This article describes the difficulty level of games in the Just Cause game series.
Introduction[]
The Just Cause games have varying levels of difficulty. Some only have one fixed difficulty, while others have difficulty levels that can be configured by the player to their liking.
Just Cause[]
The first game does not have levels of difficulty.
However, the PS2 version of the game lets the player choose between having vehicle mounted weapons (including even the mounted gun) be aimed completely manually, or with an auto-aim feature that locks onto the nearest enemy. Strangely, the PC version of the game only has the auto-aim, even though technically it is much easier to use manual aim there.
Just Cause 2[]
Just Cause 2 has 4 levels of difficulty: casual, normal, experienced and hardcore, in order from easiest to hardest. The difficulty affects the size, power, and effectiveness of the Panau Military units that appear during both missions and free-roam gameplay. It also increases hacking (as in the in-game hacking of consoles, not modding the game) difficulty. Other things, like races and collectible items are unaffected.
Missions that involve hacking include:
- Siphoning Gas.
- Hell on Wheels.
- Keeping the Flow.
- The Red or the Blue One?.
- Stronghold takeovers (except two).
- Casino Bust (disarming the bombs).
- Mountain Rescue (rescuing Jade Tan).
- Into the Den (inside the dome).
- A Just Cause.
Difficulty-affecting mods[]
- "Hacking/quick time event - timer" - This mod provides a more generous hacking window, allowing players to handle them comfortably.
Just Cause 3[]
Just Cause 3 has a set difficulty that the player cannot easily configure without modding the game.
That said, some of the feats and challenges in JC3 are extremely difficult to get to 5 gears. The player might have to retry tens of times and the 90+% of the score often depends on luck with random AI road traffic.
Difficulty-affecting mods[]
- "Difficulty+ (3 in One)" - Spawns more powerful enemies, allows their weapons to have higher damage output and increases the variety of vehicles enemies spawn in.
- "SUPER FREAKING HARD MODE (Ultimate Heat Mod)" - Extreme difficulty modpack.
- "Realistic damage" - Lowers Rico's health from 800 units to 60 units.
Just Cause 4[]
Just Cause 4 has two difficulty levels. Compared to previous games, the default combat difficulty of Just Cause 4 (except in some particularly difficult missions) is fairly easy. Enemies are relatively inaccurate and Rico can easily survive them.
To increase difficulty, the player must complete all main storyline missions in the game (ending with Operation Illapa). Once done, head to the menu and return to the main menu. Navigate to "saves", select the save with the completed game, then select "new game+". This will restart the save and the player will be back to the start of the game. Combat difficulty is significantly increased - enemies have much better aim, heat escalates even faster than before and Rico's health is drastically reduced. Also, all Black Hand privates become elites, making infantry combat significantly more difficult. The player gets to keep all supply drop unlocks and grappler mods from the old save.
Although Just Cause 4's default combat difficulty is easier than other games (unless in new game+), difficulty in other aspects is not nearly as easy. For example, some of the hoverboard courses in the Danger Rising DLC are incredibly difficult and require a great amount of skill and sometimes even luck. Some other tasks are difficult to complete because they are seemingly illogical. There are some missions (mostly region strikes, in this case) where the player hack a set of 4 consoles connected to 4 computer screens and make all computer screens turn green. There is no obvious pattern to the way this works; it might even be completely random. This takes quite a while and is based mostly on guessing.
Difficulty-affecting mods[]
- "No grapple" - Removes the grappler.