Just Cause review

Daddy, where do cheap bananas come from? Well shucks, Billy! Don’t you remember the days after World War II, when the CIA liked to sneak into Latin American countries, assassinate elected leaders and install hand-picked puppet tyrants so corporations like the United Fruit Company could move in and rape the land and people?

You can be part of that rich history in Just Cause, where you’ll play Rico Rodriguez, a CIA agent sent to initiate regime change in a paradise island overrun with power-hungry militias. He's an Antonio Banderas look-alike, in a skin-tight jumpsuit, ready to overtake San Esperito, a 20 square mile nation swollen with lush vegetation, rugged mountain terrain, rivers, lakes, villages and cities. It's all glowing with vibrant color. It's yours to overthrow. And damn if it isn't fun... on your own terms.

You’ll scurry around San Esperito and steal cars, planes and boats, stopping at safe-houses to load up with weapons and explosives. You’ll take missions from either the CIA or the different factions vying for control of the country; at any point you might be sent to kill someone, steal something or destroy some sort of place. After a few missions, it all blends together.

If you prefer, you can buzz around the country like a murderous hummingbird instigating your own fashion of destructive mayhem, Grand Theft Auto-like. It doesn’t quite make sense that a CIA spy is blazing in like Rambo, but it works.