UK charts: Just Cause 2 takes the lead

By Robert Purchese Published 29 March, 2010

Beats Pokemon. Red Steel 2 struggles.

Square Enix's openworld action game Just Cause 2 has topped the UK all-formats chart.

Xbox 360 accounted for 53 per cent of sales while PS3 commanded 43 per cent. The rest was presumably made-up by PC.

Chasing hard were fresh-faced siblings Pokemon SoulSilver in second and Pokemon HeartGold in fourth.

Prison Break entered in 17th while Red Steel 2 settled for a debut in 34th.

The rest of the Top 10 played out like this: Battlefield: Bad Company 2 in third, Just Dance in fifth, Modern Warfare 2 in sixth, God of War III in seventh, Final Fantasy XIII in eighth, Wii Sports Resort in ninth and Wii Fit Plus in 10th.

SEGA's accomplished RPG Resonance of Fate had a disappointing first week and finished 16th on the PS3 chart and 29th on the Xbox 360 chart. Last Rebellion (PS3), which is rubbish, was nowhere to be seen.

The Settlers 7: Paths to a Kingdom entered at sixth on the PC chart, and Infinite Space - another decent SEGA RPG - showed up in 26th on the DS chart.

The Game of the Year Edition of Batman: Arkham Asylum finished 28th on PS3, but missed the PC and Xbox 360 charts.

Ubisoft's Wii game Racket Sports Party doesn't appeared to have had the Wii Sports effect and is nowhere to be seen.

This Week Last Week Title Platform(s)
1 New entry Just Cause 2 PC, PS3, Xbox 360
2 New entry Pokemon SoulSilver DS
3 2 Battlefield: Bad Company 2 PC, PS3, Xbox 360
4 New entry Pokemon HeartGold DS
5 4 Just Dance Wii
6 10 Modern Warfare 2 PC, PS3, Xbox 360
7 1 God of War III PS3
8 3 Final Fantasy XIII PS3, Xbox 360
9 8 Wii Sports Resort Wii
10 6 Wii Fit Plus Wii
11 15 New Super Mario Bros. Wii Wii
12 13 FIFA 10 PC, PS2, PS3, PSP, Wii, Xbox 360
14 9 SONIC & SEGA All-Stars Racing DS, PS3, Wii, Xbox 360
15 5 Metro 2033 PC, Xbox 360
16 7 Heavy Rain PS3
16 16 Aliens vs. Predator PC, PS3, Xbox 360
17 New entry Prison Break PC, PS3, Xbox 360
18 14 Ben 10: Alien Force - Vigilax Attacks DS, PSP, Wii, Xbox 360
19 23 Mario Kart Wii Wii
20 24 Assassin's Creed II PC, PS3, Xbox 360
21 26 Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Winter Games DS, Wii
22 18 Forza Motorsport 3 Xbox 360
23 20 LEGO Batman DS, PC, PS2, PS3, PSP, Wii, Xbox 360
24 Re-entry Darksiders PS3
25 19 James Cameron's Avatar: The Game DS, PS3, Wii, Xbox 360
26 27 New Super Mario Bros. DS
27 29 Football Manager 2010 PC, PSP
28 12 Command & Conquer 4: Tiberian Twilight PC
29 22 Grand Theft Auto IV PC, PS3, Xbox 360
30 25 Professor Layton and Pandora's Box DS
31 35 Uncharted 2: Among Thieves PS3
32 11 Dragon Age: Origins - Awakening PC, PS3, Xbox 360
33 21 MotoGP 09/10 PS3, Xbox 360
34 Red Steel 2 Wii
35 17 BioShock 2 PC, PS3, Xbox 360
36 38 Peppa Pig DS
37 31 Need for Speed: Shift PC, PS3, PSP, Xbox 360
38 Re-entry Dragon Age: Origins PC, PS3, Xbox 360
39 Re-entry WWE SmackDown vs. RAW 2010 DS, PS2, PS3, PSP, Wii, Xbox 360
40 36 LEGO Indiana Jones: The Original Adventures DS, PC, PS2, PS3, PSP, Wii, Xbox 360

Leisure software charts compiled by Gfk Chart-Track, ©2008 ELSPA (UK) Ltd.

