Pick The Best Weapons: Just Cause 2 Xbox 360 Weapon Guide
I know you want to blow stuff up. You don’t have to explain why - the title of the game is justification enough. But to blow stuff up you need to know which weapons are the best. This is particularly important in Just Cause 2 because you have the ability to upgrade weapons, and you obviously don’t want to waste time and weapons parts upgrading weapons which aren’t that great to begin with.
This guide covers all of the weapons in Just Cause 2 and rates their usefulness. You’ll be shooting things full of holes in no time!
Pistol
The most basic and most plentiful weapon in the game, the pistol fires shots which don’t do much damage. It is actually kind if ridiculous how pitiful the pistol’s damage is as it will often take half of clip to kill a single run-of-the-mill Panau policeman. The pistol also doesn’t fire very quickly. The pistol’s only redeeming characteristic is accuracy, which is very good. But since Just Cause 2 has a significant auto-aim feature built in the accuracy isn’t much of a benefit. I suggest finding a better gun as soon as possible and I certainly don’t recommend wasting any weapon parts on this.
Revolver
A big, beefy gun, the revolver fires incredibly slowly. Like the pistol the damage this gun does is ridiculous, but in the opposite direction. A fully upgraded revolver can obliterate Panau police jeeps in just a few shots. The Revolver is also fairly accurate. This is a good weapon to pick up and upgrade for taking out tough targets, but it isn’t the best for dealing with hoards of policeman because it fires so slowly.
Sub Machine Gun
The SMG is the first weapon that you’ll receive in Just Cause 2 which is great at taking out groups of policemen. It fires extremely quickly and does reasonable damage per bullet. More importantly, the game’s auto-aim feature makes spray-and-pray while on the run a surprisingly viable tactic when trying to escape the Panau police department. The SMG is also excellent because it can be dual-wielded for maximum carnage, or you can choose to wield only one so that you have the option of throwing grenades and charges.
Assault Rifle
A two-handed weapon, the assault rifle is a powerful gun which feels similar to the SMG but has better range. It is better at killing enemies when they are farther away, but dual-wielding SMGs is a better option for close-in work. The assault rifle is a good all-around weapon, but I don’t recommend upgrading it because it is overshadowed in every way by the next weapon in this guide.
Machine Gun
A very powerful two-handed weapon, the machine gun is probably the best all-around gun in the game. It packs a huge punch, fires quickly and is reasonably accurate at range. When fully upgraded the power of the machine gun is ridiculous. Policemen will go down in seconds and vehicles will quickly agree to explode. I highly recommend upgrading this weapon as soon as possible.
Sniper Rifle
A long range rifle capable of doing massive damage, the sniper rifle is great - but it doesn’t fit the character of the game. Once you shoot someone with it everyone seems to know where you are and are more than happy to come shoot you. That’s fine, but once you’re surrounded by policemen you’ll find that the sniper rifle is ill suited to the situation. The sniper rifle is handy at taking out tough opponents like colonels, but the rocket launcher is even better.
Grenade Launcher
An explosive two-handed weapon, the grenade launcher shoots grenades - duh. It is very effective against both vehicles and infantry and is also useful for blowing up structures to cause chaos. The only problem is that the range of the grenade launcher is limited. It is also poor at taking out Panau army choppers, which is a big problem considering how often you run into them as the game progresses.
Rocket Launcher
The rocket launcher shoots rockets. Who doesn’t love that? As you might expect, the rocket launcher is among the most powerful weapons in the game. I generally find it preferable to the grenade launcher because the rockets are perfect for taking out the Panau army choppers which constantly harass you throughout the game. Note, however, that since you can only have one two-handed weapon you’re going to have to decide between this and the machine gun. That’s a tough decision, and I lean more towards the machine gun, but the rocket launcher is also a lot of fun.
Grenades
There isn’t a lot to say about grenades. They do exactly what you’d expect. You throw them, and then a little while later they explode. They have a significant blast radius and are great at thinning out groups of infantry. They can also take out vehicles, but you have to aim well as a glancing blow won’t do the trick. Because ammo is limited it is often better to use grenades against minor threats rather than a rocket launcher or a grenade launcher.
Demolition Charges
An incredibly fun weapon, demolition charges are essentially packs of dynamite which stick to objects and can then detonated on command. Demolition charges are not only good for demolishing buildings but also excellent for setting up traps. If you want to take out some Panau policemen just sit on a major road, place some charges, and wait for a police jeep to come near. One charge is enough to destroy any vehicle in the game except for tanks and some aircraft.
This post is part of the series: Just Cause 2 Guide
Need help blowing things up in Just Cause 2? This Just Cause 2 guide can help. The full guide includes tips on weapons, missions, vehicles, stunts and general strategy.
