The most horrendous thing about the original Just Cause was Rico Rodriguez’s mullet. It was all curly down the back of his neck and really short on top – basically the man looked like a Billy Ray Cyrus stalker. But, like a lot of sequels, a new game equals new hair, and this time Rico has a much more sensible haircut.

It’s probably down to some streamlining issues he had with the mullet flapping about while he was parachuting over a jungle. But whatever the reason, Just Cause 2 is back! Next year. We’re sure we had this down for being released this year, but Eidos seems to be in the habit of delaying games these days (see Arkham Asylum), so we’re just going to have to wait a bit before we get hands-on with Rico’s new skills and new missions.

One of the highlights in the original that shone above the night-light glow of the rest of the game was Rico’s grappling hook, which enabled you to attach yourself to anything and reel yourself in. You could do this from a parachute and use it to grab on to cars and hijack them, but there was a problem with the way you had to actually select the hook that meant using it quickly was nigh-on impossible.

So Avalanche has fixed this, and in Just Cause 2 the grapple hook is always available on one of the buttons, which means lots more leaping and anchoring than before. There are also a few new things you can do with the grapple hook. Never mind using it to hijack helicopters and (new for the sequel) jet planes, but now you can attach it to some poor schmuck, jump on a motorbike and take them for a very bumpy ride. Similarly you can attach two ends of it to two different enemies and smirk as they bounce into each other and knock themselves out. Or to drag an explosive barrel into a more advantageous range.

It’s not just for attacking enemies, though, as it helps Rico get around while in the middle of a massive gun fight. Rico can use it to zip around an enemy’s base to get to vantage points and to totally confuse the enemy as to what your position is. Being able to shoot from any place while you’re hanging from the grapple hook definitely makes Rico a difficult target to track and kill.

Along with the new haircut and skills with a grappling hook, Rico’s got a whole new island to explore. It’s called Panau, and while it isn’t much bigger than the island in the first game (which was bloody big anyway), it does have much more dramatic scenery and climate. From the sunny tropical beaches and through the forests you’ll eventually climb or fly up to snowy mountain peaks. The potential for vertigo-inducing base-jumping is incredible, and because you’ve always got your grapple hook and a nifty parachute, you’re going to be able to perform some amazing-looking stunts.

… continued