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Just Cause (video game)
Encyclopedia
Just Cause is an open world
action-adventure
video game developed by Avalanche Studios
and published by Eidos Interactive
. It was released for Microsoft Windows
, PlayStation 2
, Xbox
, Xbox 360
on September 22, 2006 in Europe, September 27, 2006 in North America, September 29, 2006 in Australia and November 8, 2007 in Japan. The fictional area explored during the game is described as being over 250000 acre in size, with 21 story missions and over 300 side missions to complete. As of April 23, 2009, it has sold more than 1 million copies.
A sequel to the game developed by Avalanche Studios
, published by Eidos Interactive
and distributed by Square Enix
titled, Just Cause 2
, was released on March 23, 2010.
island
called San Esperito, after being called there by his commanding officer (CO), Tom Sheldon, to help overthrow
San Esperito's dictator
; Salvador Mendoza, whom the Agency believes to be in possession of weapons of mass destruction
(WMDs). After his arrival, Rico rendezvouses with Sheldon, as well as their partner and fellow agent Maria Kane, and they ally themselves with a faction of guerrilla freedom fighters. Rico assists them in their civil war against Mendoza's corrupt officials, and also assists in the liberation of various territories to further destabalize the government's rule over the island.
Eventually, Sheldon discovers that Mendoza does, indeed, have control of WMDs, and with San Esperito so politically unstable, the president is forced to retreat to his private presidential island just off the mainland. Sheldon and Kane fly Rico to the island to kill Mendoza, but he attempts to escape via jet. However, Rico boards the jet and kills Mendoza and his remaining bodyguards, ending his reign over the island.
environment to move around in. On foot, the player's character is capable of walking, swimming, and jumping, as well as utilizing weapons and basic hand to hand combat. Players can take control of a variety of vehicles, including cars
, boats, fixed wing aircraft, helicopters, and motorcycles. Players can also perform stunts with their cars in which they can stand on the roof and jump to another car, or choose to open their parachute
while still in motion on the roof. Other key features of the game include skydiving, base jumping
, and parasailing
(by latching onto a moving car or boat while one's parachute is deployed).
The open, non-linear environment allows players to explore and choose how they wish to play the game. Although storyline missions are necessary to progress through the game, players can complete them at their own leisure. When not taking on a storyline mission, players can free-roam. However, doing so can attract unwanted and potentially fatal attention from the authorities.
The player can also partake in a variety of optional side missions, for example, liberating a village or taking over a drug cartel
hideout. These are necessary to gain points with certain factions.
game was released on August 24, 2006 on Xbox Live Marketplace
. The PC demo followed in a premiere release at GameSpot
.
In an online review, IGN
gave Just Cause a score of 6.8 out of 10. They noted that the gameplay lacked depth and that the side quests are boring and repetitive. However, IGN UK awarded the game a score of 8.8, and the Official Xbox Magazine
UK gave Just Cause a score of 9 out of 10, praising it for "varied, consistent, imaginative gameplay". The Official Playstation Magazine
UK gave it 8 out of 10, criticising its repetitive side missions and short story (saying it could be completed in less than five hours), but praising some of the gameplay mechanics.
The game suffers from its share of bug
-related issues though, as noted by many reviewers, who feel the game may have been "rushed" to market without sufficient time to fix certain problems. The PlayStation 2 version, in particular, suffers from a number of 'game-killing' bugs that render certain missions impossible to complete, or the entire game unplayable until it is reset. Eidos has not released a patch for the PC or Xbox 360 versions of the game.
GamerNode rated the game 6.7 out of 10, while GameBrite gave it 51%.
PC Gamer UK rated the game an 85%. PC Gamer US rated it 93%
The Xbox 360 version was well received, scoring 9/10 in Play (US) and 360 Gamer UK. The 360 version also stayed on top of the Xbox 360 sales chart in the UK for three weeks in a row.
The recommended requirements of Just Cause:
Open world
An open world is a type of video game level design where a player can roam freely through a virtual world and is given considerable freedom in choosing how to approach objectives...
action-adventure
Action-adventure game
An action-adventure game is a video game that combines elements of the adventure game genre with various action game elements. It is perhaps the broadest and most diverse genre in gaming, and can include many games which might better be categorized under narrow genres...
video game developed by Avalanche Studios
Avalanche Studios
Avalanche Studios is an independent, privately held video game developer based in Stockholm, Sweden. It was founded in March 2003 by Christofer Sundberg, Linus and Viktor Blomberg. Avalanche Studios focuses on developing original intellectual properties for games and other media and base their...
and published by Eidos Interactive
Eidos Interactive
Eidos Interactive Ltd. is a British video game publisher and is a label of Square Enix Europe. As an independent company Eidos plc was headquartered in the Wimbledon Bridge House in Wimbledon, London Borough of Merton....
