Cut game content from Just Cause

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This article is about all the game content that has been known to have existed before the release of the Just Cause, but was cancelled from the final release. For other games in the Just Cause game series, see Cut game content (disambiguation).

Why and how?

Game developers often experiment with different game features before deciding on a final form. This often results in awesome, or interesting features being cancelled, in favour of something better/different, or sometimes just to save disk space. This article lists what the Modding community and more observant players in general have discovered.

Rico

Rico Rodriguez was originally a muscular tattooed guy with dreadlocks. As the focus testing showed that players wanted a handsome hero rather than the stereotype games hero character, his looks were changed.

Game box cover

• Rico has a mullet haircut on the earliest PS2 and PC box covers. Strangely the in-game character model never had a mullet.
• The scorpion on the first game logo was black. This which was later changed to gold.
• The big white star was at first horizontal. This was later rotated a little.

Setting

When Just Cause was still at E3, Christofer Sundberg said in an interview that the game is set in 1970.

Plot

The original plot involved a kidnapping of the pope, threat of "weapons of mass destruction" and drug trafficking.

The final game does have an alliance with Rioja Cartel; Rico takes the identity of a drug smuggler in the mission The San Esperito Connection and Nuclear missiles are featured in several missions, but any mention of the Pope was cancelled.

Stirling STL-3 Octavio

The Stirling STL-3 Octavio, an airplane with an unusual design, was cancelled from the game. See its article for pictures.

A cancelled yacht

A yacht was cancelled from the game. It would have been among the largest player controllable boats in the game.

Lighthouses

The Lighthouses looked different by having a taller top section.

Guanchiata Island

Main articles: Just Cause Demo and Isla Alegre.

Guanchiata Island, known in the full game as Isla Alegre, is where the Just Cause Demo takes place.

In the demo, the island is much more developed with multiple more settlements and a different road network. It's not known why the area was downgraded. Most likely to save disk space.

Early prototype for what turned into Just Cause

On 2016.10.05, as a part of the ongoing celebration for the 10 year birthday of the Just Cause game series, the official Just Cause facebook account published a screenshot (see below) of from a 2004 early prototype game that evolved into Just Cause.

"Straight from the Avalanche Studios archives - the oldest in-game version of Rico we could dig up. This is from a prototype of Just Cause (even prior to Just Cause 1), dating back to 2004. How about those camo pants? #JCAnniversary"

Gallery

Early concept for Rico.

JC beta yacht.png

The cancelled yacht. The original different lighthouse is also visible here.

The cancelled Stirling STL-3 Octavio.

Earliest PS2 and PC box covers with a mullet haircut, a black game logo and a horizontal white star.

Just Cause Demo/Guanchiata Island map.

Prototype game from 2004.