The Black Market, initially run by a mysterious figure known only as the Sloth Demon, is Rico’s one-stop-shop for unlockable weapons and rides. Prices can get steep so money management is important and early on it’s all too easy to find yourself strapped for cash with very little ammo. Again, this provides an incentive to explore the land, serving as a means to an end rather than having you traipse around for the mere sake of it. Once the initial few hours are done and dusted, the ability to extract from anywhere on the map to any previously discovered location becomes available. This is an absolute must given the sheer size of the world and is one way in which Just Cause 2 out-performs other games in the open-world genre.

With his slick-backed hair, guns at his side and devil-may-care attitude, Rico is a man more acquainted with last-minute parachute deploys than he is with conversation. This is no more evident than in the numerous cutscenes, as what was once a cocky, womanising charm is now replaced with a serious case of the grumps. Just about every character in the game comes across as self-serving, with Rico himself looking the part but retaining all the charm of a burnt piece of wood. Plot twists can be seen coming from a mile away but the fact you never become invested in the story makes it very difficult to care. Thankfully the gameplay is so chock-full of thrills there really isn’t a need to justify it all.

Anyone lucky enough to own both consoles should consider playing this on the Playstation 3, which wins out due to a smoother look and the inclusion of a Video Capture system. The option to record some of your most thrilling/downright lucky moments then upload them to Youtube comes appreciated and makes perfect sense given the context of the game. Granted, most gamers will use it once then forget it’s even there but as far as extras go it’s better to have something to play with as opposed to the usual injection of concept art. Technical performance is generally superb, featuring amazing vistas, no pop in and few load times outside of the initial boot-up and Black Market extractions.

Though it has a fair few flaws, Just Cause 2 remains a high octane love letter to anyone who delights in exploration and destruction. The developers at Avalanche have succeeded in combining the art of destruction with that of collection and in this respect the game is a breath of fresh air from the usual big-budget titles. The missions are where it flounders most, mainly due to cheap, respawning enemies and an over-reliance on the GTA formula. It can also come across as a one-trick pony at times and true enough, repetition sets in long before the finishing line, but when you can base jump through the clouds, grapple to a moving vehicle then plough straight into a petrol station, only a disapproving parent would fail to crack a smile. Explosive stuff.

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