In Just Cause 4, the grappling hook isn’t just a tool—it’s your lifeline, your weapon, and your personal playground. But if you’ve ever opened the grappling hook menu and been immediately overwhelmed by its layout and lack of in-game explanation, you’re not alone. With no manual or clear instructions to guide new players, this essential feature can seem like an intimidating mess of icons and vague mod descriptions. But once you understand how the system works, it becomes a foundation for some of the game’s most exhilarating mechanics.

This guide breaks down the grapple system in a way that helps beginners configure their gear easily, while offering the first steps into more advanced combinations. Whether you’re looking to bring down helicopters with explosive balloons or fly a mech using boosters, it all starts with understanding the menus.

---

Understanding the Grappling Hook Menu

You’ll find the grappling hook menu nestled between the map and the rebel drop menus. This is where your three main grapple loadouts—A, B, and C—are set up. Each column corresponds to one of these loadouts and is displayed on the lower left of your in-game HUD.

The right side of the menu is reserved for grapple mods. These customize how each grapple behaves—whether it’s the explosive force of a balloon or the directional output of a booster. But let’s not jump ahead. Let’s begin with the foundation: the loadouts.

The Simplest Setup for Getting Started

If you’re new to the game or just the grappling system, start with a simple setup. Each loadout should only contain one grapple property:

• Loadout A: Airlifters
• Loadout B: Retractors
• Loadout C: Boosters

This separation allows you to clearly understand how each function works. Airlifters help lift objects (and enemies) into the air. Retractors pull things together. Boosters launch objects—often with dramatic effect. Each is effective on its own, and learning them separately will help you later combine them more creatively.

Configuring Loadouts: Control Meets Creativity

Editing a loadout takes you to the Loadout Control Menu. Here, you decide how you want your chosen grapple property to activate:

• Column 1: Auto-activation (fires on contact)
• Column 2: Tap-activated
• Column 3: Hold-to-activate

You’ll also assign the activation rate—low, medium, or high. This adjusts intensity:

• Airlifters: Affects how fast the balloon inflates and ascends.
• Retractors: Controls the pull speed.
• Boosters: Changes the thrust power.

In the simple setup, airlifters are set to auto (inflate immediately), retractors to hold (you control when they pull), and boosters to tap (for instant or repeated launches). This clear delineation keeps your combat options flexible and easy to remember.

Advanced Mixing: A Glimpse at Combo Loadouts

While one-property loadouts are great for learning, Just Cause 4 truly shines when you start mixing properties. Imagine setting an airlifter to auto and a retractor to hold—all in one loadout. That way, you can lift an object and later pull it in—two actions using different buttons, same tool. The key is understanding how the control scheme manages activation types independently.

With a bit of experimentation, you can discover stunning synergies that turn mundane objects into chaos machines. But before going full mad scientist, let’s look at how mods take things even further.

---

Diving Into Mods: Tweaking the Tools

The mod panel on the right-hand side of the grapple menu lets you supercharge your loadouts. Each mod has a clear description, so even if you don’t fully understand the mechanics, the interface helps guide your choices.

Let’s walk through configuring mods for each of our simple loadouts:

Loadout A: Airlifter (Anti-Helicopter Balloon Bombs)

• Explosive Hydrogen: Adds damage on detonation.
• Fragile: Balloons burst on contact—perfect for hitting aircraft.
• Float: Likely doesn’t matter, but adds passive control.
• No Limit & Hover: Again, not vital here but ensures float stability.

This turns airlifters into weapons that bring down helicopters without wasting bullets. Fire the grapple and watch the skies rain debris.

Loadout B: Retractor (Tactical Pulling)

• Deactivated Length Effect: Ensures full retraction while keeping objects connected.
• Along: Enables reliable pulling across distances.
• No Power Yank: Avoids breaking connections during fast pulls.
• Faster Retraction: Speed is your friend.

It’s a versatile loadout that can bind enemies to structures, vehicles, or even other enemies, keeping the battlefield chaotic and under your control.

Loadout C: Booster (Rocket-Powered Mech)

• Deactivate on Explode: Prevents booster explosions.
• Lateral & Up: Keeps your mech stable during flight.
• Five Seconds: Boost duration—long enough to get airborne.
• Fast Acceleration: Handles the mech’s weight better.
• No Orientation Lock: Offers freedom for aiming while flying.

With this, you create the “rocket-powered flying death mech,” launching into combat with insane speed and mobility.

---

The Deeper Layers of Experimentation

Despite the simplicity of the menu interface, Just Cause 4’s grappling system hides incredible depth. Between three loadouts, multiple activation methods, mod configurations, and potential property combinations, the number of possibilities is staggering.

The beauty of the system is that it allows you to be creative, chaotic, and clever—all at once. Want to turn a shipping container into a bomb? You can. Want to reel enemies into spinning blades? That’s doable. Want to create a human slingshot? It’s only a few mods away.

As the original guide notes, it’s impossible to document every possibility in one video—or even one article. But this guide gives you the framework to start experimenting with confidence. Once you’ve mastered the basics, the grapple becomes more than a tool. It becomes an extension of your imagination.

So go forth. Tinker, test, destroy, fly, and most importantly—grapple. You’ve only scratched the surface of what’s possible.

Cheers, and happy chaos.