Just Cause is an open-world action-adventure game developed by Avalanche Studios and released in 2006. Set in the fictional Caribbean island nation of San Esperito, players control Rico Rodriguez, an operative working to overthrow the corrupt dictator Salvador Mendoza. The game emphasizes freedom of movement, featuring a grappling hook and parachute system that allows creative stunts and high-speed traversal. With a vast island world, faction missions, and explosive combat scenarios, it introduced the sandbox chaos formula that defined the series.