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However, venturing outside of the small area initially controlled by the rebellion will be difficult since The Black Hand has an overwhelming presence in outlying regions.Īs you blow up structures and Black Hand vehicles, you get Chaos points, which vary in value based on the size and power of the structure or vehicle destroyed. When you first start out, you immediately have access to the entire map. Whereas Chaos still plays a large role in subduing areas of the map, Just Cause 4 introduces a new Frontline system that adds a bit of strategy and complexity to the mix, even if the enemy never pushes back or retakes territory once you've attained it.

Wresting control of the game’s regions is a little different this time around, though. As a career despot-deposer, it’s Rico’s job to aid the island’s insurrectionists in their quest for freedom.

Instead, we’re here to blow shit up, something Just Cause 4 does very well.įrom the game’s opening moments, it’s clear the island nation of Solis has been irreparably shaped by The Black Hand, its leader, and Project Illapa. Whereas Just Cause 3 had Mario Frigo and Just Cause 2 had Baby Panay, Just Cause 4 has no one to lighten the mood and bridge the gap between the tone found in the story and the one found in its gameplay.įortunately, we’re not here for the story. In what might be one of its glaring faults, Just Cause 4 doesn’t embrace its own quirky nature, instead opting for a more serious tone that bullies Rico’s quips and fourth-wall camera winks into the dark corner on the other side of the room. It reeks of Bond film McGuffin, but it’s a plot device true to the hyperbolic nature of the series, and one that moves the overarching story forward if you’ve been following along from the start of the series.Īlthough mostly well-written in an action-movie sort of way and at times, somewhat stimulating, the story in Just Cause 4 will (unsurprisingly) win few awards for originality or narrative resonance - even though it tries harder to do so than previous installments. Illapa generates destructive storms at will, ranging from tornadoes to sandstorms to blizzards. In this case, the appropriately over-the-top agent of destruction is Project Illapa, a weapon that controls Solis' weather. Of course, said dictator also has aspirations of world domination (don't they all?) and one nasty WMD to prove it. Once again, revolutionary-for-hire Rico Rodriguez is out to dispose of a dastardly dictator who is, once again, subjugating a remote island nation under an iron fist and a couple of billion soldiers. If you’re familiar with the overall franchise, JC4’s conceit is a recognizable one. It's simply not what one would call 'groundbreaking.'

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In fact, it’s quite a good game, and it’s quite a fun game, especially by the standards already set by the series itself. It’s also not to say Just Cause 4 is a boring game. However, that’s not to say Just Cause 4 is a bad game.

That's all to say that this game could be more. Regrettably, it appears someone didn’t look up the definition of groundbreaking before slapping it on the game’s marketing materials and while “best in class” isn’t a complete misnomer, it does belie the true nature of what the game's new engine can achieve. But on the other side of the coin, it’s a sideways step that keeps the franchise from realizing the mammoth potential in Avalanche's new Apex engine. It's true that it’s a step forward in a series predicated on schticky storylines, explosive combat, and glorious B-movie action. Words like “groundbreaking” and phrases like “best in class” have been used to describe its gameplay and redesigned engine in ads and dev diaries from the start. Since its announcement, Square Enix has put a lot of effort into making us believe that Just Cause 4sits at the pinnacle of open-world, sandbox action games.

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