Just Cause 2

The grappling hook and parachute give you something fun to do between explosions, which makes Just Cause 2 a pretty appealing workout game. I’d keep the pace easy, though, because the game can go from sightseeing to a lot of aiming in a hurry.

Gameplay

The movement is what sells this for me. You can hook onto something, launch yourself into the air, open the parachute, and keep moving across the landscape, and it feels like the game is always giving you a reason to try one more ridiculous route instead of just driving to the next place. I think that kind of busy, physical action is a good distraction from a workout. You’re not staring at a menu trying to decide what to do with your hands.

The size of the world is fun, but it also means getting somewhere can take a while. There are vehicles to use, so you’re not stuck walking across the whole map, and messing around with the grappling hook can turn travel into its own little activity. Still, I’d expect some stretches where you’re mostly getting from one objective to another, and that can feel like a long treadmill walk to the mailbox. It’s a big map.

The action has a nice, loose quality to it. You can get into a fight at a military base or settlement, use the hook to pull things around, and cause enough trouble that the situation gets busier than you planned. I like that the game doesn’t need every encounter to be a careful tactical puzzle. Sometimes you’re just trying to get out of a bad spot with a vehicle and a parachute, and that’s enough.

There are missions and story scenes, so it isn’t nonstop action from the moment you start. But the slower parts are broken up by the free roaming, and you can spend time exploring or causing trouble without treating every mission marker like an appointment. I don’t know how much story you’ll want during a workout, but the game gives you plenty of things to do when you’d rather not sit through one. That works.

Category Score: 3 out of 3

Treadmill and Bike Compatibility

A steady walk is where I’d start, because the camera and aiming both ask for attention, and your hands moving with your stride can make that harder than it sounds. You have full controller support, which is a big plus, but this isn’t a game where every input can be loose and still work. In a firefight, you may need to turn, aim, and get moving before the soldiers around you make the decision for you.

Free roaming is the part I’d lean on while exercising. You can drive around, explore, and use the hook and parachute without needing to hit every shot perfectly, and if a fight starts getting hectic, you can slow your pace or pause for a moment. I’d save the missions that demand more focused shooting for when you’re feeling steady. There’s no prize for trying to aim at a moving target while your whole body is moving too.

On a bike, the controls may feel a little less bouncy, but I wouldn’t call this an easy game to play while tired. You can be cruising along and then get pulled into a fight where enemies are shooting at you from different directions, and keeping track of all of that can take more attention than the workout deserves. I’d keep the resistance and pace comfortable rather than making the game compete with a hard effort.

I can’t tell you exactly how much you’ll want to focus on the story, but I’d treat this more like an open world to wander around than a mission list to clear during every workout. If you want every encounter to be precise, you’ll probably want to sit down. If you’re happy driving around and letting the chaos happen when it happens, it can be good company.

Category Score: 2 out of 3

Computer Requirements

The minimum requirements are modest by current standards, but they do call for a DirectX 10 graphics card, so I’d check that before assuming an older laptop can run it. You don’t need a recent high end computer for this one, and the game’s age is doing you a favor.

Category Score: 3 out of 3

Conclusion and Score

Just Cause 2 is a fun choice for an easy workout if you like open world action and don’t mind pausing when the shooting gets busy. I’d skip it for a hard run where you want to focus on your pace, but for a walk or a relaxed ride, it gives you plenty to fiddle with.

Overall Score: 2.67 out of 3