way you please: with bombs, bullets, or my favorite, by running 'em over with their own vehicles.

Completing side missions gives you a safe place to rest in between missions, and another place to steal cars without being bothered by the local law enforcement. Rico might be a hero, but he's no saint. Fire a gunshot at a vehicle and the driver will get the picture. He or she will get it out, allowing you to hop in and drive away.

Just Glitchy

No matter how amazing, Just Cause is not without its flaws. You'll be stunned and disappointed at the same time. The graphics are mostly gorgeous, and look better than the CG cartoons of the late 90s (Beast Wars can't compare). Unfortunately, they also have pop-ups, which is very noticeable while driving at high speeds.

The mountains, trees, lighting, and shadow effects are amazing – some of the best of the year, for certain. But when a part of a tree pops up out of nowhere, it takes away from the beauty. When you jump in the water and see its texture, reflections, and the sun bounce off it for the first time, you will be amazed. You'll later be disappointed when the water doesn't perfectly wrap itself around Rico or a vehicle. Or when a splash looks great in one area but not in another.

Enemies aren't easily run over. They cling to the vehicle before they are finally crushed, which is both a pain and not very realistic. When Rico needs to exit his vehicle, it is usually presented in a way that has him leaping to safety. But there are times when he just seems to pop out of the vehicle, as if he were never there in the first place.

The challenge isn't that great either. That's Ok the first time through – you'll beat the game quick, a plus for those wanting to cram as much excitement into their time as possible. But it leaves less replay value for the main quest, especially when the side save-the-village missions are similar and easy to complete.

Just Cause is a cool, unique, and exciting game that is a must-play for anyone with an Xbox 360. Its flaws are hard to ignore, so I can't recommend that you add this to your collection without playing through it first. Rent it, enjoy the excitement, and then decide if it's right for you.

Gameplay: 7.9
Great vehicle controls and a top-notch presentation that lets you cinematically jump from one vehicle to the next is about as cool as a game can get. It’s not just the ability to control any vehicle, boat, or aircraft at any time that makes this game innovative. It’s also the way each scenario is presented, and how you’ll effortlessly jump from a parachute to a moving SUV.

Graphics: 8.7
One of the best-looking 360 titles of the year, Just Cause has an amazing collection of rendered environments and cinematic effects. The world is flawed – you’ll see pop-up and weird, unexplained glitches. Despite all that, the game is still jaw-dropping. Each effect has been perfectly woven into the game, enhancing the notion that you are not just playing a video game – you’re controlling a movie. Everything comes across just right. From the camera shifts to the way you take control of a vehicle, Just Cause is more than just a pretty face.

Sound: 6.0
Just Cause’s voice acting is more professional than most. But outside of mission goal information, it’s not memorable or worth paying attention to. The soundtrack doesn’t have many “tracks” to speak of. The music changes based on the vehicle you’re driving and the type of mission you’re fighting, which often leads the player to the same few tunes several times in a row.

Difficulty: Easy
Your health meter is huge, allowing Rico to withstand multiple bullet wounds. Ammo is unlimited for the base handgun, so you’ll go in and slaughter the guerilla soldiers as easily as you would jump off a platform in Tomb Raider.

Concept: 8.4
An expansion of the Grand Theft Auto formula, Just Cause takes you by land, air, sea, and everywhere in between. There are times when you’ll be moving so fast you’ll feel like the guy movie execs wanted Vin Diesel’s character to be in XXX.

Overall: 7.9
Just Cause isn’t perfect, and I honestly didn’t think it would be. Side missions are extremely repetitive, and with the main quest being kind of short, replay value isn’t as high as you’d expect from such an enormous set of islands. Having said that, this is a second-generation Xbox 360 game, and the first in what will likely be a long series of titles. Let’s look back on the Grand Theft Auto series – the first was good, but it didn’t get everything right. If Just Cause is to continue following in GTA’s footsteps, then by the time its first or second sequel arrives, we should be crowning a new king.