Thursday 11 May 2006
At 35 square miles in size, the world of Just Cause could accommodate GTA’s San Andreas, Vice City, Liberty City and still have room to squeeze in The Getaway’s London. It’s huge. And it’s got the all-action clout to fill every inch with exciting and memorable moments. We’ve just ridden shotgun on one mission, and it’s a corker. Here’s how it all happened.

Undercover CIA agent Rico Rodriguez is sent to the fictional - but very Cuban – island of San Esperito to help overthrow the corrupt government. In the mission we saw, Rico’s handler had given him orders to locate and assassinate a drug dealer, then steal his identity. Rico carries a great gadget - a harpoon-like tow rope - that he can attach to any vehicle. We watched as Rico speared a passing car and, unfurling his ever-present parachute automatically, drifted along behind it.

Next, Rico trailed his target to an airbase, jumping in a small plane as the drug dealer began to drive away. Once in the air, we saw the ‘stunt’ system in action – Rico can jump out onto the wing and even leap from vehicle to vehicle while on the go. It’s brilliant and incredibly stylish. We then watched as Rico let go and started plummeting to Earth, aiming for the target’s vehicle.

Finally, losing his parachute at a safe distance, Rico soared close into the vehicle, shot the tow rope into its bumper and reeled himself in. By forcing his way inside the car he’d finished half the mission already and while completely bypassing the drug dealer’s tooled-up bodyguards. After that, it was a simple matter of driving the car off a cliff and swooping away again with the parachute as Rico’s target plunged to a fiery death. Simple as that.

This is just an average mission and obviously it’s not the only way to achieve your goal. Just Cause is promising the same high-action drive consistently through the different missions, whatever your aim. That sounds seriously exciting. We'll have more on this fantastic title real soon.