Just Cause 4

Just Cause 4 is a sprawling third-person shooter game that takes the concept of exciting open-world mercenary work and cranks it up to the next level. In a series that's already well-known for its ridiculously over-the-top action, Just Cause 4 adds in even more wild game mechanics, locations to explore, and enemies to destroy. Like its predecessors, this game is all about exploring a beautiful island setting, liberating its citizens from the oppressive military, and blowing everything up in the process. While it might not be as fantastic as some of the earlier games in the franchise, Just Cause 4 is a game that every action junkie will enjoy.

Main Game Features

• Explosive third-person shooting gameplay
• Dozens of weapons and vehicles to use
• Dynamic weather systems

Story

Just Cause 4 picks up immediately after the end of the previous game, Just Cause 3, and sees heroic mercenary Rico Rodriguez stopping yet another overpowered military entity. After a new acquaintance tells Rico that his late father was working on a weaponized weather system for the military on Solis, a fictional country in South America, he heads to the turbulent land and does what he does best. In Solis, Rico meets the ruthless dictator Oscar Espinosa, who controls his people with inclement weather and storms. Additionally, Oscar controls the Black Hand, the world's largest and most deadly military organization. With the help of some newly recruited allies, Rico must take down Oscar and the Black Hand by defeating them with guerrilla warfare.

Like many of the other Just Cause games, the story in Just Cause 4 is passable, but it's nothing to write home about. The main antagonists and villains serve as motivation to get the job done, but beyond a few especially cool folks, there aren't many great characters or plot twists. Rico remains a charming and zany hero, who's likely to pull out an RPG and blow things up rather than sit down and talk. While the core of the story works, most of it is simply filler, designed to point you toward the next big action moment.

Gameplay

When it comes to action, Just Cause 4 offers some of the best shooting, looting, and map exploration around. If you've ever played an open-world game like Far Cry or Grand Theft Auto, you should be familiar with how the game is structured. In addition to the main story missions, the massive map is full of activities, including races to win, collectibles to find, and side challenges to complete. As always, Rico has a wide arsenal of weapons and vehicles to use, including his trusty grappling hook, as well as other new toys like the wind gun and lightning gun. It's always fun to encounter a new area and liberate it by causing havoc, all while swinging around with your grappling hook and dodging huge explosions. The biggest new feature in Just Cause 4 is the dynamic weather system, which offers crazy storms, including tornadoes, blizzards, and thunderstorms. The map of Solis has a variety of different biomes to explore as well, so you won't just be stuck bombing on the beach or in a seaside town. Overall, the graphics are not as impressive as in the previous game, but the inclusion of intense weather effects makes up for it.

Conclusion

If you've played other games in the franchise and had a fun time, you should definitely check it out. There are loads of cool guns to use, some really fun missions, and the massive storms are a blast to fight during.

Pros

• Weird guns that are fun to use
• Lots of explosions and excitement
• Weather storms add a unique element

Cons

• Graphical downgrade over previous games
• The story isn't great
• Missions become repetitive