play station official magazine

083

REVIEW

yet there’s an alarming lack of
variety involved with how you
actually capture them. Almost
every one involves flipping
switches with Rico’s tether,
and from there the only real
variation usually comes from
either A) freeing prisoners,
B) covering a hacker as he
fiddles about with computer
terminals, or C) driving cars
rigged with bombs into the
ocean. Granted, that last one is
a lot of fun. Just wait until you
use a nitrous boost to catapult
a monster truck off the back of
a liner. Exploding vehicle antics
aside, taking these strongholds
can be relentlessly repetitive.

DEAD TO SIGHTS
At least shooting has improved.
Finally Avalanche has given
Rico iron sights. This long-
awaited addition makes Just
Cause 4’s firefights a lot more
accurate than its predecessors,
and while this is hardly a game
of precision, being able to
headshot enemies with greater

VERDICT

Above Almost
any problem in
Just Cause 4
can be solved
by pelting it
with whirlybird
rockets.

Right Tornados
can keep
you in the air
indefinitely.

Above Cause more chaos and you can advance your frontline.

THE OPM BREAKDOWN

ease is certainly welcome. All

we need now is for Just Cause

5 to introduce cover shooting,

and the series will have finally

caught up with the now-12-

years-old original Uncharted.

Rico’s latest is a giant slurp

of sugary soda; a heaping

handful of buttery popcorn. Its

action beats fizz and give you a

rush, but it’s not quite enough

to keep you satisfied. High on

thrills and low on smarts, Just

Cause 4 is a throwback to a

time when there was a place

for titles likes Mercenaries and

Saints Row. Throwaway but still

worth your time, whatever the

game’s faults, don’t blame them

on its hunky weatherman.

A shallow yet occasionally

thrilling sandbox that doubles

down on explosively stupid

antics. The campaign is too

grindy for its own good, and

Rico’s looks are fading, but

this B-tier open world can still

charm. Dave Meikleham

16% Grimacing

at the sinfully

fugly character

models. Ugh.

11% Taking a

rocket launcher

to everything in

sight. Because

why not?

27%Tethering

dudes up with the

grappling hook’s

Air Lifter. Whee!

3%Blowing

’copters to bits

in an armoured

train during a

sandstorm.

WHAT YOU DO IN... JUST CAUSE 4

33%

Ticking off samey

region strikes.

Urge to nap...

rising.

10% Riding a

tornado with

Rico’s wingsuit for

ultimate airtime.

STAT PACK

Number of pilots

you can unlock.

Use them to

airdrop Rico

ammo and

vehicles.

Different guns

you can have

specially

delivered to Rico.

Try the wind gun

• it’s rad.

Region strikes

spread out

across Solís.

Better hope you

like flipping

switches!

120 19 631

Maximum power,

in voltage, that

a real-life

lightning bolt

can hold. That’s

gotta sting.

A gangster-turned-rebel

who helps train the

troops of Rico’s army.

The ruthless leader of

the Black Hand. Loving

the hair, mind.

A brash, tacky director

who Rico completes

stunt missions for.

FRIENDS & ENEMIES

LU

IS

S

AR

GEN

TO

AG

RB

IE

LA

M

OR

ALES

GA

RL

AN

D^ K

ING^

HOW TO... COMPLETE A REGION STRIKE

1 Some of the region strikes are seriously tricky. As a general rule of

thumb,always keep moving, because these bases are swarming with

pesky troops. 2 Rico’s new scanner is your best friend when you’re

tacklingregion strikes. Activate it with to highlight nearby objects,

like switches that need to be tethered. 3 If you’re having trouble

spotting switches, take to a chopper for a better view of your

surroundings (and a fun way to blow chunks of them up, too).

123

IS IT BETTER THAN?

With far better

production values and

a more involving story,

Spidey webs up Rico

with ease.

NO NO

The Road Warrior’s

Wastelandismore

evocative, but Rico’s

high-octane action is

a lotmorevaried.

YES

When it comes to

supremely polished

open-world chaos,

Rockstar’s Los Santos

gem is still king.