Just Cause 2

 PC
User Score
7.6

Generally favorable reviews- based on 1108 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 706 out of 1108
  2. Mixed: 292 out of 1108
  3. Negative: 110 out of 1108
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  1. DudeManGuy
    Sep 3, 2013
    8
    A big, dumb, beautiful game with an interesting grapple mechanic. Really, it does what any open world game should do, and that's give you tons of freedom to go do what you want. As long as what you want involves a LOT of destruction.
  2. Dogmeat
    Mar 9, 2011
    8
    Sometimes I just want to blow up the world, and that is exactly what Just Cause 2 was made for. The game is one bold love letter to the bygone era of fun-if-slightly-trashy action movies. It's an enormous playground where the player is free to do anything he wishes, as long as it's blowing stuff up and causing havoc. It's surprising that the gunplay is the weakest part of the game, withSometimes I just want to blow up the world, and that is exactly what Just Cause 2 was made for. The game is one bold love letter to the bygone era of fun-if-slightly-trashy action movies. It's an enormous playground where the player is free to do anything he wishes, as long as it's blowing stuff up and causing havoc. It's surprising that the gunplay is the weakest part of the game, with bullets feeling very flimsy and explosives being rarer than they should be. Of course, this encourages the player to experiment with the game's more unconventional ways of fighting back. Using the grappling hook to tether enemies to various objects in the world never gets old. There are no barriers in this game. See something on the horizon? You can get there. The combination of parachute and grappling hook enables the player to effortlessly traverse Panau and take in the stunning scenery. And make no mistake, the game looks incredible.
    All in all Just Cause 2 is an outstanding open world mayhem simulator with an unrivalled sense of scale.    … Expand
  3. bricky
    Jan 7, 2011
    8
    first thought: OMFG WHY WONT THIS RUN ON MY WINDOWS XP?!?!

    second thought: Screw it i need to upgrade anyway Third thought: OMG its still laggy as crap becuase my computer only has 2 gb of RAM and an 8800 GTX graphics card Fourth thought: *ding* ill turn the settings down Fifth thought: this is actually pretty fun with all the settings turned to the lowest Sixth thought: *about 5    first thought: OMFG WHY WONT THIS RUN ON MY WINDOWS XP?!?!

    second thought: Screw it i need to upgrade anyway

    Third thought: OMG its still laggy as crap becuase my computer only has 2 gb of RAM and an 8800 GTX graphics card

    Fourth thought: *ding* ill turn the settings down

    Fifth thought: this is actually pretty fun with all the settings turned to the lowest

    Sixth thought: *about 5 hours in* this game has the most horrible story that has ever been created by a game

    seventh thought: *about 10 hours in* who cares about story? i just attached a jeep to my plane with a grappling hook, flew the plane off the runway, got the jeep caught in a tree and had to jump out of the plane before i got hurtled into the ground and exploded!

