Just Brilliant: Try Just Cause 2's MP Mod This Weekend
Happily, "MP," in this case, does in fact stand for multiplayer - not, say, "marching penguins" or "mandible pianos." Nor is it a mangling of the frankly quite spellable word "map." At any rate, I'm devastated to find that we haven't posted about Just Cause 2's still-in-development multiplayer mod, so I'm fixing that. Specifically, its beta will be temporarily grappling/parachuting/plane-surfing into your life this weekend. I've placed a video below to whet your appetite - though honestly, if the words "Just Cause 2 with hundreds of other people" don't do it for you, you're probably... a lost cause. [Puts on sunglasses. Camera pulls back to reveal I've been languidly parachuting away from a gigantic explosion the entire time.]
If you've taken part in the beta before, the team's posted patch notes for this weekend's edition. It kicks off on Saturday at 1 AM PST, which is 8 AM GMT. Unfortunately, however, you can't preemptively download a client just yet. You can, however, prepare by snagging a legitimate copy of Just Cause 2. The devs explained:
"If there is a public beta currently running, you can find the latest version of JC2-MP on our website. You can only join the server when there is a public beta test going on. If there is a public test running, it will be shown on the website."
"No, [pirated copies] are not supported and any bugs or crashes caused by them are ignored. When JC2-MP has been released, servers will be able to require a legit copy of the game, which enables banning by Steam ID."
So that's the basic rundown. I definitely plan on jumping in, as I - like most sane human beings - completely adore Just Cause 2's masterful brand of effortless madness. And in my experience, mods make it all even better. So if multiplayer ups my enjoyment anywhere near as much as a two-mile-long grappling hook did, I'm sold. And if we can eventually combine multiplayer and two-mile-long grappling hooks? Well then, shut down the gaming industry folks. That's it. We've done it. We've done it all.