Just Cause 2
By Marc Saltzman,
Common Sense Media Reviewer
Common Sense Media Reviewers
GTA-like game about killing, sex, drugs, and profanity.
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Just Cause 2
Community Reviews
Based on 36 parent reviews
GTA that has a reason behind it, a 'just cause'
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oh please you sheltering wimps
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What’s It About?
It might not have the marketing muscle as other recent games, like God of War III or Battlefield: Bad Company 2, but the sequel to 2006's Just Cause is generating a lot of buzz among action fans. In JUST CAUSE 2, you return as Rico Rodriguez, an undercover U.S. operative on the fictitious South East Asian island of Panau to track down a former friend and mentor turned rogue agent, who has disappeared with top-secret intel and millions in Agency money. The story also involves the island's oppressive dictator, Baby Panay, and the three rival gangs who are waging war in Panau. As with its predecessor, the game delivers a huge, open-ended "sandbox" in which to accomplish all your missions, which range from search and rescue to demolition to assassination.
Is It Any Good?
Yes, Just Cause 2 is a well -developed mature game. It delivers an exhilarating action experience because of its thrilling and varied missions, enormous island (more than 400 square miles of jungles, cities, mountains, and beaches), many dozens of vehicles you jump in and control (covering land, sea, and air) and clever use of the parachute and grappling hook to pull off fun stunts while fighting (or evading) baddies. For example, players can dive out of a helicopter (or base jump off a building) into a heated gunfight, or fire the grappling hook to stop a vehicle and then reel in an enemy, or become vertical in seconds by pairing the grappling hook with the parachute ("slingshoting"). There are some aiming issues, and a couple of graphical bugs in the game, but overall this surprise sequel delivers an explosive adventure for older players.
Platform Note: All three versions of the game look and play virtually the same.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about whether it's ok for a "good guy" to use violence to accomplish missions. Are we more forgiving of other secret agents in media -- such as James Bond -- or should it be ok in video game form, too? Is there a double standard here? If Rico is taking out thugs, who are murderers and drug dealers, does that make killing them more accpetable than innocent civilians? Or is taking someone's life wrong regardless of the victim?
Families can also talk about the impact of violence on players. Do you think you are unaffected by playing a game about shooting others?
Game Details
- Platforms: PlayStation 3 , Windows , Xbox 360
- Available online?: Not available online
- Publisher: Square Enix
- Release date: March 23, 2010
- Genre: Action/Adventure
- ESRB rating: M for Blood, Drug Reference, Language, Sexual Themes, Violence
- Last updated: August 31, 2016
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