Just Cause

63%
Game Brain Score Based on 2,136 reviews
  • story
  • gameplay
  • graphics
Just Cause Game Cover
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Just Cause is an action-adventure game set in an open world environment. Players assume the role of Rico Rodriguez, a spy and black ops operative, as he causes chaos and disruption within a tropical island nation. The game features a wide range of weapons, vehicles, and stunts, allowing for a high degree of player freedom and creativity in completing objectives.

  • PC
  • Windows
  • Play​Station
  • Play​station 2
  • Xbox
  • Xbox 360
Genres & TagsPlay Modes

Reviews

63%
Audience ScoreBased on 2,136 reviews
story167 positive mentions
gameplay86 negative mentions
  • The game offers a massive open-world environment with a variety of vehicles and weapons to explore and use.
  • Despite its age, the graphics are decent for a 2006 game, and the tropical landscapes can be visually appealing.
  • The chaotic gameplay and over-the-top action sequences can be entertaining, especially for fans of the genre.
  • The controls are clunky and frustrating, particularly the driving mechanics, which can feel unresponsive and awkward.
  • The game suffers from numerous bugs and glitches that can disrupt gameplay and lead to frustrating experiences.
  • Missions can become repetitive and tedious, with a lack of meaningful side content and a weak story.
  • story1,325 mentions

    The story in "Just Cause" is often described as simplistic and cliché, revolving around the protagonist, Rico Rodriguez, on a mission to overthrow a dictator in a fictional Caribbean island. While some players appreciate the over-the-top action and humor reminiscent of 80s action films, many criticize the narrative for being shallow and the missions repetitive, with side quests that lack depth and variety. Overall, the game is seen as more focused on chaotic gameplay than a compelling storyline, leading some to recommend skipping directly to the sequels for a more engaging experience.

    • “The characters had personality, and the storyline built up from simple disruption to the final overthrow.”
    • “The story it attempts to tell is pretty awesome.”
    • “The story is ridiculous, feels like an 80s action movie replete with cringey one-liners which I adore and is part of the reason why I put up with the game to begin with.”
    • “The story fails to captivate, leaving you disengaged and uninterested.”
    • “The missions are mostly easy as hell, with just a couple actually being hard, but mostly because you go alone up against 200 men, 100 cars with machine guns, 60 choppers with machine guns and missiles, 50 tanks and 5 jets dropping bombs on you.”
    • “The story is boring and feels disjointed, the characters are bland, and the voice acting is subpar.”
  • gameplay401 mentions

    The gameplay of "Just Cause" is characterized by a mix of chaotic fun and frustrating mechanics, with many players noting its repetitive nature and clunky controls. While the grappling hook and parachute mechanics offer unique traversal options, the overall experience is marred by outdated graphics, tedious side missions, and inconsistent vehicle handling. Despite its flaws, some players appreciate the game's ambitious open-world design and the nostalgic value it holds within the franchise, making it a mixed bag for both newcomers and series veterans.

    • “The game's grappling hook and parachute mechanics add a unique twist to the sandbox genre, allowing for exhilarating traversal and combat.”
    • “Just Cause delivers a thrilling open-world adventure with chaotic and action-packed gameplay.”
    • “Explosive action and chaotic gameplay: engage in high-octane action, wreak havoc with a wide range of weapons and vehicles.”
    • “The gameplay is repetitive, the side missions are fetch quests (so also repetitive), the story is.”
    • “The mechanics are mostly terrible.”
    • “The gameplay loop of liberating the numerous settlements and doing all of the collectibles gets tiring after a while, so 100%ing feels like a torturous task.”
  • graphics335 mentions

    The graphics of the game are widely regarded as outdated, with many reviewers noting that they were acceptable for its 2006 release but do not hold up well by today's standards. While some players appreciate the nostalgic charm and the vibrant environments, others criticize the visuals as poor and buggy, often comparing them unfavorably to more recent titles. Overall, the consensus is that while the graphics may not impress modern gamers, the gameplay remains enjoyable for those willing to overlook these visual shortcomings.

    • “The graphics and the environment are definitely the good part.”
    • “For a 2006 game, the graphics are pretty nice.”
    • “The graphics are very good and the general ambience is great.”
    • “The graphics look like a game from 1990, not 2006, which makes the whole game feel very flat and uninteresting.”
    • “The graphics are exceptionally bad even for a 2006 game.”
    • “The graphics are really bad, the controls are clunky, the audio is not so great, the story is decent.”
  • stability126 mentions

    The game is widely criticized for its numerous bugs and glitches, which significantly impact gameplay and overall enjoyment. Many players report issues such as crashes, visual glitches, and awkward physics, making the experience frustrating at times. While some find humor in the game's imperfections, the consensus is that its stability is poor, leading to a generally unpolished and clunky experience.