    Final thought: Fun game, bad story, very high system requirments, can be a tad repetitive (especially if your going for full completion)    … Expand
  4. Ian277
    Apr 26, 2013
    8
    some of the best graphics i have ever seen. the multiplayer mod makes it addicting. for ten dollars on steam, this is a great deal. the controls are a bit hazardous if you don't have a controller. luckily i got one just to play this game. the map size is great for exploring in all different types of vehicles. i actually never beat the campaign because i was too busy flying and drivingsome of the best graphics i have ever seen. the multiplayer mod makes it addicting. for ten dollars on steam, this is a great deal. the controls are a bit hazardous if you don't have a controller. luckily i got one just to play this game. the map size is great for exploring in all different types of vehicles. i actually never beat the campaign because i was too busy flying and driving around. the storymode is forgettable but the opposite can be said about the multiplayer mod. go buy it.… Expand
  5. THE-Wind
    Apr 2, 2013
    8
    Loads of fun. Just Cause 2 truly understands the sand-box. It feels like like a polished mash-up of boiling point and Red-Faction Guerrilla maybe the Saboteur). First of all it gives you freedom. You can do whatever you feel like and It is all engaging. There is a plot to follow and factions to do side-missions for and endless opportunities to create chaos. The chaos will have theLoads of fun. Just Cause 2 truly understands the sand-box. It feels like like a polished mash-up of boiling point and Red-Faction Guerrilla maybe the Saboteur). First of all it gives you freedom. You can do whatever you feel like and It is all engaging. There is a plot to follow and factions to do side-missions for and endless opportunities to create chaos. The chaos will have the authorities after you which then leads to the evasion-game. I love the fact that you can shoot your way out of trouble, run, drive or para-sail away or even the hijack the chopper they bad guys sent after you.
    Travel: best I have ever seen. There is instant-travel (extraction from anywhere), stealing boats, cars, motor-bikes, planes, helicopters and then there is the hook. The grappling-hooks is so useful you will forget to walk places. There is a cool mechanic where you can use the grapple to ascend then engage your parachute to fly...then use you grapple to 'web-sling' your way around. No game has such a cool variety of transportation. If you don't become obsessed with collecting every little trinket in the game you will find hours of over-the top game-play here. Just flying a plane around to scout new locations can be entrancing. The island has a variety of terrain and the day-night cycle makes for amazing sunsets and vistas. Don't complain about the repetition in the game as this is the nature of the sand-box. Having 70% of the side missions available (after getting 20 hours worth of plot-mission value) is nothing more than gravy. This genre is not about deep plots anyway. If you want a game that is fun-to-play then look no further.    … Expand
  6. Tomwelcome
    Mar 25, 2011
    8
    Gameplay - 8.5 , Graphics - 9.0 , Story - 5.5 , Playing time - 20+hours. Sandbox gameplay with beautiful graphics. At first it's fun, but it turns boring pretty quick. And the story is ****
  7. vaell
    Mar 29, 2011
    8
    FUN, thats it, after years of seeing games feel more like work than games, i enjoy a fun game, not a perfect one, but fun, an over the top intentionally cliche story, with over the top action scenes(almost all the time) and a world " two times the size of the known universe" to destroy.

    It is true it gets repetitive and the sensation of the copy paste brush gets on to you after some    FUN, thats it, after years of seeing games feel more like work than games, i enjoy a fun game, not a perfect one, but fun, an over the top intentionally cliche story, with over the top action scenes(almost all the time) and a world " two times the size of the known universe" to destroy.

