My favorite action games are insanely cheap right now, so why not play and have a blast blowing stuff up?

When you think "Square Enix," RPG franchises like Final Fantasy, Kingdom Hearts, and Octopath Traveler its published are probably what come to mind for you. What I'm willing to bet you don't think of, though, is Just Cause — a series of single player open world titles that emphasize thrilling non-stop action gameplay and chaotic, sandbox-driven destruction.

These games are an absolute blast to play, and if you've never tried them out, I've got good news: right now, their PC versions are on sale for gigantic discounts at CDKeys. 2010's Just Cause 2 is $3.89 (from $14.99), while 2015's Just Cause 3 is only $3.19 (from $19.99). The most recent entry in the franchise is 2018's Just Cause 4, down to $6.19 (from $39.99). The only one there's not a deal for is the first game from 2006, but I don't recommend it anyway since the gameplay and controls aren't nearly as enjoyable as what you'll find in later entries.

Just Cause 2 | $14.99 $3.89 at CDKeys (PC, Steam)

2010's Just Cause 2 brought Avalanche Studios' franchise into the spotlight with its gigantic and diverse open world and over-the-top action movie-style destruction. The story is noteworthy, too — not because it has substance, but because it hilariously parodies both authoritarian regimes and American interventionism in one go.

Just Cause 3 | $14.99 $3.19 at CDKeys (PC, Steam)

Just Cause 3 is tonally similar to Just Cause 2, but takes players to Medici — a vibrant, colorful nation in the Mediterranean Sea that also happens to be the homeland of protagonist Rico Rodriguez. Every aspect of Just Cause 2's gameplay got an upgrade in this sequel, though its environments are far less varied.

Also see: XXL Edition (CDKeys, Steam)

Just Cause 4 | $39.99 $6.19 at CDKeys (PC, Steam)

Just Cause 4 is the latest game in the franchise, and also a fairly divisive one. It's my personal favorite since it features a setting as diverse as JC2's as well as the series' most advanced options and dynamic conditions for destruction and endless free-roam action, but its story missions tend to focus on things other than blowing stuff up (which is what Just Cause is all about). The writing is considerably more serious, too, which you'll either like or hate.

Also see: Complete Edition (CDKeys, Steam) | JC4 (CDKeys, Xbox)

Play as the ultimate action movie hero

Just Cause 4: Announcement Gameplay Trailer [PEGI] - YouTube

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If I had to describe Avalanche Studios' Just Cause series to you with one adjective, I'd tell you it's "over-the-top." Putting you in the shoes of Rico Rodriguez — an elite CIA agent sent into countries controlled by dictatorships and tasked with destabilizing them by causing as much chaos as possible — the series is basically one giant piece of satire about both authoritarianism and American foreign interventions, with a title that calls the codename of the US' invasion of Panama to mind.

Just Cause is also a fun play on words. Yes, Rico's mission to topple fascist regimes is a "just cause," but it also highlights the franchise's end goal: making it incredibly fun to blow stuff up and play as the ultimate action movie hero, for no other reason other than it's a blast to do so. To that end, the Just Cause games give you carte blanche to roam their massive open worlds and cause as much chaos as you want using dozens of different guns, vehicles, gadgets, and whatever else you can find in the environment.

Just Cause's destructive and physics-driven sandbox has grown larger and larger with each release, but one gadget that's always been at the heart of the series is Rico's grappling hook. Not only is this an incredible traversal tool you can use in tandem with his parachute and wingsuit to fluidly zip across the game's maps, but it also a versatile combat weapon you can use to grapple onto and steal vehicles, pull enemies together at breakneck speeds, send them flying out of render distance, and more. Without a doubt, you'll have hours and hours of fun just messing around with the grappling hook alone.

Just Cause 2 is the game that truly put Just Cause on the map, and while it has fewer options for creative mayhem than later entries do, it also has the most biome-diverse map and the largest cities to use as your playground. Just Cause 3, meanwhile, expands gameplay with lots of new gadgets and takes place on a gorgeous, vibrant Mediterranean archipelago, but mainly consists of the same coastal environments and lacks the environmental variety that fans enjoyed in Just Cause 2.

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Then there's Just Cause 4, which is my personal favorite but also happens to be the most controversial game of the bunch. I love it for its visuals, further additions to the Just Cause sandbox, the diversity of its biomes, and its "Frontline" system that creates endless battles between rebels Rico is allied with and the government soldiers they're fighting that you can freely jump into for instant action. Many, though, strongly dislike that its missions focus on things other than blowing stuff up, and also that taking down its military bases involves boring objectives like "protect this NPC while he hacks a door." The game was also notorious for performance issues at launch (oddly, it ran fine for me when I reviewed it), though these were largely fixed by a "Reloaded" rerelease.

At the end of the day, I love all three games, and if high-octane open world action sounds like a good time to you, I'm sure you will, too — especially when they're this affordable.