Great news for fans eagerly awaiting Just Cause 2, Square Enix has today announced that the action sequel will be released on 23^rd March 2010 in North America, and 26^th March 2010 in Europe, the Middle East and Australasia. Square Enix has also released these five spectacular screenshots to further whet your appetite.

The sequel to the top-selling 2006 game, Just Cause 2 is based on the Avalanche 2.0 Engine, and features over 1000Km² (400 miles²) of South East Asian island landscapes, ranging from snow-covered mountains to sunny beaches, desert dunes and tropical jungle, as the back-drop for some amazing action-oriented gameplay.

“Just Cause 2 offers the freedom to explore and tackle the world in any way you choose,” said Lee Singleton, general manager of Square Enix London Studios. “The grapple and the parachute mechanic will change the way you play open-world games, allowing players to be in the air in seconds, tackling missions from above and using the aerial advantage. If you prefer to stay on solid ground, the choices offered by the grapple are limited only by your imagination.”

The sequel’s plotline sees Rico Rodriguez tackling the military regime of the island of Panau in an attempt to track down his former boss and mentor, Tom Sheldon, who has made off with millions of Agency money and intelligence. The gameplay involves using a grapple and parachute system which enables you to pull off some spectacular moves including grappling a passenger plane in the air, BASE jumping from tall buildings or mountains and hijacking helicopters. The player is free to take on missions in any way they choose, and has access to over 100 vehicles, as well as plenty of upgrades and collectibles.