    It is true it gets repetitive and the sensation of the copy paste brush gets on to you after some hours, but it is without a doubt a fun game. as a game should be.    … Expand
  8. HighwayUK
    Apr 21, 2011
    8
    Some of the best graphics out (for Dx10 anyway) on the PC, huge area without any joins to explore and play havok in (wish GTA5 would use this engine for PC) marred by no multiplayer... and dumb Ai spawning... not enough to spoil the game, a multiplayer version would be awesome maybe for JC3?
  9. ozgeek
    Feb 24, 2012
    8
    This game is only fun if modded. The default base game is "restrictive". The gameworld is expansive and huge, it'd take 15 minutes in even the fastest plane to from from one side to another. It has different environemnt - tropical, snow, desert, forest. The vehicles operate funny and if driven at high speed, can spin out easily. The story is meh and short but what you can do in the freeThis game is only fun if modded. The default base game is "restrictive". The gameworld is expansive and huge, it'd take 15 minutes in even the fastest plane to from from one side to another. It has different environemnt - tropical, snow, desert, forest. The vehicles operate funny and if driven at high speed, can spin out easily. The story is meh and short but what you can do in the free mode, makes it up.… Expand
  10. MrCofeisDed
    Jun 21, 2011
    8
    The best part of this game is also the worst part of this game. And the name of the game is chaos. For a game that doesn't take itself seriously, doesn't place any emphasis on plot, character development or an engrossing narrative, it could be a lot worse. And a lot better. What this game is, however, is everything GTA 4 wants to be and isn't. No more annoying phone calls from your virtualThe best part of this game is also the worst part of this game. And the name of the game is chaos. For a game that doesn't take itself seriously, doesn't place any emphasis on plot, character development or an engrossing narrative, it could be a lot worse. And a lot better. What this game is, however, is everything GTA 4 wants to be and isn't. No more annoying phone calls from your virtual friends. No more game dates wherein you never get to see any closed-doors action. Murder, of everything and anything, is the name of this game. And if you're looking to waste hours of your life destroying haphazardly anything and everything, then this is certainly what you're looking for. Expect a game that sacrifices narrative for cliche characters and big explosions, but requires you to follow the nearly propagandist plot to find the biggest and best of all the die-hard scenarios.… Expand
  11. MusAddict
    Nov 25, 2011
    8
    This game is a really beautiful game that's extremely entertaining. Thankfully there aren't any story progression map restrictions like Grand Theft Auto, otherwise I don't know if I would have played it. The missions can be extremely repetitive and tedious. The redeeming factor is the surreal action, which is what keeps me hooked if I just wanna be a bad ass for a few hours.
  12. Manmade3
    Jan 23, 2012
    8
    I picked up this game on a sale impulse buy. I had seen my friends play about half an hour of it and was not impressed, a lot of the stuff you could do looked over the top and stupid. But after playing I found guilty pleasure in the over-the-top parachuting, ass kicking, and grappling. The environment was something I did enjoy quite a lot, the beautiful graphics combined with the setting,I picked up this game on a sale impulse buy. I had seen my friends play about half an hour of it and was not impressed, a lot of the stuff you could do looked over the top and stupid. But after playing I found guilty pleasure in the over-the-top parachuting, ass kicking, and grappling. The environment was something I did enjoy quite a lot, the beautiful graphics combined with the setting, think Cuba combined with North Korea was very pleasing. The vehicle driving is implemented very nicely as well. If you don't mind stunts that are totally unrealistic, a mediocre story (Most cinematic are skippable though) and a massive free roam expanse filled with explosions, gunfire and god knows what else, this is the game for you.… Expand
  13. AutumnEffect
    Dec 15, 2011
    8
    With a terrible storyline, God-awful voice acting, and the most cut-and-copy cutscenes ever seen in a video game, it's a wonder that Just Cause still manages to deliver a thrill ride of a time. If this game were judged solely on the aspects listed previously, then I would give it a zero in a heartbeat. However, I have a feeling that Square Enix purposely made it out to be this way. JustWith a terrible storyline, God-awful voice acting, and the most cut-and-copy cutscenes ever seen in a video game, it's a wonder that Just Cause still manages to deliver a thrill ride of a time. If this game were judged solely on the aspects listed previously, then I would give it a zero in a heartbeat. However, I have a feeling that Square Enix purposely made it out to be this way. Just Cause isn't a game to be taken seriously, it's a game to mess around with in your enormous sandbox of countless toys. As soon as the first mission's over, you're free to explore the island of Panau to your heart's content. From hijacking airplanes and crashing them into congested areas, to keelhauling an enemy soldier along your speedboat, the possibilities are seemingly endless. You'll have loads of fun simply testing out your grappling hook on unsuspecting enemies, discovering all the ways you can mess with your prey. Once, I tethered my grounded boat to an airliner, which then proceeded to drag me across the runway and lift off, carrying me with it. It's all a bunch of silly nonsense, but it's what makes this game so enjoyable. If you're looking for a giant sandbox to piss around in, you can't do much better than Just Cause 2.… Expand