. It was released for Microsoft Windows
Microsoft Windows
Microsoft Windows is a series of operating systems produced by Microsoft.Microsoft introduced an operating environment named Windows on November 20, 1985 as an add-on to MS-DOS in response to the growing interest in graphical user interfaces . Microsoft Windows came to dominate the world's personal...
, PlayStation 2
PlayStation 2
The PlayStation 2 is a sixth-generation video game console manufactured by Sony as part of the PlayStation series. Its development was announced in March 1999 and it was first released on March 4, 2000, in Japan...
, Xbox
Xbox
The Xbox is a sixth-generation video game console manufactured by Microsoft. It was released on November 15, 2001 in North America, February 22, 2002 in Japan, and March 14, 2002 in Australia and Europe and is the predecessor to the Xbox 360. It was Microsoft's first foray into the gaming console...
, Xbox 360
Xbox 360
The Xbox 360 is the second video game console produced by Microsoft and the successor to the Xbox. The Xbox 360 competes with Sony's PlayStation 3 and Nintendo's Wii as part of the seventh generation of video game consoles...
on September 22, 2006 in Europe, September 27, 2006 in North America, September 29, 2006 in Australia and November 8, 2007 in Japan. The fictional area explored during the game is described as being over 250000 acre in size, with 21 story missions and over 300 side missions to complete. As of April 23, 2009, it has sold more than 1 million copies.
A sequel to the game developed by Avalanche Studios
Avalanche Studios
Avalanche Studios is an independent, privately held video game developer based in Stockholm, Sweden. It was founded in March 2003 by Christofer Sundberg, Linus and Viktor Blomberg. Avalanche Studios focuses on developing original intellectual properties for games and other media and base their...
, published by Eidos Interactive
Eidos Interactive
Eidos Interactive Ltd. is a British video game publisher and is a label of Square Enix Europe. As an independent company Eidos plc was headquartered in the Wimbledon Bridge House in Wimbledon, London Borough of Merton....
and distributed by Square Enix
Square Enix
is a Japanese video game and publishing company best known for its console role-playing game franchises, which include the Final Fantasy series, the Dragon Quest series, and the action-RPG Kingdom Hearts series...
titled, Just Cause 2
Just Cause 2
Just Cause 2 is an open world action-adventure video game developed by Avalanche Studios, published by Eidos Interactive, and distributed by Square Enix. It is the sequel to the 2006 video game Just Cause....
, was released on March 23, 2010.
Plot
Just Cause begins with Rico Rodriguez, an operative for an organization known as the Agency, being dropped into a Caribbean tropicalTropics
The tropics is a region of the Earth surrounding the Equator. It is limited in latitude by the Tropic of Cancer in the northern hemisphere at approximately N and the Tropic of Capricorn in the southern hemisphere at S; these latitudes correspond to the axial tilt of the Earth...
island
Island
An island or isle is any piece of sub-continental land that is surrounded by water. Very small islands such as emergent land features on atolls can be called islets, cays or keys. An island in a river or lake may be called an eyot , or holm...
called San Esperito, after being called there by his commanding officer (CO), Tom Sheldon, to help overthrow
Coup d'état
A coup d'état state, literally: strike/blow of state)—also known as a coup, putsch, and overthrow—is the sudden, extrajudicial deposition of a government, usually by a small group of the existing state establishment—typically the military—to replace the deposed government with another body; either...
San Esperito's dictator
Dictator
A dictator is a ruler who assumes sole and absolute power but without hereditary ascension such as an absolute monarch. When other states call the head of state of a particular state a dictator, that state is called a dictatorship...
; Salvador Mendoza, whom the Agency believes to be in possession of weapons of mass destruction
Weapons of mass destruction
A weapon of mass destruction is a weapon that can kill and bring significant harm to a large number of humans and/or cause great damage to man-made structures , natural structures , or the biosphere in general...
(WMDs). After his arrival, Rico rendezvouses with Sheldon, as well as their partner and fellow agent Maria Kane, and they ally themselves with a faction of guerrilla freedom fighters. Rico assists them in their civil war against Mendoza's corrupt officials, and also assists in the liberation of various territories to further destabalize the government's rule over the island.
Eventually, Sheldon discovers that Mendoza does, indeed, have control of WMDs, and with San Esperito so politically unstable, the president is forced to retreat to his private presidential island just off the mainland. Sheldon and Kane fly Rico to the island to kill Mendoza, but he attempts to escape via jet. However, Rico boards the jet and kills Mendoza and his remaining bodyguards, ending his reign over the island.
