Just Cause 4 is filled with high-octane explosions and ridiculous stunts. While the spectacle of it all is a literal blast, the world is shallow and feels like a retread of Just Cause 3, a game that launched three years ago.
Just Cause 4 ’s main thrill is in its soulless open world. Blowing stuff up and causing ceaseless pandemonium will make up the bulk of your time there, and in this respect, it’s certainly fun. If your main reason for playing video games is to have mindless fun, J ust Cause 4 invites you to turn off your brain and do just that. It’s a game that is upfront about its frivolousness, and for that reason, it’s hard to knock it.
Creating dazzling, fiery spectacles of infrastructure, vehicles, and enemies can be entertaining and hilarious. If you revel in displays of over-the-top stunts and sheer chaos, Just Cause 4 certainly provides the goods.
But after the debris settles from the symphony of explosions, Just Cause 4 just feels stale. The foundation of its world leaves a lot to be desired, and it does very little to set itself apart from its predecessor. It’s a mostly forgettable adventure that may occasionally have its sparkling moments but struggles to fully ignite.
Rico Rodriguez once again reprises his role as a jack-of-all-trades hero capable of both gliding across mountain ranges and guiding an enemy helicopter into an enemy tank. At first, it seems that Solis, the fictional South American country, could harbor a more gripping tale for our infallible hero. Solis is the homeland of the Black Hand, the organization Rico has quarreled with in previous entries. On top of that, it’s quickly revealed that Rico’s father was tied to the Black Hand’s foundation.
These two bits of intriguing information could make for some great fodder. Sadly, though, this is the same B-movie tale that the franchise has come accustomed to. Once again, your job is to take down a vicious dictator to save the people of Solis.
Cutscenes are sparse and the writing rarely surprises or delights. The one constant pleasure that remains, though, is Rico’s attitude. He’s a funny, charismatic guy that helps keep a smile on your face even when the story plods along as expected.
While the series has never been known to have a strong emphasis on storytelling, it is disappointing to play through a seemingly pivotal entry in the franchise that yet again fails to deliver the narrative goods.
Dismantling the oppressive rule is Just Cause 4 ’s overall goal and it goes hand-in-hand with its mission structure. Rico must assemble an army capable of taking on the Black Hand. To do that, you must recruit troops across the spacious map, which is neatly separated into regions. The loop follows a pretty standard progression. You can expand your reach by taking command of enemy strongholds. Then, on the map screen, you move your troops into the region, which unlocks new items and missions.
