If there’s one thing Rico Rodriguez from the Just Cause series is good at, it’s surviving. A fearless member of The Agency, Rico has been through harrowing firefights, car chases, and even ridden atop a warhead in an attempt to disarm the explosive.
But none of that would have been possible if the title itself didn’t manage to survive an event that has buried many titles even before launch. While the character is used to performing death-defying stunts, we now know that the title itself had to jump through several hoops to land on market shelves.
The Odds Were Stacked Against Just Cause 2
While it’s not ideal, some games tend to jump studios and publishers during their development cycle. This usually results in several changes being made to the game. Many times, the title is scrapped entirely as the new studio is in conflict with the progression of the project.
Thankfully, neither of these occurred with Just Cause 2, allowing the title to hit market shelves and entertain gamers. As a follow-up to the first game in the series, the sequel improved upon many existing game mechanics while bringing the player to an even larger sandbox than the first title.
The existence of Just Cause 2 was a surprise to even Christofer Sundberg, the co-founder of Avalanche Studio who developed the title, who has been revealing a fair bit about games he has worked on in the past, such as Mad Max. His surprise stems from the fact that the publisher for the title was changed twice during the game’s development lifetime. The publisher switched from Eidos Interactive to SCi Games and then finally to Square Enix.
Replies to Sundberg’s revelation tweet expressed their love for the game. Just Cause 2 offered players a massive open-world sandbox where they could create chaos as a way to not only blow off some steam and mess around but also advance the story and unlock new gear.
Just Cause May Be Hitting the Big Screen Soon
Considering the biggest mechanic in all Just Cause games so far has been to blow things up, it’s a perfect candidate for a live-action Hollywood release. The people behind big screens seem to have already had this idea, as Universal Pictures is reportedly working on a project for the game featuring the same director who created DC’s Blue Beetle.
Reports state a Just Cause feature film has been in talks for several years, and recent news has stated some significant steps are being taken to make this idea a reality. Sundberg is on board with the project, stating that the game itself is a parody of action movies and it would be a return to its roots.
With a movie possibly in the works, the franchise will cement its place in gaming history. The second and third games were received fairly well, while the fourth didn’t quite hit the mark. However, everyone agrees that all titles are fun games that one can easily sink some hours into.
What’s your favorite mechanic or moment from Just Cause 2? Let us know in the comments below!
