Just Cause 4 Review

"Bigger, Smoother Booms"

Campaign

Just Cause 4 is a strong return to explosives with solid performance to match. We once again take on the role of Rico Rodriguez as he aims to learn more about his past while battling his most dangerous enemy yet.

This new force is at war with the local population and you must once again become the spark that unites the people to push forward. This is largely reinforced by the new style of progression which directly ties into the narrative. You're fighting against a force that is not only well armed, but one that can control the weather to cause extreme effects.

These are massive and intense extras that will certainly alter the type of experience you're having in the area at a given time. We also were given a fairly solid and personal story which worked well with new characters and some past favorites.

That aside, I will comment on the cinematic scene quality. It looked awful at times and I was shocked by the visuals during these scenes as they came across as something from a couple generations ago. The character models were fine, but they were placed against a world that looked nothing like the place I was used to moving through.

Gameplay

The Just Cause games are all about explosions and freedom in how you tackle challenges. The last title certainly had performance problems and that's largely smoothed out here. The game runs fine with large explosions, complete mayhem and new physics.

These physics are largely present in the tethering system that has been expanded upon and greatly improved. You can send things in the air, tie objects together or just cause complete mayhem for enemies with it in general. There are many vehicles to take use of, these can be dropped in at any time using a special assistance option.

I felt land vehicle handling could have been better, aerial was fine. The general movement of Rico Rodriguez was however excellent as you swiftly moved around using a glider and combined that with a parachute for maximum control. You really can get anywhere using the combination and this is a massive world.

I was impressed by the visuals and vastness of the environments. There are a wide range of biomes to battle through and each region felt distinct. There was always something new to blow up with destruction mattering for other aspects of your work to free the people.

The Conclusion

Just Cause 4 delivers on the explosions, wild action and fun you expect from this franchise. It does all of this while providing you with a stable performance. I really enjoy the characters in this series with the lead being a blast to control.

They really have a grand time going about their job and it was nice to see a more personal dive into his history here. The world offered complete freedom and I enjoyed this system for opening the map up further.

You could go anywhere at any time, but you need to hit certain marks to actually free a region. There are a plethora of environments, areas to free and things to do. I felt that some tasks came across as repetitive, but it was just fun to play.

It's a really great time and the tether improvements were appreciated as it's just a blast to use. The better grip you gain on movement and tether, the more intense you'll be in your conquest to save the area. The severe weather was also impressive, really changed things up.

Read our Shadow of the Tomb Raider Review
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Just Cause 4 Review on Xbox One X
Review Code Provided by Square Enix

Rating Overall: 8.0