Picture of Robert.

About Robert Purchese

Bertie is Eurogamer's Senior Staff Writer. When he's not hunting down news stories he's often found playing with his kids or gabbling about fantasy games and strange online worlds.

Read more articles from Robert by visiting the Robert Purchese archive page.

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Comments (43) Latest comment 2 years ago

Comments threads automatically close after 30 days, but please feel free to continue chatting on the forum!

  • jaywalker3010 Verified Mastering Manager, Square Enix #1 2 years ago

    wahoo go rico :)

  • matrim83 #2 2 years ago

    Yep well deserved.

  • uglygamer #3 2 years ago

    Yes well deserved. So Just cause, a third party game on the Xbox 360 and Ps3 makes number 1, on the individual charts they must pretty high too. While Red steel 2 a similar rated Wii game gets to no. 34. Hmmm
    Edited by 1 at 29/03/10 @ 09:54

  • RobotRocker #4 2 years ago

    Wow. I know JC2 was heavily hyped and had the benefit of a demo, but to beat both Pokemon games is outstanding when Pokemon still commands a ton of attention and Nintendo marketing power. Kudos to Avalanche.

  • youhavenomail #5 2 years ago

    I see that Sakura Wars: So Long My Love is being advertised on this article's page. That's the closest it's going to get to the charts, but I'm still buying it for the name and it essentially being 'mecha Valkyria Chronicles but not as good as that sounds'.

  • ChrisS #6 2 years ago

    It only beat Pokémon in the sense that Pokémon is considered two separate games. The two best selling SKUs of the week were HeartGold and SoulSilver. JC2 is at #4 and #5 on 360 and PS3 respectively, so the figures are a little misleading.

    Either way, I'd have thought that it's a significant advance on the original.

  • Eraysor #7 2 years ago

    I am really looking forward to the arrival of my HD5850 graphics card tomorrow; Just Cause 2 will be even more awesome than it already is now!

    I hope Pokemon sticks around in the top 10 for a while though, I'm on a massive nostalgia trip at the moment with it.

    EDIT: Also, Red Steel 2 is in the wrong place in the table.
    Edited by 1 at 29/03/10 @ 10:16

  • miiiguel #8 2 years ago

    JC2 is probably going to sell way more than FF13 and most likely was way cheaper and faster to produce.
    Rip big epic jrpgs.

  • woodnotes #9 2 years ago

    Just Cause didn't beat Pokemon Silver & Gold combined though!

    Look:
    http://ww w.chart-track.co.uk/index.jsp?c...

    According to that, it can't have done.
    Edited by 2 at 29/03/10 @ 10:23

  • TRUTH #10 2 years ago

    I thought Just Cause 2 got very repetitive fairly quick. Once you get over the gorgeous world the gameplay becomes a very simplistic with dumb AI shooter - there is hardly any variation in missions!...Played Darksiders, thought this would be ok (got for Ł15), turned out to be a quality action/adventure/puzzle substitute for Zelda...actually enjoyed Darksiders more then the last Zelda game on GC.

    Playing Metro 2033 at moment and am loving this game. Got GoW III to play too, haven't opened it yet.

    Found FFXIII so incredibly boring. To much production with no substance. Characters are annoying with dumb voice acting. All you seem to do is walk, fight, watch a dumb and mostly useless FMV conversation - then repeat for the next 25 hrs!. When reached the cocoon section the game does open up. It's hardly a interactive the world; you can only move the direction the games set path wants you, you can't enter places that look interesting as it's just static backgrounds that look pretty. You have to be extremely patient with this game as it does drag and drag!. Once the world open ups, it becomes a relief... If played rpg's like Oblivion, Fallout 3, Fable II, Mass Effect 2, Demons Souls - FF XIII is quiet a step back with to much focus on dazzling long over the top FMV and beautiful but very static graphics, though the fighting can be interesting it's no way as good as the rpg's previously listed.

