I must admit, Just Cause 2 failed to hold my attention. Despite the beautiful vistas, the open-world gameplay and the varied missions, I quickly tired of the poor driving mechanics, the rather pre-school approach to physics, and the predictable AI of my opponents. It was with a sigh that I finally returned the game to the digital shelf of Steam and moved on to pastures new. To return to the tropical paradise of Panau, I thought, it would take something very special indeed.

The Flying Mod opens up the world of Panau like never before. The author Powerslave takes the very core mechanic of Just Cause 2 and disposes of it by removing the parachute entirely, replacing it with the ability to fly. Not the rather pedestrian gliding flight of a man restricted by a chute, but the pure, unadulterated childhood dream of being a superhero.

The control is flawless. With only a few minutes practise, I was able to speed mere feet from the ground, dodging between buildings and moving traffic before landing atop a speeding military jeep, punching the driver in the face and hurling him into oncoming traffic. Installation is also a simple affair, I was off causing aerial havoc within minutes of clicking the download link.

The sheer beauty of this mod comes from the very open world nature of the Avalanche engine. Just Cause 2 features vast sweeping panoramic views of distant mountains and valleys, and through the power of flight every peak and trough becomes accessible to your very whim. Pick a direction, take a step into the abyss, and soar into the sky. The valleys, bridges and treetops of Panau become your own playthings as you soar on the breeze, sweeping low to follow the path of a river or fly alongside a puzzled motorist.

As an added bonus, the AI seem unfazed by your aerial antics. Free flight is a small step away from the parachuting antics of the vanilla game, so the soldiers of Panau find little difficulty in adapting to your new found freedom. Gunfire from the ground is erratic, yet still occasionally deadly to a overly careless superhero, and enemy helicopters will continue to rattle their cannons in your direction, eager to bring an end to your exploits.

Version 4.2 gives you the ability to switch your flying speed between a graceful aerial ballet and a lunatic ‘faster than a speeding bullet’ option. I’d recommend sticking with the former, at least until you’ve had significant practice, as until you’ve got to grips with it, the latter is guaranteed to slam you into the side of a building before you can say ‘is it a bird?’

I needed something special to bring me back to Panau, and I think I may have found it.

The Superman flight mod can be downloaded from Justcause2mods.com