  14. arand86
    Jul 30, 2012
    8
    Exhilarating and trololol would be 2 words that sum up this game pretty nicely. As said by many others, the missions in this game do get a bit repetitive later on, but they're not really that bad when you get to play it. Only the Stronghold takeovers are truely repetitive. But the missions are not the real beauty of the game. You have the most fun on Just Cause 2 when you're just trollingExhilarating and trololol would be 2 words that sum up this game pretty nicely. As said by many others, the missions in this game do get a bit repetitive later on, but they're not really that bad when you get to play it. Only the Stronghold takeovers are truely repetitive. But the missions are not the real beauty of the game. You have the most fun on Just Cause 2 when you're just trolling around the highway/countryside highjacking cars and killing people like in GTA, but now you have a grapple hook and a parachute that are great for just doing random things with. All in all, a great buy for its price.… Expand
  15. Archaeoteryx
    Jan 4, 2013
    8
    honestly in my opinion, the cutscenes, voice acting and the character are just awful..i hate his voice.
    everything else is just spot-on i cant tear myself away from this. the missions are nothing special but the game play is just awesome, run around shooting and destroying everything, upgrading and flying planes while on top of them...sweat.
  16. bjaz
    Feb 8, 2015
    8
    Just WOW
    One of the best survival game ever played
    Though I never thought this game would that much improve over previous one
    Graphics,gameplay,story are just cooool
    don't miss it
    Now can't wait for the next
  17. WestLil0
    Apr 11, 2014
    8
    An excellent combination of Far Cry (2&3) with The Saboteur, this game will become addictive. Beautiful island scenery complements your ability to drive any vehicle as well as fly helicopters and fighter planes. Three main "bad" guys offer a variety of side missions, which allow them to conquer certain sections of the islands, and later providing some small assistance. I loved flyingAn excellent combination of Far Cry (2&3) with The Saboteur, this game will become addictive. Beautiful island scenery complements your ability to drive any vehicle as well as fly helicopters and fighter planes. Three main "bad" guys offer a variety of side missions, which allow them to conquer certain sections of the islands, and later providing some small assistance. I loved flying around destroying bases with the helicopter. The game is fun and the main missions (which trigger after creating enough mayhem and destruction, i.e., chaos) are interesting but too few. What I didn't like is having to find every single machine part/ammo upgrade box in all the bases in order for it to appear as 100% secured. I also thought there should have been many more side missions as well as more than just six or seven main missions. There is humor in the game, which is always appreciated. When continuously blasting away with the helicopter, Rico will begin humming a song. If he falls from a height without killing himself he'll say "whoa, that was too close to comfort." Or if he gets away from a serious fight without injury he will say other words in Spanish that I'm sure I can't write here. Hilarious. Well worth purchasing it for entertainment.… Expand
  18. Aisforawsome
    Mar 21, 2013
    8
    If this game is one thing, it is fun! Fun, something that a lot of games lack these days. The story of this game was meant to be completely stereotypical and lame, and that adds comedy to the game. There are so many things to do in Just Cause 2 that you will find you can never leave. The game has so much going for it, but only one minor problem keeps it from a 10/10: no multiplayer atIf this game is one thing, it is fun! Fun, something that a lot of games lack these days. The story of this game was meant to be completely stereotypical and lame, and that adds comedy to the game. There are so many things to do in Just Cause 2 that you will find you can never leave. The game has so much going for it, but only one minor problem keeps it from a 10/10: no multiplayer at launch. I know that someone has been developing it, in the form of a mod. But come on, this game would be so much better with vanilla multilayer!… Expand
  19. danilus
    May 10, 2013
    8
    сети.
    Good game but not enough to play multipleera.Hotelos onlain or with friends lokalnoi network.
  20. dusanst
    Jun 26, 2013
    8
    It is a great game though its a little boring.The world is huge,and the graphics are amazing but the story missions are really hard to get but it is a really good game.
  21. Olferen
    Aug 15, 2013
    8
    I have to review this because of "TheUnbiasedOne"'s review, this is clearly a right winged dream, infiltrating a country that doesn't want you there and killing anyone that disagrees with Uncle Sam.