    Yep I meant Darksiders (below thanks) not Darkstalkers (Capcom 2D fighting).
    Edited by 7 at 29/03/10 @ 10:52

  • Hughtendo #11 2 years ago

    Horrible start for Red Steel 2, good reviews and a Wii-established brand are not even enough to sell a third party title on the console. I guess Ubisoft knew what they were talking about when they halved their projections for the game.
    Edited by 1 at 29/03/10 @ 10:35

  • patch #12 2 years ago

    @miiiguel I'd be surprised if JC2 did outsell FFXIII, but then it could have sold 5 million copies worldwide in it's first week I guess.

  • markymark22 #13 2 years ago

    I'm not finished final fantasy yet, but when i do i'll be buying god of war 3. Still, 7's not bad for a platform exclusive. Wow pokemon is some cash go, exactly the same game pretty much! Double the sales ha, clever.

  • captainrentboy #14 2 years ago

    I'm 13 hours in on Just Cause 2 and still really enjoying it, suuure there are quite a few 'take over this base' missions which are pretty much identical to eachother, but then there are also numerous fantastic ones dotted around like the one set on the 'Lost' island (which showed off some lovely weather effects too) and the one where you have to blow up three huuuge satelites before chasing down a fourth one using a jet. Ohh and I still haven't set foot onto the giant floating tits club yet. Well deserved number 1 in my opinion.
    And will Ubisoft's Raquet Party being a chart non entry put other developers off making sports compilation titles for the Wii?

  • Monkey_Puncher #15 2 years ago

    Shocked that people actually bought Prison Break...

  • kobashi #16 2 years ago

    Resonance of Fate has had no marketing support at all. Square-Enix dropped the ball!

    Red Steel 2 is another core game on the Wii that looks like it will be another bomba.. Wii owners again not buying the good core games on the console.
    Edited by 1 at 29/03/10 @ 11:35

  • miiiguel #17 2 years ago

    @ truth: also started Darksiders yesterday (though I did pay full price as I always buy them on release day, only yo play them like a couple of months after :/ ), and I'm loving it. Only minor problem is a tad too easy on anything lower than Apocalitptic.

    @ patch: I didn't say it sold, I said it probably will.

  • RobotRocker #18 2 years ago

    @ ChrisS

    Of course, but it used to be that both Pokemon SKU's would dominate the charts at 1 and 2 and nothing would touch them for at least a month. I think Pokemon is starting to lose its luster with the kids.

  • M_of_the_sys #19 2 years ago

    Do I spot a mistake or has Darksiders suddenly become a PS3 exclusive?

    I only tried a tiny bit of the JC2 demo. Judging by people's opinions here, I don't think I'll try much more of it. Sounds like a great game (to everyone here) and I can't afford to want another game. I'm yet to buy GOW III!!
    Edited by 1 at 29/03/10 @ 11:34

  • muscleblade #20 2 years ago

    Soon finished with Metro 2033 second playthrough (theres two very different endings). Great game no doubt. Planning on finally starting Darksiders when im done with that and Perfect Dark. Perfect Dark is just as great as it ever was. I think it looks great in HD and the gameplay is fantastic even today. Skipped Just Cause 2 as it seems to get boring all to quickly from what ive heard.

  • miiiguel #21 2 years ago

    Resonance of Fate has had no marketing support at all. Square-Enix dropped the ball!

    Well, I might be wrong but I think Square doesn't have anything to do with Resonance of Fate, it's a tri-Ace game published by Sega.

  • ChrisS #22 2 years ago

    @RobotRocker I think it's simply that the market's expanded since the years when it would dominate the charts. Pokémon games still sell in huge numbers, both in the west and in Japan. And they can hardly be the most expensive games to produce. And it's conceivable they could be #1 and #2 for a while yet anyway.

    Shame about Resonance of Fate. It's a better game than FFXIII.

