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It's not surprising that Just Cause 2, a game in which pretty much everything explodes, goes all out with its pre-order bonuses. More than just a simple gun or article of clothing, those who pre-order the game will nab two guns, a souped-up car, a special hovercraft and a unique parachute.

It'll be available on launch day (March 23), so we wouldn't be surprised if those non-pre-orders will be able to pay a little extra for the same perks. Just remember: You earned your Chaos Parachute, and no one can ever take that away from you.

A recent Square Enix press release has dropped some rather unfortunate news in our laps: Just Cause 2 won't be hitting North American store shelves until March 23, 2010 (or March 26 for Europe, Australia and the Middle East). That's quite a ways past the title's original Q3 2009 launch date -- in fact, that's two whole Qs later than we initially hoped.

Oh, well. It's difficult for us to get in a huff about the game's distant launch date. See, as soon as we feel the huff approaching, we simply watch a bit of Just Cause 2's grapple-and-parachute-centric gameplay, and then we feel inexplicably soothed to our very core.

Action movie sequels always aim to be bigger and better than the original. Having played two missions from Just Cause 2, we can unequivocally say it's bigger than the first game, a cult favorite open-world romp starring a South American super-agent with an inexhaustible supply of parachutes. But better? That would require much more playtime to answer.

We've posted no fewer than six videos of Just Cause 2 to date, but this week I had my first chance to actually get behind the controls of the Avalanche Studios developed title, which reintroduces us to Rico Rodriguez, who's bringing his Desperado-era Antonia Banderas looks (sans the long locks this time) to the massive -- yet fictional -- island sandbox of Panau.

We've seen a great deal of media for Just Cause 2 which shows the protagonist's physics-defying grappling hook in action, but the latest Avalanche Studios mini-doc really displays the tool's destructive properties. Here's just a few uses for the game's grapple-arm, as demonstrated in the video above:

• You can use it to stick two enemies together, forcing them in an eternal bro-hug.
• You can whip an enemy into the air, then juggle him with bullets.
• You can pull down giant statues of presumably evil dictators.
• You can attach a man to the back of a small, personal jet, like a can fastened to the back of an automobile carrying a newlywed couple.

In this new trailer for Just Cause 2, you can see a helicopter tow a speed boat into a factory. How badass is that? You can also see protagonist Rico Rodriguez attach an unsuspecting individual to an airbound plane as it's taking off. It's this kind of inventive grappling that really gives the game a flavor all its own and makes this latest trailer necessary viewing for any self-respecting Joystiq reader.

Spider-Man's got nothing on Just Cause 2's returning protagonist, Rico Rodriguez. Sure, Spidey's got a whole host of arachnid super-enhancements -- but Rico's various modes of aerial travel make web-swinging seem so ... pedestrian. The dev diary posted above gives a great look at our hero's proclivity for base jumping, hookshotting, parachuting and helicopter-jacking. We're sure Isaac Newton would have a few hang-ups about the poetic liberties Just Cause 2 is taking with physics -- but you'll hear no objections from us.

Clearly appealing to our more destructive impulses, a new trailer on Videogamer.com for Just Cause 2 is inviting us to the beautiful island paradise of Palau, only so we can tear it asunder in a hail of bazooka fire and trucks tied to helicopters. We're a little ashamed to admit how well the approach is working.

We're holding out hope that when it drops in 2010 Just Cause 2 will be able to deliver on the promise that games like Mercenaries 2 and the original Just Cause were unable to fulfill, because the trailer really does look like a lot of fun. One quibble: Are we the only ones who miss Rico's Banderas hair?

E3 was brütal! If you blinked, for a split/second, you missed something. Even if you were trine to keep up, it was a blur -- staying a.wake like that, you only pushed yourself to the brink of your own dark void. That's where Joystiq comes in; to crackdown on the madness; to reach out ... with conviction -- phew! Crysis averted.

We've scoured the dark corners and survived the inferno to piece together this roundup of all things Xbox at E3. Why? Just 'cause we love you. So, draw nier and shift your eyes past the break.

Now you can see why our preview of Just Cause 2 was so glowing ... it has 62% more chutes! Yes, it looks this good. Lead game designer Peter Johansson from Avalanche Studios takes us through the game with his sexy accent, and base jumping / parachuting alone looks like a hell of a lot of fun. Seriously, why has no one developed a skydiving game? (Mention Go! Sports Skydiving and we'll hurt you.)

