When it comes to wild action and explosive fun, nowhere does it better than Just Cause 4. This open-world action-adventure came out for Windows, PS4, and Xbox One in December 2018, developed by Avalanche Studios and published by Square Enix. Filled with madcap mayhem, stunts, and freedom, it has been adopted as a fan favorite sandbox by players everywhere.
Today, we’ll take a look at the best Just Cause 4 features that have set the title apart from the rest of the games out there. We’ll also delve into why Just Cause 4 is so much fun, the aspects of its open world that set it apart, and gameplay highlights that have kept players coming back for more.
Just Cause 4 Overview
Just Cause 4 is the fourth part of a series of well-known action games in which we play Maximum available on computers and consoles. It is the fourth game in the Just Cause series and the sequel to 2015’s Just Cause 3, and was released for Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 4, and Xbox One on December 4, 2018.
Just Cause 4 is an action-adventure game developed by Avalanche Studios and published by Square Enix. RaisedButton from a distant outpost by his friend Sheldon, protagonist Rico Rodriguez learns the Black Hand, a powerful private army, is made up of his former subordinates.
The game is recognisable for its open-world nature, harsh weather conditions, and freedom to move around. Unlike so many mission-based third-person shooters, Just Cause 4 focuses on creativity and chaos by using physics-based toys: a grappling hook, a parachute, and a wingsuit. With a ridiculous amount of weapons, crazy scenarios, and full-blown stunts, the game is a sandbox sizzle roller coaster.
Top features of Just Cause 4
1. Giant Open World with Extreme Weather Systems
The Just Cause 4 open world is located in Solís, a fictional South American country. It’s a massive 1,024 square kilometers (395 square miles) map, one of the biggest sandbox maps in gaming. What sets this map apart, though, is the extreme weather. Tornadoes rip through cities, sandstorms reduce visibility in desert areas, blizzards cover mountains, and thunderstorms cause flight delays. These are not only visual changes, but they also change the results of missions and the ability to move. For instance, one of the tornadoes can destroy enemy bases or fling vehicles into the air. This means every playthrough is dynamic and random.
2. Wingsuit, Grappling Hook, and Parachute Combo
This is the element known as the best sandbox feature in Just Cause 4. Rico’s trademark equipment comprises a grappling hook, a wingsuit, and a parachute. You have a grappling hook with which to pull objects toward you, ascend buildings, or tether enemies. The wingsuit will let you travel great distances without touching the ground, while the parachute helps control your descent. Combine these tools, and the possibilities of how or where you can travel seem nearly infinite. More than 65 per cent of gamers choose to glide and grapple over riding in a vehicle, according to Steam community stats. And this freedom means that traveling is, in many cases, more playful than fast-travel.
3. Fully Destructible Environments
Just Cause 4 is also known for its tearable, highly destructible environments in open world gameplay. You can blow up fuel tanks, take out watchtowers, set off radar systems, demolish bridges, or even entire enemy bases. Thanks to the game’s powerful physics engine, the explosions look and feel authentic. Causing mayhem is not only fun, it’s the recommended approach.
4. Customizable Grappling Hook
The grappling hook in Just Cause 4 is not just a tool, it’s a sandbox god. For the first time in the series, it is highly customizable. You can pull in air lifters (make them out of helium balloons), boosters (little rockets), and tethers that can engage with different objects. This induces absurd and whimsical play. You can send enemies soaring into the air with balloons, you can stick rockets to cars to send them flying, you can rig up ghastly traps by attaching explosive barrels to buildings. The most fun grappling system in gaming.”
5. Massive Arsenal and Vehicles
The game boasts more than 100 different weapons and vehicles. You have at your disposal drone guns, railguns, rocket launchers, fighter jets, choppers, tanks, and even jet-powered mechs. Rico can request supply drops from friends who let you bring in weapons or vehicles on the spot. It’s this system that means you’re always ready for the chaos, whether you’re in the middle of a firefight or on the attack of a military base.
6. Black Hand Army and Faction System
The game’s main antagonists are the Black Hand. They’re organized, aggressive, and armed with powerful tech. This creates a more challenging feel to missions. And Just Cause 4 is the first in the series to feature a faction system. You free areas by finishing missions, which helps local rebels seize control. And as you take over each liberated zone, new gear, vehicles , and upgrades become available. This system provides the players with a sense of progression while also allowing them to freely explore the open world.
7. Real-Time Physics and Chaos Engine
The game runs on the Apex Engine, developed specifically to wrangle chaos. It drives destructible buildings, realistic explosions, car and vehicle collisions, and dynamic movement based on physics. This way, players can play around without the game crashing on their faces. Whether you’re creating a gaming vehicle to send a jet into a tornado or a role-playing vehicle to explore the treetops, the engine lets you do it.
8. Fun Side Missions and Challenges
The main campaign is fairly easy, but the side content is solid. Among these are stunt challenges, speed tests, flying missions, and vehicle combat. Completing these unlocks new upgrades for Rico’s gear. Side missions are funnier than the main story, according to many players.
9. Mods and Community Content (PC Version)
PC gamers are able to take advantage of an active modding scene. Popular mods include longer grappling hooks, weather control devices, new vehicles, and cheats such as unlimited ammo. This is what keeps the game current and replayable years out. Many YouTubers and streamers also show off many of the creative challenges these mods can offer and keep the community going.
10. Visuals and Audio that Amplify the Chaos
It’s a good-looking game, if not cutting-edge by today’s standards, but it still can turn heads. Dynamic lighting, cloud physics, and different biomes offer visual variety. The level of explosions and casters in this game is movie-quality, and the weather effects are so much better, even when I’m indoors. The sound design is just as good, with rocket launches, building collapses, and windstorms all sounding realistic and powerful. These effects contribute to the general air of chaos and drama in every single second.
Conclusion
Just Cause 4 open world is not just an action sequel; it’s chaos, creativity, and freedom. With great moments in a vast open world, physics-driven chaos, and some of the best traversal mechanics we’ve seen in sandbox games of its generation, it’s one of the best sandbox games of its time. Level by level, whether you’re flying through thunderstorms, tying enemies to helicopters, or blowing up whole buildings just to do it, the game never stops providing new and surprisingly deep systems of options to tinker with.
For the gamers who like the open-ended and don’t just want a story to follow, Just Cause 4 gameplay highlights a real dynamic playground where you can think and play in every moment. Thanks to its moddability and excellent creative gameplay with physics tools, custom grappling hooks, destructible environment, and god rays, it isn’t hard to see why, even years after release, this game is still beloved by sandbox enthusiasts.
If you want a game that disregards the rulebook, and you can rewrite the laws of physics just for fun, Just Cause 4 should be your next play.