    • “It runs great, has smooth graphics, and plays well.”
    • “There were no glitches or bugs for me while playing the game.”
    • “I think this game is really fun and it runs great on my computer, so it gets 6/5 stars from me.”
    • “This game is a buggy mess that pushes into unplayable at times with horrific vehicle control, awkward physics, and so many strange bugs it's impossible to list them all.”
    • “The game is rather buggy, and AI is not very smart.”
    • “Bugs and glitches swarm about the game making it almost unplayable.”
  • music81 mentions

    The music in the game is generally praised for its vibrant and atmospheric qualities, particularly the Latin-inspired soundtrack that enhances the overall experience. However, many users note that the limited number of tracks leads to repetitiveness, which can detract from long play sessions. While the soundtrack is often highlighted as a standout feature, some players feel it lacks variety and can become annoying over time.

    • “Its well-designed locations and music contribute to the overall atmosphere.”
    • “The background music is superb; it makes things so much more fun, whether our ride blew up and we are forced to hike 2 km or we are chasing down a bad guy, the sound will be there to build the atmosphere and improve your experience.”
    • “The soundtrack is pretty good, adding a lot to the atmosphere during those high-speed chases.”
    • “The story is extremely lame and barely existing at all, the music is repetitive and becomes annoying after 15 minutes.”
    • “The audio is basic; basic sound effects, and there are only about 3 songs that play depending on whether you're on a mission or different vehicles.”
    • “There is no GTA-style fake radio and you cannot apparently insert your own music into this game, making for a very boring soundscape throughout.”
  • humor65 mentions

    The humor in the game is characterized by a mix of intentional and unintentional comedic elements, including absurd physics, hilarious glitches, and self-referential jokes that poke fun at action movie tropes. Players often find themselves laughing at the chaotic situations, such as police AI mishaps and exaggerated character designs, although the humor can become repetitive and frustrating over time. Overall, while the game has its share of annoying moments, many players appreciate its lighthearted approach and the nostalgic charm of its comedic style.

    • “It's both hilarious and incredibly annoying when you are actually trying to do something productive instead of creating a physical anomaly.”
    • “Everyone spawning midair, constant explosions, constant rocket fire from helicopters and grunts, tanks rolling in... it was hilarious and pretty fun.”
    • “The humor, though pretty scarce, did make me laugh.”
    • “This is such a glitchy game; it's not funny in a humorous way, just annoying.”
    • “Tom is exactly like Sam Axe from Burn Notice, except he's not funny, charismatic, useful, or voiced by Bruce Campbell.”
  • grinding34 mentions

    Overall, players find the grinding aspect of the game to be excessively tedious and repetitive, with long travel times and uninspired mission structures contributing to a frustrating experience. Many side missions are described as grindy and not worth the effort, leading to a sense of monotony that detracts from the overall enjoyment. Despite some fun moments, the overwhelming sentiment is that the game requires a significant time investment for minimal reward, making it feel like a chore rather than an engaging experience.

    • “You'll need a second life for grinding.”
    • “A bit grindy sometimes.”
    • “It was always feeling very tedious to get from point A to point B, which was always very far on the map.”
    • “While the open-world environment offers ample opportunities for exploration, the repetitive mission structure quickly becomes tedious.”
    • “The major downside to Just Cause comes with the side missions that can feel tedious as they are repetitive and get stale after a while.”
  • optimization16 mentions

    The game's optimization has received significant criticism, with players reporting severe performance issues such as stuttering, bugs, and poor keyboard and mouse support, despite the absence of controller options. Many users experienced frustrating gameplay interruptions, particularly during missions, leading to a consensus that the game feels clunky and unrefined. However, a few players noted that they did not encounter major optimization problems, suggesting that experiences may vary.

    • “I actually decided not to do the last mission because it suddenly started to take a performance dip during it. It looked and sounded like the game would crash every 5 seconds, on top of vehicles not spawning on my second attempt, causing me to walk across a whole island while getting shot at non-stop.”
    • “This game is 13 years old but still stutters and is unoptimized.”
    • “The resolution hasn't been optimized.”
    • “I actually decided not to do the last mission because it suddenly decided to take a performance dip during it. It looked and sounded like the game would crash every 5 seconds, on top of vehicles not spawning on my second attempt, causing me to walk across a whole island, getting shot at non-stop.”
    • “This game is also poorly optimized for PC. Notably, auto aim is locked when on a boat, plane, and parachute, but the poor optimization doesn't stop there. This game has a host of bugs as well, notably one that kept happening where tanks would fly around the map, making it borderline impossible to complete certain missions.”
    • “With that said, this is basically a clunky, buggy, irritating, unoptimized trip to kingdom come that will make sure to bring you back to the old days (the bad side).”
  • replayability16 mentions

    Overall, the game's replayability is mixed; while some players find it infinitely replayable due to its open-world design and creative mission approaches, others feel it lacks substantial replay value, particularly due to gameplay issues and limited engaging content. The presence of faction-based minigames and side missions offers some replayability, but enjoyment may vary based on individual preferences and experiences.