Gameplay
The core gameplay consists of elements of a third-person shooter and a driving game, with a large, open worldOpen world
An open world is a type of video game level design where a player can roam freely through a virtual world and is given considerable freedom in choosing how to approach objectives...
environment to move around in. On foot, the player's character is capable of walking, swimming, and jumping, as well as utilizing weapons and basic hand to hand combat. Players can take control of a variety of vehicles, including cars
CARS
Cars, or automobiles, motor cars, are wheeled motor vehicles used for transporting passengers.Cars or CARS may also refer to:-Entertainment:* Cars , a Disney/Pixar film series...
, boats, fixed wing aircraft, helicopters, and motorcycles. Players can also perform stunts with their cars in which they can stand on the roof and jump to another car, or choose to open their parachute
Parachute
A parachute is a device used to slow the motion of an object through an atmosphere by creating drag, or in the case of ram-air parachutes, aerodynamic lift. Parachutes are usually made out of light, strong cloth, originally silk, now most commonly nylon...
while still in motion on the roof. Other key features of the game include skydiving, base jumping
BASE jumping
BASE jumping, also sometimes written as B.A.S.E jumping, is an activity that employs an initially packed parachute to jump from fixed objects...
, and parasailing
Parasailing
Parasailing, also known as parascending, or "parakiting" is a recreational kiting activity where a person is towed behind a vehicle while attached to a specially designed canopy wing that reminds one of a parachute, known as a parasail wing...
(by latching onto a moving car or boat while one's parachute is deployed).
The open, non-linear environment allows players to explore and choose how they wish to play the game. Although storyline missions are necessary to progress through the game, players can complete them at their own leisure. When not taking on a storyline mission, players can free-roam. However, doing so can attract unwanted and potentially fatal attention from the authorities.
The player can also partake in a variety of optional side missions, for example, liberating a village or taking over a drug cartel
Drug cartel
Drug cartels are criminal organizations developed with the primary purpose of promoting and controlling drug trafficking operations. They range from loosely managed agreements among various drug traffickers to formalized commercial enterprises. The term was applied when the largest trafficking...
hideout. These are necessary to gain points with certain factions.
Demo
A demo of the Xbox 360Xbox 360
The Xbox 360 is the second video game console produced by Microsoft and the successor to the Xbox. The Xbox 360 competes with Sony's PlayStation 3 and Nintendo's Wii as part of the seventh generation of video game consoles...
game was released on August 24, 2006 on Xbox Live Marketplace
Xbox Live Marketplace
The Xbox Live Marketplace is a virtual market designed for Microsoft's Xbox 360 console that allows Xbox Live members to download purchased or promotional content...
. The PC demo followed in a premiere release at GameSpot
GameSpot
GameSpot is a video gaming website that provides news, reviews, previews, downloads, and other information. The site was launched in May 1, 1996 by Pete Deemer, Vince Broady and Jon Epstein. It was purchased by ZDNet, a brand which was later purchased by CNET Networks. CBS Interactive, which...
.
Reception
Just Cause has received generally mixed reviews from critics.In an online review, IGN
IGN
IGN is an entertainment website that focuses on video games, films, music and other media. IGN's main website comprises several specialty sites or "channels", each occupying a subdomain and covering a specific area of entertainment...
gave Just Cause a score of 6.8 out of 10. They noted that the gameplay lacked depth and that the side quests are boring and repetitive. However, IGN UK awarded the game a score of 8.8, and the Official Xbox Magazine
Official Xbox Magazine
Official Xbox Magazine is a monthly video game magazine which started in November 2001 around the launch of the original Xbox. A preview issue was released for E3 2001, with another preview issue for November 2001. The magazine is bundled with a disc that includes game demos, preview videos and...
UK gave Just Cause a score of 9 out of 10, praising it for "varied, consistent, imaginative gameplay". The Official Playstation Magazine
PlayStation Official Magazine (UK)
The Official UK PlayStation Magazine is a now-defunct magazine, launched in November 1995 to coincide with the launch of the PlayStation console. It ran for 108 issues, with the last hitting news stands in March 2004. The first issue sold 37,000 copies...
UK gave it 8 out of 10, criticising its repetitive side missions and short story (saying it could be completed in less than five hours), but praising some of the gameplay mechanics.
The game suffers from its share of bug
Software bug
A software bug is the common term used to describe an error, flaw, mistake, failure, or fault in a computer program or system that produces an incorrect or unexpected result, or causes it to behave in unintended ways. Most bugs arise from mistakes and errors made by people in either a program's...
