Just Cause 2

Just Cause 2 is an open world action-adventure video game. It was released in North America on March 23, 2010, by Swedish developer Avalanche Studios and Eidos Interactive,[4] and was published by Square Enix. It is the sequel to the 2006 video game Just Cause.[5][6]
Just Cause 2 employs the Avalanche Engine 2.0, an updated version of the engine used in Just Cause.[6] The game is set on the other side of the world from the original Just Cause, on the fictional island of Panau in Southeast Asia. Panau has varied terrain, from desert to alpine to rainforest. Rico Rodriguez returns as the protagonist, aiming to overthrow the evil dictator Pandak "Baby" Panay and confront his former mentor, Tom Sheldon.[6] But not all is as it seems as the story progresses.Gameplay

The player is free to roam the game's open world, not having to focus on the game's storyline.
Progress in the game is measured with Chaos, which is earned by completing missions, destroying government property, collecting items for the factions and reaching 100% completion in settlements and military bases. Chaos unlocks new agency missions and stronghold takeovers. Chaos and stronghold takeovers expand the factions' area of influence, which unlocks faction missions and race challenges. Agency missions progress the story, while faction missions are completely optional. Helping one faction does not prevent the player from helping the others.
The artificial intelligence uses a planning system which enables enemies to perform various actions. Enemies can use the environment to their advantage, taking cover behind objects and adapting to the objects around them. Additional elements include vertical gameplay using a grappling hook and parachuting maneuvers and also manual aiming system.
There is also a real-time deformation system and individual components can come loose from vehicles.
Initially, the player must acquire weapons and vehicles in the field. Early in the game, the player encounters a black market supplier, from whom weapons and vehicles can be purchased, with an option to have them delivered to the player's location via helicopter. As more Chaos is gained, additional weapons, vehicles, and the extraction option become available on the black market. All weapons and vehicles on the black market have parameters that can be upgraded in several steps, by building upgrades with weapon and vehicle components. There are over 2,000 parts that the player can acquire.[7]
Notable features of Just Cause 2 include the grappling hook, which gives players the ability to tether objects to each other. There are no limitations to what can be tethered. For example, in a high speed vehicle chase, the player can use the grappling hook to attach a pursuing vehicle to the ground, forcing it to stop and often flipping or turning the vehicle causing damage to it. The grappling hook also allows the player to pull himself, and hold onto objects such as wall or helicopters.
In addition, the player has a parachute which is always ready to be deployed, even if it has been deployed and discarded only moments before. This can be combined with the grappling hook and used as a fast method of transport.
The PlayStation 3 version of the game allows the user to capture video of their gameplay and either export it to the XMB or upload it to YouTube from within the game.[8]
[edit]Plot

The game picks up a couple of years after the first Just Cause, with Agency Agent Rico Rodriguez being dropped into the South-east Asian island nation of Panau. Formerly a US ally, Panau is taken over by Pandak "Baby" Panay (the son of the former leader, US-friendly "Papa" Panay) who institutes a harsh, oppressive dictatorship and cuts off all ties to the US. Rico's mission is to oust Panay from office, as well as track down and assassinate Tom Sheldon, whom the Agency fears has gone rogue after disappearing during the regime change. In order to find Sheldon, Rico allies himself with the three dominant criminal gangs on the island: the Roaches, an organized crime syndicate, the Reapers, a communist revolutionary army and the Ular Boys, an indigenous tribe opposing foreign influence.[9] He eventually gathers enough information to track down Sheldon, who reveals that he's been investigating a larger conspiracy behind Panau. He tells Rico to continue causing chaos on Panau while he goes to explain the situation to the Agency.
After clearing everything up, Sheldon suddenly demands that Rico quickly make his way over to his hideout. They tell him that Jade Tan, a mysterious agency asset who Rico met earlier, has been caught snooping around, and will be tortured without questions. Rico races to her rescue, and destroys the base where she is held. However, Jade is bundled into a truck and a fleet of gunmen attempt to make a getaway along a frozen lake. En route, a nuclear submarine emerges from the ice, but Rico hijacks the truck carrying Jade, and they are both are airlifted to safety by Sheldon and Kane. Later, Jade reveals that the Roaches, Reapers, and Ular Boys are secretly being supported by benefactors of Russia, China, and Japan respectively in an effort to bring down Panay, and Rico and Sheldon wonder what Panau has that is able to attract such dominant superpowers. Nonetheless, Rico and Sheldon track down the foreign intelligence officers liaising with the factions and assassinate them. At this point, the island is amidst so much chaos that Panay is forced to leave the capital and take refuge in a fortified military base. Enlisting the aid of the factions, Rico assaults Panay's hideout. Panay is apparently killed during the assault, and Rico discovers that Russia, China, Japan, and the US have been secretly fighting over Panau for its oil supply, which is supposedly the richest in the world.
With Panay dead, the situation in Panau turns into a free for all as foreign nations scramble to claim the oil. Russia, China, and Japan send a fleet of supertankers to Panau, while the US begins scrambling military forces to defend the island. Rico is tasked with holding off the supertankers until reinforcements arrive. However, a massive nuclear submarine suddenly appears from the sea. Panay, who is still alive but injured, fires four nuclear missiles at Russia, China, Japan, and the US, but his clothing is accidentally snagged on one of the missiles and he is hauled off with it. In pursuit, Rico grapples onto one of them and both men battle in mid air as Rico disarms each missile one by one. Finally, on the last missile, Rico pins Panay into the exposed missile core and reprograms the targeting computer before leaping to safety. The final missile changes course and explodes over Panau's oil fields, killing Panay and destroying Panau's oil reserves. Rico reunites with Sheldon, Kane and Jade, who express their dismay at this decision, but Rico explains that because the oil is now destroyed, all interest in Panau will be lost, preventing a war between the major superpowers and sparing the innocents of the island. Sheldon agrees, and assures Rico that a US-friendly president will be installed on Panau, and that the nation will be closely monitored. The group raise their glasses, to good friends, and a job well done.
[edit]Pre-release

