Cert: 15+
Platform: PS3/Xbox360
Genre: Action/Adventure

Much like it's predecessor, Just Cause 2 has all the charm and sophistication of a summer blockbuster. And because of this, thankfully, it does not take itself too seriously. What Chuck Norris was to movies, Rico Roderiguez is to videogames.

Playing again as Rico, a secret agent working for the aptly named 'Agency', you are summoned to travel to the beautifully exotic island of Panau where we discover his close friend has recently gone missing, and it's up to you to find him. And that's pretty much it with regards to plot. The rest is left up to Rico to cause as much 'chaos' as possible. The more chaos he causes, the more points you get. Think Burnout, but with an Uzi instead of a car.

Much in the style of the Grand Theft Auto series, Just Cause 2 is an open-world experience, so you're free to travel around the island as you please, be it in car, boat, helicopter, or by your ever trustworthy parachute. You also have a rather useful grappling hook which is hugely beneficial when you find yourself under attack – you can grapple to the top of a skyscraper and attack from above, or simply grapple on to your attacker and pull him comically off a ledge much to his dismay. The number of ways you can approach the action is the title's greatest strength.

However, the game is not without its faults. The title uses a checkpoint structure to save games, so if you happen to meet your maker half-way through a mission and have failed to reach a checkpoint, you'll be going all the way back to the start and will have to play-through again. This can be incredibly frustrating and this system should have been eradicated years ago. The controls too can be a bit troublesome, but this is mainly due to the fact there are so many ways you can move around Panau, your console just can't seem to keep up.

Solid, fun and entertaining, if you can forgive the few misgivings this is one island definitely worth exploring

Rent or Buy: Rent
Graphics: 4/5
Gameplay: 4/5
Replay Value: 4/5
Overall: 4/5

Reviewed By: Simon Rubbathan