    Other than that, the game play is phenomenal, it is fun to shoot around on your grappling hook and glide with an infinite parachute. It's ridiculous of course but it is very fun, if anyone    I have to review this because of "TheUnbiasedOne"'s review, this is clearly a right winged dream, infiltrating a country that doesn't want you there and killing anyone that disagrees with Uncle Sam.

    Other than that, the game play is phenomenal, it is fun to shoot around on your grappling hook and glide with an infinite parachute. It's ridiculous of course but it is very fun, if anyone played Mercenaries 2, it's like that yet the destruction is much more rewarding. The only reason I took 2 points off is because of a significant lack of multiplayer, this game could have been one of the best sandbox do what ever the hell you want games, yet it has no multiplayer, and it kills me that they neglected it.    … Expand
  22. armorman555
    Jul 12, 2013
    8
    Just Cause 2 is an amazing game. Tons of fun missions, beautiful explosions, and over 100 different vehicles to find and drive. Although, the game gets very repetitive after you complete all the faction missions and the main story line. I wouldn't say this is a game to play to completion, but very fun until you get to about 40% completion.
  23. Aker
    Jul 15, 2013
    8
    I'll start with the cons. I personally thought the story was pretty weak. And the first 3/4 of the game is incredibly repetitive. I almost got to the point where I was bored enough with the story to stop playing for a while. The "bosses" were the stereotype where they're nearly invincible because it takes so long to kill them even if you're shooting them in the head.

    Pros: Panau is a    I'll start with the cons. I personally thought the story was pretty weak. And the first 3/4 of the game is incredibly repetitive. I almost got to the point where I was bored enough with the story to stop playing for a while. The "bosses" were the stereotype where they're nearly invincible because it takes so long to kill them even if you're shooting them in the head.

    Pros: Panau is a huge open world environment and is easily the most beautiful game I have ever played. There are so many fun vehicles to drive and on occasion it's fun to just hop in an airplane and explore. The game play is really fun. Especially the grapple, it makes those tedious long walks between mission move along a bit quicker. The guns are also fun to use, although I would have appreciated if there were more guns to use and just an overall larger selection of things to buy in the black market.

    Overall, Just Cause 2 is a great game. It's fun to play just to mess around. There are a lot of flaws but the fun gameplay easily makes you forget about it. I would recommend to anyone.    … Expand
  24. Vas
    Jun 29, 2014
    8
    This game offers a lot of territory and things to do. You can go around killing random enemy bases just for fun, or follow the story and complete missions. It is generally very hard to complete 100% of this game if you want every single thing done, takes a long long time because there is just so much stuff. The story is pretty fun too, I really enjoy the game. I think you will too.
  25. huss2215
    Nov 14, 2013
    8
    Graphics: Some of the best graphics seen on the PC. 10.
    Sound: Catchy background themes/soundtrack, the voice acting is weak though. The gun sounds are okay. 7.5.
    Gameplay: Huge sandbox game with the world being one of the biggest in gaming. The game is like Just Cause, or a GTA type game but probably has the most freedom ever in the game. You get a grappling hook, unlimited    Graphics: Some of the best graphics seen on the PC. 10.
    Sound: Catchy background themes/soundtrack, the voice acting is weak though. The gun sounds are okay. 7.5.

    Gameplay: Huge sandbox game with the world being one of the biggest in gaming. The game is like Just Cause, or a GTA type game but probably has the most freedom ever in the game. You get a grappling hook, unlimited parachutes, stunts similar to pursuit force on PC but much better. The gun play and shooting mechanics are good, but could definitely feel better. The game is built on a chaos mechanic; cause enough chaos to unlock each Act, stronghold mission, or faction mission. There are different factions where you do side quests. This game is superb. 9.5.

    Story: This is probably the weakest point of the game but still average. Your sent in to kill your old employer from the first part, but things take a turn and you find out the truth, and so on so forth it’s really not too interesting but again average. 7.5.