  • danathjo #23 2 years ago

    uurrgh...there's goes the chances of JC2 of getting the bargain treatment anytime soon then :(

    /goes back to awesome demo 30 minutes at a time

  • TRUTH #24 2 years ago

    Resonance of Fate...planning to get this. FFXIII is the biggest disappointment and most overrated franchise!

  • Joco84 #25 2 years ago

    Shame about Red Steel 2, I got it on Friday and I'm loving it!

  • goldeneye23 #26 2 years ago

    Shame ON Red Steel 2 they deserve this after stealing my money the first time round with their BS, it was actually the reason I started using these sites so it doesn't happen again lol it might be a better game but I still hope they fail!

  • danathjo #27 2 years ago

    isn't an 8 a good score though?

  • asphaltcowboy #28 2 years ago

    No one else surprised GoWIII has already dropped to 7?

  • gjgjg #29 2 years ago

    good to see metro 2033 still in there

  • KDR_11k #30 2 years ago

    Red Steel 2 is a good game but after all the pre-release hype the release was to little fanfare, I almost didn't realize it came out. I wonder how many other people simply didn't know it was available and a big deal.

  • Retro_ #31 2 years ago

    Personally I think FFXIII is great but I'm happy to be in the monority in this instance. Each to their own I guess.

  • kobashi #32 2 years ago

    @miiiguel

    Yeah I realised that after I posted my message. Nice spot anyway.. :)

  • muscleblade #33 2 years ago

    "No one else surprised GoWIII has already dropped to 7? "

    Its a typical day 1 purchase kind of game. Sells a lot on release but doesnt stay up for long.

  • flaming.carrot #34 2 years ago

    "No one else surprised GoWIII has already dropped to 7? "

    Also, this is an all-formats chart, total sales of all platforms combined, so 7th for a PS3 exclusive is OK really.

  • muscleblade #35 2 years ago

    @KDR_11k

    Most Wii owners are too busy dancing.

    Good action games doesnt seem to sell well on the Wii.

  • miiiguel #36 2 years ago

    Btw, I realy liked what I've seen so far from Ressonance of Fate but I'm not a fan of tri-Ace and their grinding (overkill) games. Their "luck" based drops and monsters spawning is also very annoying. Anyone tried this last one? Any improvements on those departments when comparing to the poor Infinite Undiscovery ?
    Edited by 2 at 29/03/10 @ 14:15

  • xandaca #37 2 years ago

    Thing is, all the games on that list have either been heavily marketed or belong to extremely popular franchises or licenses. Except one, which is tainted by a poisonous name, received the predictable zero backing from its publisher/developer, and is on a console where most owners tend not to read gaming sites. 34th for RS2, quite frankly, isn't bad considering what it, and most other old-school gamer-focused Wii games, are up against. I'm astonished it charted at all.

    That said, it's a revelation of a game. Flawed in all sorts of little ways no question, but the combat is so perfect and visceral, a true showcase for the potential of motion-controls in every form, that all the little niggles or contrivances are easily ignored. It's one of the first games this gen which genuinely feels like it's offering a genuine advance on the traditional gaming experience. Anyone who knows about this game, owns a Wii and didn't buy it is frankly a goon of the first order.

  • axman303 #38 2 years ago

    Is it possible that Just Dance is going to be this years biggest selling title?

  • SilverNeon #39 2 years ago

    Not suprised about Red Steel 2's bad start the hype for the first game was so big people were bound to be let down. Amongst a busy month for big game releases people won't buy into the hype again despite the good feedback this time around.
    Edited by 1 at 29/03/10 @ 15:02

  • captain_Carl #40 2 years ago

    Heavy rain still doing well :)

  • harhol #41 2 years ago

    Rip big epic jrpgs.

    ...or not, seeing as FF13 is the fastest selling game in the franchise so far despite an appalling (by series standards) critical reception.

  • des #42 2 years ago

    Heh,FF13(360)>FF13(PS3)...

  • Bloobat #43 2 years ago

    great to see!!!!!! the game is AWSOME!!!!! I am glad it is getting the sales and attentino it deserves!