Introduction

Strap on your wingsuit, unleash your inner daredevil, and prepare for chaos like you've never seen in Just Cause 4! While it's not exactly Aristotle or even a Shakespearean tragedy, this game delivers a wild playground for those who love explosions, tropical storms, and unrealistic physics. You're here to eliminate the Black Hand, and boy, do you have the toys for the job.

Gameplay

What makes Just Cause 4 feel like a college student's dream project (if the project involved 30 cubic tons of explosives and a dubious ethics course) is its open-world gameplay. You play as Rico Rodriguez, the protagonist boasting more gadgets than Q from James Bond. The grappling hook has been overhauled, and now it can attach balloons and rocket boosters to things (because why not?). You get to swing, fly, and explode your way across various biomes, from sandy deserts to snowy mountains, with the mere flick of a joystick or a complicated button mash that could put your high school prom dance moves to shame. In terms of challenges, the game introduces extreme weather conditions, including tornadoes that feel like they should come labeled as 'Do Not Enter'. The bad guys, known as the Black Hand, become even worse under these conditions as you dodge their bullets while simultaneously combating nature itself. The skill curve? Well, imagine trying to juggle flaming swords on a trampoline during a thunderstorm. Some missions will have you laughing in disbelief while others will have you yelling at your screen like a madman. You'll face off against enemy strongholds and engage in chaotic firefights with AI-controlled allies who sometimes act smarter than your average houseplant (though sometimes they trip over their own glorified shoes). You can call for supply drops, ensuring that you never run out of grenades or what-have-you. Every ignoble action taken in the game seems to escalate the chaos to fever pitch, and it's a good thing. Just remember, if you can't be good, you might as well be good at being bad!

Graphics

Visually, Just Cause 4 stands at the intersection of beautiful vistas with a few rough edges. The gorgeous open-world landscapes mimic a travel brochure for every location you didn't know you didn't want to visit. The weather effects shine, with clouds and storms swirling like your head after a wild night out. However, some have pointed out that it falls short compared to its predecessor, Just Cause 3, resembling the Monday-morning after a weekend binge-somewhat rough around the edges yet hopeful. You'll launch yourself off cliffs against a backdrop of brilliant visuals one minute, but the next you might be stuck staring at some foliage that looks like it was snatched straight from a 90s RPG. So, it's a mixed bag, but honestly, who cares? You can launch a tank into the air from a gondola, and that's what matters, right?

Conclusion

Ultimately, Just Cause 4 is here for one reason: chaos. It's not going to win any Oscars for storytelling, and it might even leave your head spinning, but as a grand 'nuclear cheese' offering of wild combat and crazy environmental interactions, it's wholly entertaining. Engage with brutal weather conditions! Blow stuff up! And remember, life's too short not to abduct a few drones from the skies using a neon-green grappling hook. Just don't expect deep philosophical engagement; the point is to cause good old-fashioned havoc. If you come prepared to have fun, Just Cause 4 has that in spades, sometimes even extra, holding a few 'you can't break this' physics at its core. So grab your wingsuit! Grab a buddy! Grab some popcorn! And for heaven's sake, make sure you don't end up trapped in a tornado while fortifying your battle against The Black Hand. They aren't kidding when they say 'just cause' chaos!

See Latest Prices for Just Cause 4 on PS4 on Amazon