I’ve never played the original Just Cause, but I sure hope that Rico Rodriguez, the protagonist of that game and its upcoming sequel, Just Cause 2, is a tongue-in-cheek character in the vein of Nathan Drake. Because I don’t think I’d be able to deal if lines like “I thought I was done ... but I was wrong” are meant to be taken seriously, and I’m not immediately getting that vibe from the “No Ordinary Mission” trailer above. (Perhaps you can let me know, dear reader.)

So here’s hoping that the tone of Avalanche Studios’ Just Cause 2 is in line with its awesome-looking gameplay, which seems like it would be right at home in a Die Hard flick or an episode of 24. (Okay, so neither John McClane nor Jack Bauer make use of grappling hooks. They’re still both one-man killing machines who regularly do crazy sh*t that tests a viewer’s suspension of disbelief.) If you’re interested in reading more about the game, check out my preview from E3.

Just Cause 2 is set for release sometime in 2010 on PS3, 360, and PC.