Thoughts on Just Cause 2?

Game is alright! And even well optimized. But I expected the grappling hook to be also used for swinging like in Bionic Commando games, not just zipping forwards all the time.

It would great if you could interact with the world (like having properties, sports, talk to people, better race system)

I am really looking forward for just cause 3;)

My fav sandbox with GRAPPLING HOOK!!!

Played the first one. Loved it except for a few minor issues. That was an impressive game BUT it hasn't aged that well and the graphics got messed up by Vista and higher... JC2 on the other hand, what a blast to just drive around, shoot stuff, get away. Best sandbox ever.

I will agree that the story is nearly inexistent and the voice-acting only gets up to be at best passable (and rarely so) but if you're playing a Just Cause game for that is like playing "To the Moon" for the action-sequences. It is absolutely a great sandbox to play in and blow stuff up, or just get in a car and drive it around at high speed. I would advise to stay away from the extraction-and-fast-travel as much as you can, just get a plane somewhere if you're in a hurry. Which leads to flying: it's no simulator and a bit clunky sometimes but the map is big enough that that speed and freedom of movement gives you quite some joy. Seriously that map is 32x32 kilometers, or 20x20 miles... that's a HUGE game map but perfect for a sandbox of this style. Parachute gets you around quick and the world is filled to the brim with things-that-do-boom!

It is one of those games where I would recommend a first playthrough on the easiest difficulty though. You WILL still die occasionally, but the limited respawn locations will get less annoying (IIRC, there's 9 or 10 to unlock on them on that HUGE map)

But hey, that's me, and my biggest problem with this game are the hijacking-QTE's and they're not even that bad. Protip for getting through this post all the way: If performing a hijack while being heavily attacked, waiting a bit between the QTE-punches means you can stretch a hijack long enough to trigger the auto-heal. There you go, I may have just saved your life fifteen times. Have fun!

All in all... JC3 should be out somewhere this year, and it does have a LOT to prove. It's no small task to match a game like this, let alone beat it.

PS: Get a car, park it somewhere out of sight. Put Triggered Explosives on it from all sides, then drive it in the centre of a fuel station and walk away. Figure out the last step for yourself. Enjoy!

Read my review and check my playtime (notice that it does not belong to my library, i use family share).

The game is simply astonishing. I will get JC3 as soon as they release! Won't wait for discounts nor feedback.