    Lasting Appeal: The game is worth it, single player only took me 12-14 hours to complete, plus many more side missions, PC mods that make the game even better. 10.

    Overall Score: 8.9 out of 10.    … Expand
  26. Reveiwer
    Dec 13, 2013
    8
    This game is fantastic. Great fun, great world, which is detailed and enormous, great campaign (maybe not hillirious voice acting) and great...blowing up If you haven't brought this, BUY IT NOW!!!
  27. FPSSucks
    Dec 17, 2013
    8
    This game is fun as f**k, I mean who doesn't love flying around blowing s**t up. The story mode is fun, but stupid with hilariously bad voice acting (oh well) with great graphics and a strange, strange villain.
  28. TheKidWanted
    Feb 22, 2014
    8
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. +Fun Gameplay+
    +Good Storyline+
    +Good A.I+ (Sometimes frustrates)
    +Great Graphics+
    +Great Open World Design+
    +Nice Multiplayer Mode+
    -Moderate Voice Acting+

    Just Cause 2 is really like the most expectation open world game, at least it's pretty amazing to see how good programmers tested this game is wildly impressive.    … Expand
  29. Wolfie1987
    Mar 26, 2014
    8
    The massive procedurally generated open world is gorgeous, and all of it is the player's playground to cause chaos in. The game "Fuel" also creates a huge world like this, as does Daggerfall, but all in all this game oozes the most fun.
  30. justanhonestguy
    Dec 27, 2015
    8
    i am having a panic. Finished first and second missions by trial and error. then gave up on missions totally to wage mayhem on an entire countryside , hijacked a tuktuk, a speedboat, a 747, 10 different motorcycles, a few helicopters, a learjet, and assorted other stuff. Blew up half the country with stolen military hardware, killed hundreds if not thousands of innocent civilians, and diedi am having a panic. Finished first and second missions by trial and error. then gave up on missions totally to wage mayhem on an entire countryside , hijacked a tuktuk, a speedboat, a 747, 10 different motorcycles, a few helicopters, a learjet, and assorted other stuff. Blew up half the country with stolen military hardware, killed hundreds if not thousands of innocent civilians, and died by running my motorcycle into a tree. Game does not save, you have to occasionally reach a checkpoint. No , it doesn't allow manual save at all. Try it for yourself, and you'll find that it says "game saved" and then you try to reload that game and you'll be four hours behind where your save point is. Fact of life in this game, get used to it, because it is a ridiculously fun rampage through a goofy Asian dictatorship island nation, with no real point other than "break stuff" and "blow stuff up". See how many times you can get your speedboat stuck up in the trees, crash a 747 into a mile high discotheque hanging from a blimp, use a howitzer point blank on peasant fisherman sampan traffic. Like that, except more insane and way more fun. One of the craziest mixtures I've ever played, I don't care about the story, i'm just driving around wrecking stuff.

    8/10 Would topple radio towers across highway just for fun again.    … Expand
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Awards & Rankings

18
#18 Best PC Game of 2010
15
#15 Most Discussed PC Game of 2010
11
#11 Most Shared PC Game of 2010

Critic Reviews

All reviews »
Metascore
84

Generally favorable reviews - based on 33 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 31 out of 33
  2. Mixed: 2 out of 33
  3. Negative: 0 out of 33
  1. Game Informer
    90
    One of the most enjoyable sandboxes for players to experiment in this side of Grand Theft Auto. [Issue#204, p.86]
    Read full review
  2. Edge Magazine
    70
    Just Cause 2 can hardly be called an average game. It's a good one undermined by a selection of mediocre elements, and it's all the more frustrating this time around because Avalanche shows us glimpses of just how much fun two weeks on holiday with Rico should be. [Apr 2010, p.96]
    Read full review
  3. GameDaily
    80
    Just Cause 2 is a sequel that outdoes the original with gripping gameplay, exquisite visuals and a variety of missions that will keep you playing longer than you might expect. If you're an action fan, you need this.
    Read full review
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