Just Cause 2

Fresh off his liberation of San Esperito, grapple hook–happy, parachutin’ maniac Rico is back for more revolutionary sandbox action. And he’s got a whole new quarter-million seamless acres of fictional Southeast Asian island to explore while toppling another corrupt regime.

Though your goals still revolve around establishing footholds of influence in inhospitable regions filled with heavily armed goons, how you progress is wide open. As Lead Designer Peter Johansson told us: “Chaos is the central theme of the game, and how you cause it is entirely up to you. Everything you do matters; everything takes you closer to your ultimate goal.” Build up the pressure by completing lots of low-key activities or whittling down enemy forces in an area, or take the heated atmosphere to a rolling boil with critical missions or high-profile campaigns of destruction.

Rico’s certainly got the tools for the job: whether you’re on the clock for Uncle Sam or the three rebel factions, or just doing a little high-flying sight-seeing, his signature grappling hook–and-parachute combo lets you hitch a ride and parasail all over creation. Reel yourself toward and hijack one of 100-plus vehicles, ranging from cars, trucks, and motorcycles to speedboats and helicopter gunships. The occupants might not give up their rides as easily as before, but the revamped stunt system lets you clamber around on the outside and convince them to evacuate using dozens of explosive weapons, including pistols, assault rifles, rocket launchers, and grenade launchers. With the help of an improved aiming system, you’ll lock on to a target without sacrificing the fine control a headshot demands.

Your grappling gun is newly wrist-mounted (take that, Batman!) and available at all times, but can also attach to nearly any object: yank unsuspecting guards from towers or haul yourself to the top of skyscrapers for base jumps. And if it’s sheer brute force you’re after, you can always upgrade your vehicles and firearms with more than 2,000 collectible parts on the black market.

Whether you favor surgical strikes or reckless all-out blitzes, Just Cause 2’s simulated bedlam has the potential to be exceptionally gratifying — particularly for the many folks who missed the underappreciated first game.