The original “Just Cause” was a unique but flawed open-world game. A variety of bugs, boring missions, and a complicated control scheme soured the fun of exploring the game’s gigantic tropical island. Avalanche’s second installment not only fixes these problems, but presents one of the most enjoyable sandboxes for players to experiment in this side of “Grand Theft Auto.”

Those who played the first “Just Cause” will be familiar with the premise. Rico Rodriguez once again finds himself trying to overthrow a maniacal dictator on a tropical island. To do this he performs missions for three different gangs to create Chaos, the currency that unlocks the main story missions that advance the plot. The story is “Just Cause 2’s” weakest link: It only becomes vaguely interesting towards the end when bosses (and ninjas) start showing up. Aside from their ridiculously bad and borderline offensive accents, the game’s characters are forgettable and one-dimensional.

Virtually everything else is improved, including the missions. You still won’t care why you’re supposed to be chasing down an informant or blowing up a missile as it launches into the stratosphere, but you’ll have a blast while doing it. Even the most formulaic side missions are still fun, thanks to impressive visuals, Hollywood-tuned physics, and smooth controls for the numerous tricks at your disposal.

The grappling hook and parachute still take center stage and make navigating the environment a cinch. Whipping through tree tops and propelling yourself over cliffs and buildings with only inches to spare is exhilarating.

The new ability to tether two objects together is less handy during combat, but can be a lot of fun when goofing around between missions. After toppling a statue of the island’s dictator by tethering it to my helicopter, I spent a good 20 minutes trying to swing the still-attached stone head into the traffic below me like a wrecking ball.

Unlike franchises like “Modern Warfare” or “Gears of War,” “Just Cause 2’s” best moments are completely unscripted, the result of player-driven experimentation. It’s something the game actively encourages: There’s no penalty for dying outside of missions, and generous checkpoints during missions keep frustration to a minimum when something unexpected happens. Perhaps most importantly, the ability to call in a helicopter for extraction cuts down on mindless travel time when traversing the gigantic playing area.

The new island of Panau is not only big, but sports a ton of variety. In addition to jungles, you’ll swing your way through forests, desert plateaus, and snow-covered mountains. Zooming out on your map to reveal the game’s total real estate is overwhelming.

The biggest disappointment by far is the lack of multiplayer, which is understandable giving the game’s ambitious scope, but a missed opportunity nevertheless. But none of these issues diminish the countless memorable moments “Just Cause 2” provides, born out of the spontaneous chaos the player creates while simply exploring the world.

‘Just Cause 2’

9 (out of 10)

PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, PC

Square Enix

ESRB rating: M for Mature

Weekly download

‘Perfect Dark’

For: Xbox 360 via Xbox Live Arcade

From: Rare/Microsoft

ESRB Rating: M for Mature

Price: $10

No piece of entertainment of any kind has aged as gracelessly as older first-person shooters, which look like cave drawings next to their modern counterparts and often play just as unflatteringly. It’s with that in mind that the blissfully nostalgic return to “Perfect Dark” with a level head, lest their memories of 2000’s best shooter undergo harsh tarnishing. “Dark’s” story holds up reasonably well by today’s standards, and some of the things it does with regard to special enhancements — remote-control spy cams, unique weapons with creative alternate fire modes, unlockable mods for a multiplayer suite (four players locally, eight online, with combinations of the two allowed) that’s faster and looser than most modern-day counterparts — are unique enough to still be special. But even with a new dual-stick control scheme, “Dark’s” aiming mechanism and oppressive reliance on auto-aim feel really archaic, and players looking for a lean button will be dismayed to discover they can’t even jump. The smooth framerate and high-definition sheen are welcome upgrades to “Dark’s” rough visual exterior, but neither is nearly radical enough of a makeover to hide the engine’s age.

— Billy O’Keefe, McClatchy-Tribune News Service

Top 10 Downloadable Games

The editors of Game Informer Magazine rank the top 10 downloadable games for March:

1. “The Misadventures of P.B. Winterbottom” (X360)

2. “Cave Story” (Wii)

3. “Toy Soldiers” (X360)

4. “Perfect Dark” (X360)

5. “Mega Man 10” (X360, PS3, Wii)

6. “Xbox Live Arcade Game Room” (X360)

7. “Scrap Metal” (X360)

8. “Dragon Age: Origins —Awakening” (X360)

9. “Hustle Kings” (PS3)

10. “Blaster Master Overdrive” (Wii)

— McClatchy-Tribune News Service

New game releases

The following titles were scheduled for release the week of March 28:

• “Bingo Party” (X360)

• “Star Hammer Tactics” (X360)

• “Gangstar 2: Kings of L.A.” (DS)

• “Bomberman Live: Battlefest” (Wii, PS3, X360)

• “The Mystery of Whiterock Castle” (Wii)

• “T.A.C. Heroes: Big Red One” (DS)

• “Deadliest Catch” (Wii, PSP, X360, DS, PC, PS3)

• “Beach Fun Summer Challenge” (Wii)

• “Kidz Sports: Crazy Mini Golf 2” (Wii)

• “Battle of Atlantis” (X360)

• “Metalocalypse: Dethgame” (X360, PS3)

• “Auditorium” (PSP, X360, PS3)

• “Night Sky” (Wii)

• “La-Mulana” (Wii)

• “Powershot Pinball” (DS)

• “Alter Ego” (Wii, PC)

• “Grotesque Tactics: Evil Heroes” (Wii)

• “Serious Sam HD: The Second Encounter” (X360)

• “Mega Man 10” (X360)

• “Prison Break: The Conspiracy” (PS3, PC, X360)

• “Dead or Alive Paradise” (PSP)

• “Sakura Wars: So Long, My Love” (Wii, PS2)

• “Samurai Shodown Sen” (X360)

• “Again” (DS)

• “The Secret Files: Tunguska” (Wii, DS)

• “Dance Sensation!” (Wii)

• “Grand Theft Auto IV: The Lost and Damned” (PS3, PC)

• “Zeno Clash: Ultimate Edition” (X360)

• “Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 — Stimulus Package” (X360)

— Gamespot.com