In my original review-in-progress, I said the game is “unpolished.” But the more I play, the more this seems like a generous characterization. And I’m bothered that its execution is far from flawless. I find myself feeling some sympathy for its adherence to a well-liked formula, but I’m frustrated that it has failed to surprise me in any way. Despite all this, the game offers very little in the way of freshness. Developer Avalanche has had three years to come up with new ideas, to move its series forward. Publisher Square Enix scored a commercial hit with Just Cause 3, presumably adding to the development coffers of this game. And as much I enjoyed that game, I’m not sure I want to play it again, albeit with a bigger map, a different location, and a few added widgets. It feels too much like a replay of Just Cause 3, which came out three years ago. 3.)Īnd yet, despite its sense of abandon, there’s something phony about this game. (Editor’s Note: This article is an updated version of a review-in-progress, originally posted on Dec. It rampages across the meadows of its own fancy, turning itself inside out in a frenzy of disorder. It delights in chaos, its eyes shining in the glare of explosions. Like its predecessor, Just Cause 4 is an unpretentious, unhinged, mad-old-goat of a game, dancing on a windswept hillside to the tunes in its own head.