A New and Improved Grappling Hook
Just Cause 4 was one of Square Enix’s big reveals from E3 2018, and the game is actually not too far off with a release date of Dec. 4. In a behind-closed-doors demo with Avalanche, Twinfinite got the chance to see a bit more of Just Cause 4, and some of the big changes coming to the game, especially in terms of its trademark sandbox destruction.
The first thing that Avalanche pointed out was the big changes coming to the grappling hook in Just Cause 4. At its core the mechanic functions the same as in the previous games, letting you latch onto things and propel yourself into them. The big change this time comes with the way you can augment and enhance the grappling hook, changing its effect. For example, in the past when you attached a grappling link between two crates they’d simply slam together. Now you can apply a variety of effects to the hook, making it so the crates create a giant electrical blast when they slam together, causing even more destruction.
A change most fans are sure to appreciate is the fact that you can apply boosters through your grappling hook now, no longer requiring you to be next to the object. You can apply multiple boosters at once again, but it’s much easier and quicker to do so. In our demo, Avalanche hooked a crate to a crane, applied boosters to the bottom of the crate and the side of the crane, and created a veritable wrecking ball by activating everything. The crane swung the crate around up onto the bridge above, knockings cars away like toys in the process. The quick look we got at the game’s menu promised even more variations and modifications you can put on your grappling hook, leading to even more destructive options.
Balloons Are Your Latest, Greatest Tool
While you have plenty of returning tools, there are a few new additions to Rico’s arsenal in Just Cause 4. Primary among these are little weather balloons that you can attach to different objects. In our demo, Avalanche attached balloons to cars making them float up into the air, and applied a mod to the balloons that even made them float closer to Rico as they started to descend. Once you attach balloons to an object, you can choose to release it at any time.
While making things float away then dropping off a cliff is surely fun, the real use comes when you combine the balloons with your other abilities and items. You can grapple to the balloons using them as platforms to jump on, or just use one to get an enemy out of the way. Avalanche showed us how to attach balloons to the top of a crate, then put boosters on the bottom and essentially turn it into a floating platform. At the same time, the items can be used to block roadways, pull off bits of buildings, and more. They’re already a versatile addition to Rico’s inventory, but the ability to mod the balloons and change the way they act opens up a whole wealth of new possibilities.
More Ways to Use Chaos Objects and Weapons Than Ever
Of course, there are new weapons being added to Just Cause 4, one of which was shown during the demo. The Rail Gun lets Rico fire huge concussive blasts that can shatter enemy vehicles and buildings. Each weapon in the game now has an alternate fire mode, and the Rail Gun’s spits out an AI-controlled drone that can give Rico some support fire in the thick of things. At the same time, you can use said drone as a grappling point to launch yourself out of danger, or reach a higher area.
Something Avalanche took time to point out during the demo was something called “The Front.” This is where the enemy army and Rico’s rebels clash, and it’s a constant battle that takes place in Just Cause 4’s open world. As you advance through the game and take down enemy strongholds, the Front will change, reflecting the progress you’re making. While Rico glided over the battlefield, we spotted a Chaos Object, one of the bright red explosives that have been in past Just Cause games. Using the aforementioned changes, Avalanche showed off how Just Cause 4 will let you use these objects in new ways. In this case, they attached two balloons to the top and boosters on the back, launching the explosive tank to the other side of the river as a makeshift torpedo. Avalanche emphasized that there’s more Chaos Objects than ever before, many of them unique in how they can be used.
A Treasure Trove of Vehicles
Vehicles have always been a big part of Just Cause, letting you drive and pilot cars, tanks, jets, helicopters and more. Just Cause 4 gives you more variation than ever adding a ton of smaller crafts into the mix like jet skis, construction vehicles, snowmobiles, and tractors. Avalanche told us there are more vehicles in Just Cause 4 than any game before, and they showed off one particularly important one.
Vehicles will have different aerodynamic properties, which translates to how well each one can resist the intense pull of tornadoes. One vehicle, in particular, is a hulking armored car, the only one that can really make its way through a tornado somewhat safely, according to Avalanche. The armored car let you plow through obstacles and take a few hits from flying debris, whereas something else might have crumpled under the stress. Of course, with all of these new vehicles come explosive weapons on tanks, jets, and the like. Avalanche is really doubling down on giving players more creative options than ever before for causing destruction, and combining all of these elements allows for some great options.
Tornadoes Are Terrifying
Just Cause 4’s big back of the box addition is extreme weather, and while it sounds tantalizing on paper, seeing it in action really puts things in perspective. The second half of our demo had Rico chasing a giant tornado as it ripped through the island. Although Avalanche wouldn’t go into story specifics, apparently there’s a reason behind where the tornado is going, and giant cannon-like Wind Guns constructed by the Black Hand can stop the tornado in its tracks, or even change its route. The objective of the segment was to destroy the Wind Guns and help the tornado continue on its path of destruction.
Avalanche pointed out that the tornado itself is entirely physically constructed, not just window dressing in the background. The disaster picked up buildings, vehicles, items, and everything else in its way, slinging them around with deadly force that could kill Rico in one hit if he’s not careful. The pull of the wind can alter certain aspects of combat, like pulling a rocket fired too close in and causing it to continuously circle around the tornado.
The tornado was absolutely terrifying to behold, and the sandbox destruction of Just Cause 4 worked wonders for the natural disaster. It changed the paradigm as instead of you causing all that destruction, there’s now an unknown force causing everything, making you react to its path of destruction. While the section we saw was story-based, apparently these tornadoes and other natural disasters will pop up in various places around the world to wreak havoc. The Apex Engine and disasters up the scale of Just Cause 4 to ridiculous new levels, and it certainly seems like a gimmick that could almost turn into a game-changer.
