Vertical gameplay is something we’ve seen explored a few times in the past year. First there was Damnation, a game that started off looking very promising but ended up with horrible reviews, the closing of the developer’s studio as well as a lawsuit. There’s also Dark Void, the upcoming jetpack-fuelled shooter from Capcom which, dare I say it, looks promising as well. But what can go wrong with jetpacks, right?

And then there’s Just Cause 2, a game that has equipped the protagonist with a grappling hook and parachute, a coolness so obvious it’s the winner of our fictional why-hasn’t-anyone-done-this-before awards. And it’s this combination and what the player can accomplish with it that the game’s developers want to sell us on and show off in the video podcast above.

Some new screenshots from the game — due out sometime in 2010 — were sent out earlier today too. Find them here.