Just Cause 2 Hands-On Preview

13 Nov 2009 at 16:57:51 by Richard Walker

Few people would willingly hurl themselves off a cliff edge some hundred or so feet above sea level, but then not everyone is super smooth Latino agent, Rico Rodriguez - fighter, daredevil, wordsmith, lover. Rico is a real man's man and swarthy star of Just Cause 2.

With his first venture into sandbox territory for the original Just Cause, Rico served as a defiant freedom fighter working for the CIA in an effort to liberate the island of San Esperito from the reign of an evil dictator (aren't there ever any nice dictators?).

The first JC - while being a more than respectable first stab at open world anarchy - garnered mixed reviews for its repetitive mission structure and somewhat dodgy visuals [we'll give you the missions, but poor visuals? Harsh - Ed]. Swedish developer Avalanche Studios appear to have taken these criticisms to heart, because if our two hour hands-on session is any sort of indication, Just Cause 2 looks to resolve every one of the first game's shortcomings and then some.

Visually, Just Cause 2 is a huge leap forward, putting the comparatively basic graphics of the original in the shade. Boasting a jaw-dropping draw distance that stretches far off into the horizon, Panau - JC2's new Southeast Asian island setting - looks absolutely stunning from whichever angle you happen to be viewing it from within its vast 400-square mile (so we're told) expanse. Whether you're dangling from a helicopter or perched atop a vertiginous mountain peak, Avalanche's 2.0 iteration of their proprietary Avalanche Engine makes for some truly spectacular vistas.

What's even more astonishing is that even in the unfinished build we were shown, the frame rate never once stuttered, instances of pop-in we're incredibly rare and the graphical fidelity remained consistent throughout. As sandbox game-worlds go, Panau appears to be every bit as stable as Liberty City, and that's saying something.

Yet, the best thing about JC2 has to be the overhauled grapple and parachute mechanic, which allows Rico to pull off all sorts of inventive moves beyond simply rappelling between pillar and post like Spider-Man. You can leap, shoot a line into the ground and catapult yourself long distances before unfurling your parachute for a safe landing or you can formulate sadistic ways to kill enemies, such as tethering a hapless troop to an explosive drum causing them to be yanked together and firing a well-aimed bullet into the middle of the collision.

While at Square Enix Europe's London HQ, we had the unique opportunity to sample two of Just Cause 2's early missions. As a taster, we're shown a brief run through of a rescue objective wherein Rico must extract one of his contacts - a reckless, drunken Swede named Karl Blaine.

Opening with a suicidal entry into enemy territory, the action soon unfolds to include a head-to-head battle with an attack chopper where Rico ends up pulling both the gunner and pilot out before commandeering it himself and using it to unleash hell on the opposition. All in a day's work for Rodriguez.

By now, our palms are clammy with perspiration as we're eager to grab the controller and stir things up.

Immediately apparent is the gulf in quality between JC2 and its predecessor, the first observation being Rico himself, whose movement has been fixed with more refined animation that all but eradicates his previously crab-like gait. Secondly, incidental detail has been upped considerably, so sand, snow and water adheres to your legs as you traipse across Panau's varying terrain, kicking up debris.

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