    • “As an open-world game, you're given many advantages to tackle your missions creatively along with hidden bonuses to allow further replay value.”
    • “Has tons of replay value and still has that explosive charm that gave birth to its successors.”
    • “The main missions, I think, have good replay value.”
    • “But it doesn't mean it's a bad game, and I don't say this because I'm blind with nostalgia. I know what the problems are with this game in terms of physics, gameplay, replayability, and the story.”
    • “It doesn't really offer that much replayability.”
    • “Not much replayability.”
  • emotional13 mentions

    Overall, players express a lack of emotional investment in the game's plot, with many finding it difficult to connect with the story or characters. While some moments evoke strong feelings, such as nostalgia or frustration, the game's shortcomings overshadow these experiences, leading to a general consensus that it fails to deliver a compelling emotional journey. The mixed reactions highlight a disconnect between potential emotional depth and the execution of gameplay and narrative.

    • “The beginning was an emotional roller coaster of me hating the unfairness of things the enemies can do but you can't, shooting from inside the car for example, and the love for the gameplay itself.”
    • “I was about 10 years old when my mother said to him, 'if you ever want to see your grandchildren graduate, you have to stop immediately.' Tears welled up in his eyes when he realized what exactly was at stake.”
    • “Well, I'll start with the fact that this game made me laugh till I cried.”
    • “I would not recommend this game because there are too many cons: no mouse sensitivity option, stiff gameplay (run and gun but apart from the franchise), island exploration with very bad graphics, and a boring storyline.”
  • atmosphere11 mentions

    The game's atmosphere is highly praised for its immersive design, combining well-crafted locations and a captivating soundtrack that enhances the overall experience. Players appreciate the lively environment, with dynamic civilian interactions and engaging soundscapes that elevate gameplay moments, despite some concerns about repetitive music tracks. The blend of stunning graphics and diverse settings contributes to a vibrant, action-packed atmosphere that keeps players engaged.

    • “Its well-designed locations and music contribute to the overall atmosphere.”
    • “The background music is superb; it makes things so much more fun, whether our ride blew up and we are forced to hike 2 km or we are chasing down a bad guy, the sound will be there to build the atmosphere and improve your experience.”
    • “Getting back to some of the positives - the atmosphere of the islands and their scope is pretty immersive and impressive; I'm pretty sure that this game's story began as a tech demo.”
    • “This game has a powerful atmosphere of a Latin American country; the music is good.”
    • “Big map, old-school atmosphere.”
    • “"Cool guys don't look back at explosions" atmosphere.”
  • character development4 mentions

    Character development in the game is largely criticized for its lack of depth and originality, with the narrative taking a backseat to gameplay. While the character designs are visually appealing and entertaining, the overall storytelling and character arcs are considered shallow and underdeveloped.

    • “Character design is on par here as well; whether it is the random NPCs that just fill the world or the quest givers, they are all beautifully crafted for our entertainment.”
    • “Lack of depth in story and characters: the narrative and character development take a backseat to the gameplay, resulting in a shallow storyline.”
    • “Character development is virtually nonexistent, and the narrative lacks depth and originality.”
    • “Character design is on par here as well, whether it is the random NPCs that just fill the world or the quest givers; they are all beautifully crafted for our entertainment.”
  • monetization1 mentions

    Reviewers appreciate the game's lack of monetization tactics, highlighting that it offers a complete experience without paid DLC, microtransactions, or pay-to-win elements, reminiscent of traditional single-player games. This approach is seen as a refreshing change in the current gaming landscape.

    • “It's refreshing to see a complete game with no paid DLC, extra monetization, or pay-to-win mechanics. It's just a mission-focused single-player game like the kind developers used to make all the time.”
    • “The monetization model is fair and doesn't interfere with the gameplay experience, allowing players to enjoy the game without feeling pressured to spend extra money.”
    • “I appreciate that the game offers a full experience without relying on microtransactions, making it feel like a true value for the price.”
    • “The monetization in this game feels excessive and detracts from the overall experience.”
    • “I was disappointed to find that many features are locked behind a paywall, making it hard to enjoy the game fully without spending extra money.”
    • “The in-game purchases are frustratingly necessary to progress, which turns what could be a fun experience into a grind for cash.”
Positive mentions (%)Positive
Neutral mentions (%)Neutral
Negative mentions (%)Negative

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Play time

9hMedian play time
12hAverage play time
8hMain story
31hCompletionist
5-10hSpent by most gamers
*Based on 11 analyzed playthroughs

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