-related issues though, as noted by many reviewers, who feel the game may have been "rushed" to market without sufficient time to fix certain problems. The PlayStation 2 version, in particular, suffers from a number of 'game-killing' bugs that render certain missions impossible to complete, or the entire game unplayable until it is reset. Eidos has not released a patch for the PC or Xbox 360 versions of the game.
GamerNode rated the game 6.7 out of 10, while GameBrite gave it 51%.
PC Gamer UK rated the game an 85%. PC Gamer US rated it 93%
The Xbox 360 version was well received, scoring 9/10 in Play (US) and 360 Gamer UK. The 360 version also stayed on top of the Xbox 360 sales chart in the UK for three weeks in a row.
System requirements
The minimum requirements of Just Cause (PC version):- Operating system: WindowsMicrosoft WindowsMicrosoft Windows is a series of operating systems produced by Microsoft.Microsoft introduced an operating environment named Windows on November 20, 1985 as an add-on to MS-DOS in response to the growing interest in graphical user interfaces . Microsoft Windows came to dominate the world's personal...
2000Windows 2000Windows 2000 is a line of operating systems produced by Microsoft for use on personal computers, business desktops, laptops, and servers. Windows 2000 was released to manufacturing on 15 December 1999 and launched to retail on 17 February 2000. It is the successor to Windows NT 4.0, and is the...
/XPWindows XPWindows XP is an operating system produced by Microsoft for use on personal computers, including home and business desktops, laptops and media centers. First released to computer manufacturers on August 24, 2001, it is the second most popular version of Windows, based on installed user base...
/VistaWindows VistaWindows Vista is an operating system released in several variations developed by Microsoft for use on personal computers, including home and business desktops, laptops, tablet PCs, and media center PCs... - CPU: Pentium 4Pentium 4Pentium 4 was a line of single-core desktop and laptop central processing units , introduced by Intel on November 20, 2000 and shipped through August 8, 2008. They had a 7th-generation x86 microarchitecture, called NetBurst, which was the company's first all-new design since the introduction of the...
1.4 GHz or AMD AMDAdvanced Micro DevicesAdvanced Micro Devices, Inc. or AMD is an American multinational semiconductor company based in Sunnyvale, California, that develops computer processors and related technologies for commercial and consumer markets...
AthlonAthlonAthlon is the brand name applied to a series of x86-compatible microprocessors designed and manufactured by Advanced Micro Devices . The original Athlon was the first seventh-generation x86 processor and, in a first, retained the initial performance lead it had over Intel's competing processors...
XP equivalent - RAM: 512MB
- Graphics: DirectXDirectXMicrosoft DirectX is a collection of application programming interfaces for handling tasks related to multimedia, especially game programming and video, on Microsoft platforms. Originally, the names of these APIs all began with Direct, such as Direct3D, DirectDraw, DirectMusic, DirectPlay,...
9.0c compatible 64MB 3D Accelerated Card with TnL (GeForce4 ti4200/Radeon 9 seriesRadeon R300The Radeon R300 is the third generation of Radeon graphics chips from ATI Technologies. The line features 3D acceleration based upon Direct3D 9.0 and OpenGL 2.0, a major improvement in features and performance compared to the preceding Radeon R200 design. R300 was the first fully Direct3D...
) - Sound: DirectX 9.0c-compatible
- DVD-ROM: 4x Quad-Speed DVD-ROM drive
- HDD: 5800MB free disk space
- Input devices: Keyboard and Mouse
The recommended requirements of Just Cause:
- Operating system: Windows 2000/XP/Vista
- CPU: Pentium 4 2.8 GHz or AMD Athlon equivalent
- RAM: 1GB
- Graphics: DirectX 9.0c-compatible 256MB 3D Accelerated Card (GeForce 7 SeriesGeForce 7 SeriesThe GeForce 7 Series is the seventh generation of Nvidia's GeForce graphics processing units.-Features:The following features are common to all models in the GeForce 7 series except the GeForce 7100, which lacks GCAA:-GeForce 7100 Series:...
/ATI Radeon X1800Radeon R520ATI's "R520" core is the foundation for a line of DirectX 9.0c and OpenGL 2.0 3D accelerator X1000 video cards. It is ATI's first major architectural overhaul since the "R300" core and is highly optimized for Shader Model 3.0. The Radeon X1000 series using the core was introduced on October 5,...
) - Sound: DirectX 9.0c-compatible
- DVD-ROM: 4x Quad-Speed DVD-ROM drive
- HDD: 5800MB free disk space
- Input devices: Keyboard and Mouse