The series of Just Cause it has always been highly appreciated by fans, not so much for the final qualities of the product, but for the freedom left to the player to demolish (almost) all the buildings on the screen. Explosions, shootings, great range of motion both horizontally and vertically; in short, all elements that ensure the user hours and hours of fun. If you are looking for a deep narrative, you have probably got the wrong title, but in the case of this saga there is no evil, because each plot is just a simple pretext to allow you to blow up anything. The brand doesn't take itself too seriously, immediately immersing the user in a series of truly adreanalinic and scenographic situations, in a way really brilliant. We still had in our eyes the opening scene of the last chapter when, in the blink of an eye, without even realizing it, here comes Just Cause 4. The multimedia work had the task of improving the good things done previously, perhaps even going to shore up some small flaws such as the repetitiveness of some sequences. It is enough for you to know for now that, although slightly, Avalanche Studios he corrected this aspect, but with the study's focus mainly on enlarging the modus operandi of the experience. If before the whole adventure was crazy, now it is even more so, going in some ways to rewrite the concept of the term "chaos". Trust me, in some cases the action is so lively and full of effects that understanding something is really a business, in the good sense of the thing.
Long live the resistance!
We had just left Medici the last time we saw him Rico Rodriguez in action and, also in this episode, the script of his life is by no means finished. This time you will be called to defeat the dictatorship onSolis island, a green region full of mountains and huge green grasslands. The dictator on duty is called Oscar Espinoza, and is ready to use the catastrophic Illap project to have control over everything he can. This experiment is named after the Inca deity of storms, since this special technology is able to drastically alter the weather conditions, enough to develop huge hurricanes and earthquakes to bring the whole world to its knees. Obviously not all the citizens of the island are in favor of this tyrant, as soon as he arrives, Rico will create the Army of Chaos, a real resistance that will take care of stopping this group of bad guys named Black Hand. As per tradition, therefore, the plot certainly does not shine for originality, but this in a title like Just Cause it's not a problem at all. Each dialogue and each scene is just a pretext for you to be thrown into the fray to the sound of pyrotechnic explosions, all surrounded by a sense of humor that is not particularly brilliant, but which certainly manages to respect the style of the production and invariably snatch a few smiles. The title, in fact, rather than creativity in directing, offers creativity in destroying things, giving the player his own imagination as the only limit.
THESolis Island it is huge, freely explorable and full of means that will not leave you on foot. Everything has been divided into four different areas, each characterized by a different environmental cataclysm that inevitably binds to the main narrative. How to get around is up to you, you can use a practical motorcycle to get the thrill of speed, use a helicopter to cut above the mountains, or stay on the classic using the evergreen combination of wingsuit, parachute and grappling hook. All areas will be controlled by the Black Hand, your task will be to defeat the enemies to conquer the various areas and place them under the dominion of the Army of Chaos. Some missions are really well conceived as regards the aesthetic beauty of some moments, but others are just fairly linear and repetitive missions, which take advantage of some playful features already seen and reviewed not only in the series but also in other games. This particular type of secondary quests, however, has its importance, since they will be fundamental in order to obtain men for the resistance, fundamental to advance in the various territories. In fact, the reconquest of a specific region will guarantee you bonuses of various kinds such as vehicles, weapons, improved performance in the delivery of supplies and many more. All things that will be very important to enhance the protagonist.
Rain of bullets
No need to go around it, the gameplay of Just Cause 4 it is immediate, intuitive and very practical. Already after the first few minutes, especially if you have played the previous chapters of the saga, you will immediately regain familiarity with the controls. Of course there are small additions, like Gadgets for the grappling hook or a secondary gun for each weapon, which only broaden the gunplay and deepen it further. Obviously you will leave already equipped with a grapple, parachute and wingsuit, but already after the first hours you will get the complete equipment to move in total freedom. There are three gadgets for the robbery: the first is a sort of balloon that will allow you to lift objects and send them into the air, the second is a "rewinder" that will allow you to pull away panels or open particularly heavy doors and, finally, the third is a real booster which provides an important acceleration. The use of the latter is particularly varied and fun, do not limit yourself to the simple uses recommended by the title. By completing the various missions of the characters of Sergento, Javi e Garland, you can further expand your weapon set by modifying even small aspects of the grapple gadgets. The mechanics of Just Cause 4 are many and very different from each other, the ability to combine them makes creativity the most powerful weapon ever within production. On the other hand, some highly publicized environmental aspects have not been exploited with the dynamism with which we expected.
All this very often boils down to killing waves of enemies, whose AI does not stand out, with an endless rain of bullets. In fact, from the very first moment Just Cause 4 it will push you to repress every tactical component, immediately throwing you into a jumble of explosions, particle effects, destroyed structures and much more. One of the things that stands out immediately to the eye is the very large size of the game map, much wider than the previous episode. Some present scenarios are particularly suggestive, giving an exceptional glance in some cases. Here, however, there is a small negative note to report since, leaving out the beauty of the wild and uncontaminated nature, there is nothing to seek or explore. There will be the classic bases to free, and even some urban areas seem to have been made with copy and paste. Asset and gameplay therefore in some cases go hand in hand, without the rhythm being interrupted by something in particular.
The variant that stands out most is the amount of enemies on the screen as in some cases you will be literally surrounded by an army of angry people. These moments undoubtedly increase the longevity of the work, but you will only take out hordes of endless opponents. There will obviously be secondary challenges, and although these try to bring variety into production, they are not very incisive, limiting everything to a handful of options. The production needed to take a next step, but a couple of new mechanics are not enough if they are not made to bear fruit properly within the game ecosystem.
What a beautiful Solis!
Surely the graphics engine gives the title a great aesthetic quality, although in some cases some of the characters seemed unconvincing. However, the real strength is represented by an excellent technical sector, especially if smeared in 15-20 hours required to complete the main mission. Our test took place on PlayStation 4 Pro and everything felt pretty stable, and those few bugs found didn't hurt the experience in the slightest. In some cases, especially the transition between night and day, the light makes it unnatural, but nothing too problematic. The soundtrack remains enjoyable, but no track at the end is really noteworthy, while dubbing in other languages is excellent.
In conclusion we can say that Just Cause 4 takes players to a very impressive chaotic landscape, but which nevertheless adds nothing concrete with respect to the previous chapters. The entire saga should take that definitive step forward, without however having to detach itself definitively from this irreverent soul of his. We refer mainly to the playful elements that make up the experience, all of which have already been seen and reviewed in other productions and which do not give a real variant to the approach. "within, slit, esco, Hello". The title at the end is pleasant, funny and flows beautifully, the perfect gift for anyone looking for an experience without particular commitment and dedication. If you are obviously looking for something deeper, you are obviously making a mistake, also because Rico Rodriguez could blow your hopes up too. If you are a fan of the series you must not miss it, and I want to clarify that the final vote of this review is completely unrelated to my actual enjoyment. Just Cause 4 it drags the classic problems of the series and, although some mechanics have been well expanded, still not enough to create an effective playful component of high thickness. For the rest, you should know that the adventure is totally crazy, with a revisited color palette that blends perfectly with the style. Just Cause 4 is yet another good title in the saga, but it has not yet reached its definitive consecration.
