Just Cause 4: how to use the wingsuit like a pro

Learn how to traverse the skies of Solís with grace and style with these useful tips.
By Duncan Heaney

The wingsuit’s one of the best ways to get around Just Cause 4’s massive world - it’s fast, fun and fluid… but it does take a bit of practice to truly master.

Fortunately, we’ve put together some top tips to help you on your way. Follow this advice, and you’ll soon soar around Solís like a majestic eagle.

1. Be gentle with the controls

Rico Rodriguez is not exactly known for subtlety, but the wingsuit requires a gentle touch. The smallest movement of the analogue stick, or the lightest touch on the keyboard, is enough to change your flight path.

To stay on track, dodging trees and other obstacles, you need to make regular, gentle course corrections. Wide sweeps left and are likely to plough you into a rock or send you the wrong way - so save the big movements for when you need to make a sharp turn!


2. Wingsuit from a grapple for maximum momentum

It’s important to know how to get into the air with speed right out of the gate - and like many situations in Just Cause 4, the grapple is your best friend.

Simply use the grapple to launch yourself along the ground, or upwards towards an obstacle. Then, simply activate the wingsuit, and Rico will transfer that momentum into flight. Shouting “Wheee!” as you do so is optional, but recommended.

3. Use your parachute to get some height

Rico’s biggest enemy isn’t Oscar Espinosa or Gabriela Morales - it’s gravity. You can fly around for a while in Just Cause 4, but sooner or later you’ll lose momentum and plummet face-first into the ground.

Fortunately, Rico isn’t a one trick pony - he has his trusty parachute tucked away. Simply switch to the parachute and Rico will shoot up into the air. Then, reactivate your wingsuit and you can keep going - you might even gain a little momentum in the process.

It’s great for extending flight time, getting over large obstacles like mountains, and getting back to shore quickly if you lose momentum over water.

Basically, flipping between wingsuit and parachute (and vice versa) is one of the most useful skills in the game - so get used to doing it!


4. Wind is your friend

In real life, wind is a problem. It’s cold, knocks over the trash, and makes people not want to sit next to you on trains.

But in Just Cause 4, wind is just the best. For example, throughout Solís are wind pockets that can give your wingsuit time a serious boost.

Alternatively you can go full Wizard of Oz and dive headfirst into a tornado, then use the centrifugal force to build up speed and slingshot into the air. Admittedly it’s only useful in a few scenarios, but it sure is fun.


5. Stay close to the ground and use your grapple to stay aloft

The key to long wingsuit runs is to stay close to the ground. Not in a metaphorical “stay out of trouble” way - that ain’t Rico’s style - we mean literally stay within easy reach of the floor.

Connect your grapple to part of the environment, be it the ground, a tree, a building or even a car, and you’ll get a speed burst that will keep you in the air. Smart use of the grapple can keep you airborne indefinitely.

There are risks, of course. The lower you go, the more chance you have to careen into a tree or building, but if you can master the ebb and flow of low-level flight, you’re well on your way to becoming a wingsuit master.

6. Grapple boost while using the wingsuit for a high-risk speed burst

If you’re really brave you can also speed up your grapple with a press of the left trigger - do it right and Rico will spin and shoot forward with incredible speed.

This is a seriously dangerous move - hit a tree or a wall and Rico’s probably not going to get up again. But if you nail it… oh boy, is it satisfying!


7. Pull back to clear cliffs and obstacles - and do tricks

So you’re zooming towards a hill - how do you get past it? Simple - use your grapple and tilt yourself upwards. Provided the incline’s not to tall or steep, Rico should sail right over.

It’s a considerably riskier maneuver than using the parachute to clear obstacles, but it also means you keep your momentum going and your speed up.

If you can remain fast, you can also pull back in the air to do tricks like spins and vertical loops. Just make sure you have enough space available, or poor Rico’s going to be nursing more than a few bruises.


8. Do the wingsuit challenges

There are wingsuit courses all over Solís, that let you test your skills. Some are simple runs of a few rings, others are risky gauntlets that will force you to use every trick you have to succeed.

Each one gives you points towards upgrading your grapple, but that’s not the only reason it’s worth doing them. Perhaps even more importantly, they’ll also build your skills and help you master the control scheme.

Speaking of which…

9. Change the controls if you need to

Some people like inverted flight options - where you push down to go up. Others find it mind-bending and unintuitive.

If you’re find that you’re struggling with the default controls, don’t be afraid to change them. You can do it in the options menu - experiment and find a control scheme you’re comfortable with.


10. Don’t be afraid to fail

Don’t obsess about trying to ‘git good’. The Just Cause series is all about having fun, so just relax and enjoy the ride. Remember - the more you fail, the more you learn, so while your first few flights might end with poor Rico scraping his forehead across a cliff face, you’ll eventually be zipping around Solís with grace and style.

And if not, who cares - watching Rico flail helplessly down a mountain is always funny. Especially if you add a laughter track…

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