Watch the entire video above (it's long) and you'll see why Spider-Man has nothing on Rico. After all, he didn't carry a gun. The original Just Cause was a slightly buggy mess that was caught up in the changeover from the Xbox to the Xbox 360, although it featured some enjoyable and innovative gameplay. This sequel looks much, much better and we'll be keeping our eyes open for more info before it comes out in 2010.

After sifting through the hyperbole of other previews for this game, we walked into our eyes-only preview of Just Cause 2 as professional skeptics. Well color us pleasantly surprised. After spending a few minutes watching Just Cause 2 in action (running on the Xbox 360) we cannot wait to see more of the game. Developed by the team at Avalanche Studios and now planned for a 2010 release, Just Cause 2 picks up where the original left off -- players once again take on the role of Rico Rodriguez, this time forced to hunt down his friend and former mentor Tom Sheldon.

Sporting a completely overhauled engine and intelligent design decisions, Just Cause 2 isn't your average sandbox action game -- it's what Grand Theft Auto would be if it made sweet love to Bionic Commando.

Did your late night Canasta tournament keep you away from your television last night, preventing you from catching all of GameTrailers' exclusive ... trailers for a number of highly anticipated titles that will be appearing at E3? Fear not -- we've got them posted conveniently after the break.

What games are present and accounted for, you ask? Well, let's see (deep breath): Mass Effect 2, Brutal Legend, Lost Planet 2, Split/Second, Brink, DJ Hero, Batman: Arkham Asylum, Just Cause 2, Dragon Age: Origins, Supreme Commander 2, Dante's Inferno, Madden 10, NHL 10, Marvel: Ultimate Alliance 2, Need for Speed Shift, Alpha Protocol and Heroes of Telara. Check 'em out!

Avalanche Studios CEO Christofer Sundberg confirmed to GI.biz that the studio has had to hand 20 employees their walking papers, following the 77 employees the studio let go back in October. Sundberg says that these layoffs will not affect the games the studio currently has in development. Just Cause 2 is still set to appear at E3 next month, and the company is even looking to reveal a new game it's been working on with a publishing partner, though any further details on the project could not be revealed at this time.

Excuse us while we pour one out for the latest homies that have fallen victim to Joystiq's dreaded layoffs tag.

Eidos' surprisingly addictive GTA-clone, Just Cause, is getting the sequel treatment and, according to IGN UK's eyes-only preview, Rico's return will blow the wool socks off your feet and back onto the sheep from whence they were created.

Looking to leave the life of a bad ass, helicopter-jackin' special agent, Rico Rodriguez is forced back into action when his friend and mentor, Tom Sheldon, supposedly goes rogue. Just Cause 2 includes maneuvers immediately familiar to fans of the original. Rico has a seemingly infinite supply of parachutes and grappling hooks, which can be used to glide around the world, hijacking aircraft and vehicles, Pursuit Force style. New to the series is the ability to use the hook in combat, allowing players to grab and throw enemies as well as impale them with the ferocity of a Mortal Kombat character.

Just Cause 2 also attempts to up the ante, as it were, by revamping the visuals -- new screens available on IGN already look infinitely better than the hi-res, prev-gen version released on the Xbox 360 in 2006. Developer Avalanche says the game will include over 100 vehicles and 50 "varied" missions. Just Cause 2 is slated to release on the Xbox 360, PS3 and PC later this year.

Because it's important news, sandbox action title Just Cause 2 is scheduled to free-fall to retailers sometime during Q3 2009. It isn't quite the 2008 release window Eidos was targeting, but whatcha gonna do?

Eurogamer Germany broke the news (translated), confirming the release in the wake of developer Avalanche Studios' layoff announcement and subsequent promise to put more focus on the anticipated (?) sequel. As long as Just Cause 2 gets ample time to cook in the developer oven, the title could soar from mediocrity to something special. Know that putting care into the development cycle is always a just cause.

[Via VG247]

Avalanche Studios is preparing to terminate 77 of its 160-member staff following the loss of two publishing contracts worth $34 million. The Just Cause developer is currently working on a sequel to that game for Eidos, which it says will receive a "stronger focus" after the layoffs, and some other game called The Hunter.

Avalanche Studios' CEO Christofer Sundberg is "positive" the company will get back on its feet, but he doesn't believe the studio will grow to 160 employees again. He says the company became "industrialized and impersonal," and plans to keep the studio smaller from now on.