[show]System Requirements
An event held in the pre-release build up of Just Cause 2 was the Up Close and Personal Community Event. This was hosted in London by staff from Square Enix Europe and saw special guests from Avalanche Studios and several members from the Just Cause 2 community forums attending on an invite-only basis. This event saw the first announcement of video capture, which was featured only in the PlayStation 3 version of the game.
In addition, podcasts were released alongside several trailers and short mini-documentaries. These showcased different aspects of the game ranging from the multi-climate setting of the game to the freedom given to the players in the non-linear game environment.
The podcasts were recorded by Mike Oldman, the community manager for Just Cause 2. The podcasts featured interviews with staff of Avalanche Studios in which they were posed questions written by the forum members.
[edit]Demo
On February 24 Mycoldman (Mike Oldman) announced via Twitter that a playable demo was to be released on March 4 on PlayStation Network, Xbox Live and Steam. The demo features a small portion of the map located in the desert. There are light aircraft and civilian and military vehicles available. The demo also has a time limit, in which the player has 30 minutes to free roam, or complete a mission as long as it is in the small portion of the map that is provided.
The demo available for Onlive is different in that it is the full game with complete map. The 30 minute time limit still applies.
[edit]Development

Eidos originally announced a Christmas 2008 release date for Just Cause 2. However, on October 10, 2008, Eurogamer reported that Just Cause 2 was pushed back to 2009, and later, 2010. On November 24, Square-Enix announced that the game was set to be released in North America on March 23, 2010, three days later on March 26 in Europe, Middle East, and Asia, and April 1 in Australia and New Zealand.
The PC version only runs on DirectX 10 hardware and is thus incompatible with Windows XP.[10] It supports several features and graphical effects that are missing from the console versions such as Screen Space Ambient Occlusion, soft shadows and increased detail.[11] Compatible Nvidia graphics cards additionally support Bokeh lens effects, enhanced water simulation and stereoscopic 3-D.[12] however it may be different reffering to other software of other games, sponsored by NVIDIA
[edit]Limited edition
Customers who pre-ordered the game received a map and access to exclusive downloadable content (DLC) which includes Rico's Signature Gun, the Bull's Eye Assault Rifle, a chaos parachute (a different skin), the Chevalier Classic car and an agency hovercraft. In the US, DLC included Rico's signature handgun and the Monster Truck, which was a GameStop US exclusive before being released in other regions. The DLC was made available over the PlayStation Network, Xbox Live, and Steam on June 22, 2010.
[edit]Downloadable content
Two vehicle packs have been released. Two larger packs were released on the PlayStation Store, Steam and Xbox Live Marketplace. The black market aerial pack and black market boom pack have now also been released as downloadable content for purchase. A Chevalier Ice Breaker car, themed as an ice cream truck was also released for free.