Just Cause - Avalanche Studios - 360

[schild]

This was one of those games I kept seeing the nondescript Che Guevarra-inspired boxcover to when I went into game stores, but managed to totally ignore till I was checking out 360 reviews to see what was worth buying. This one popped up with dramatically different reviews from one site, and having read those reviews and spotted it on sale for less than half the price of a new 360 game, I decided to pick it up.

It's essentially an island-based sandbox, with a certain amount in common with the GTA series, and everything that's followed on since then. I was never able to get the hang of the GTA games on PS2, and played them on the PC, so combining that with the fact that it's also available on PS2 etc (which can mean graphics that look like arse compared to "native" 360/PS3 titles) did have me a little ..apprehensive. 3rd Person sandbox with a joypad was never my forte'.

So anyway, after a couple of missions and a couple of hours to my surprise, I'm having an amazing time. The sheer over-the-top stunts and the lush tropical island enviroment really make this one stand out from the pack (I loved Far Cry for much the same reason). The L-trigger aiming is still awkward for me, though not as badly as on other titles, and for veterans of this genre on console it should (probably) be fine. The graphics, while not as pretty as Assassin's Creed, manage to look pretty damn good and I was happily surprised at the quality of the visuals as well.

But the fun really comes from the fact that the game just doesn't take itself too seriously. Crazy-stupid stunts involving cranking up the engine to top speed then jumping on the bonnet of your car, leaping off as the car careers off a cliff with the cops in pursuit, opening up your parachute and gliding the length of the Golden Gate Bridge, freefalling down to a road on the far side, opening your chute on the other side and then slamming into the side of a building Wile E Coyote style and losing half my health combined some great jaw-dropping coolness with a great laugh. Within 5 minutes of starting the game I was in a vehicle-gunner-on-rails segment that had me laughing out loud with how silly, fun and over the top the game is.

I've read that the missions, especially the optional side missions become repetitive later on blah blah blah, but as it stands with a couple of missions done and a couple of hours in, it's enormous silly fun.

Giving a game a Buy It is a difficult call, but if you enjoy the sandbox genre, (and you find it cheap or reduced)

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Buy It (or at least Rent It)

Sent in by Azazel.

[Morfiend]

Ha, pretty funny that you gave this game a "Buy It" and Saints Row a "Rent It". I would give this game a "Stay the Fuck Away" score. The physics are horrible, the vehicles handle like total shit and... well, thats as far as I got. In a sand box game like this that is so based on driving, if the driving makes you want to punch babies, they fail.

[Moosehands]

HALTO!  POLICIA!

[Azazel]

Ha, pretty funny that you gave this game a "Buy It" and Saints Row a "Rent It". I would give this game a "Stay the Fuck Away" score. The physics are horrible, the vehicles handle like total shit and... well, thats as far as I got. In a sand box game like this that is so based on driving, if the driving makes you want to punch babies, they fail.

Reading comprehension for the WIN!

If you like the sandbox genre and don't hate the gangsta thing too much, then Rent It. Even if you had troublke with GTA on consoles.
If you liked the GTA on console...

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Buy It.

[Morfiend]

I'm not sure what I'm no comprehending. I love GTA, I loved Saints Row, I fucking hated Just Cause. The engine and physics and driving was utter shit. I would say this is the second worst game I played on Xbox 360, with the first being Enchanted Arms.

Ahh found what your talking about. For your information when I wrote that, nether post had "Sent in by Azazel, and the Saints Row didn't have the Buy It rating.

[NiX]

Ahh found what your talking about. For your information when I wrote that, nether post had "Sent in by Azazel, and the Saints Row didn't have the Buy It rating.

I recall it having it the day of the posting. You could of skipped it, I usually do when I'm just skimming the write up.

I think for a game where you just go around and shoot stuff, Just Cause lives up to the name. I agree that the driving was a bit wonky, but it wasn't bad to the point where I'd swerve off the road and smash into a tree every minute or so. For the price you can get it now it's a good game to waste time doing a whole lot of nothing. Best for when you don't want a seriously involved or deep game.

[Azazel]

Ahh found what your talking about. For your information when I wrote that, nether post had "Sent in by Azazel, and the Saints Row didn't have the Buy It rating.

For your information, Saint's Row never had a "rent it" in my BiiF at any stage, so your initial post still doesn't mesh with what I said. Funny about that.   

[Morfiend]

Ahh found what your talking about. For your information when I wrote that, nether post had "Sent in by Azazel, and the Saints Row didn't have the Buy It rating.

For your information, Saint's Row never had a "rent it" in my BiiF at any stage, so your initial post still doesn't mesh with what I said. Funny about that.   

From your BIIF:

If you like the sandbox genre and don't hate the gangsta thing too much, then Rent It.

Seeing as it didnt have the "Buy It" rating at the bottom, and this was/is in your BIIF, maybe seeing how I thought you gave it a Rent It score is easer now?

[HaemishM]

I'm not sure what I'm no comprehending. I love GTA, I loved Saints Row, I fucking hated Just Cause. The engine and physics and driving was utter shit.

Having played it a bit on the original X-Box, if the 360 version is anything like that one, I completely agree with Morf here. The whole time I played, I kept thinking, cheap, shitty bananna republic GTA.

[Azazel]

Seeing as it didnt have the "Buy It" rating at the bottom, and this was/is in your BIIF, maybe seeing how I thought you gave it a Rent It score is easer now?

Ah okay, the part where I was telling people who like the genre but would ordinarily be put off by the game setting. OK I'll give you that.


Haem ~ Never played it on the regular XBox, so I have no idea. I did read some reviews where they said the 360 version was much cleaned up from a buggy and poor PC release, but again, haven't played that version.

[Azazel]

So anyway, I'm playing through this again now. Well, not again so much as I've finished Saints Row and have come back to this.

It's.. reasonable. It's not bad as a budget game, and that's what it's priced at now. After playing through SR (and even Bully) I have to say the controls aren't nearly as tight. There's also the issue that the X button (and both bumpers - aka L1 and R1 for you PS gamers) aren't used and can't be allocated, which is pretty stupid. The combat seems to be GTA-Style (pre 4) lock-on, though I still find it mostly easier to use than in GTA games.

Graphically, the lushness is still very pretty, but it still suffers from being a transition-time game between 360 and PS2. I also think that playing this right after finishing SR has hurt my opinion of it.