Red Faction: Guerilla
Description
Red Faction Guerilla is a third-person shooter game developed by Volition, Inc. and published by THQ and was released on Jun 2, 2009 in the United States. It is a game that is set in 2128 and centers around the protoganist, Alec Mason, a former miner, who rebels against the EDF (Earth Defense Force). The EDF were allies in the original “Red Faction” and in turn has become the main antagonist of this game. Gameplay takes place on the planet Mars.
The EDF has turned to kidnapping and using forced labour in their work camps for profit. As Alec Mason, gamers join the newly re-formed Red Faction in his quest to seek vengeance for his brother’s murder. The game features an array of weaponry, such as machine gun turrets, rocket turrets, remote charges, a sledgehammer, and machine guns. It also features special weapons, like the “Grinder” which is an improvised weapon that launches charged blades at enemies and objects. It also features the “reconstructor” which is only available on multiplayer mode only, and is a weapon that rebuilds destroyed structures. There are over 30 vehicles (APCs, a 6 wheeler cargo truck, a walking construction mech, a tank, etc.) to choose from. The game also features up to 6 online multiplayer modes (up to 16 players on a server in single-player levels) as well as an offline game mode called Wrecking Crew.
Review
There some games that try hard at providing you with a compelling storyline and intricate that confuses you, then there are game that is all about blowing up things and killing enemies that it becomes repetitive and boring. Luckily for the gamer, Red Faction does neither. While the storyline doesn’t overwhelm, gameplay is engaging enough to compensate for the weakness in plot. Here’s a bit of history lesson on Red Faction. The game started on the PS2 in 2001 and was lauded for being an FPS that provides unequivocal dose of terrain freeform with its open-environment. While it did make waves, it did not quite reached high enough to deliver this promise.
The same cannot be said about Red Faction: Guerilla. In this game, gamers are allowed to explore Mars, which is divided into 6 sectors, which must be liberated from EDF control. Liberation comes in the form of destroying structures controlled by EDF, and for every time you do this, the morale of your people goes up, encouraging people to join your cause. Reinforcement becomes even more apparent as you gain the confidence of your fellow Red Faction. The game features a vast array of weaponry that is placed at your discretion, and you can even utilize enemy weapons that are seized during missions.
Red Faction also features a 16-player multiplayer mode that features Anarchy and Team Anarchy deathmatch modes; Capture the Flag; Siege, Damage Control and Demolition mode that utilises Red Faction’s destruction model.
The game’s piece de resistance is its use of the Geo-Mod 2.0 engine, which renders the very realistic destruction physics in-game. The ability given to players to destroy the environment is one of the game’s highlight. Pretty much anything man-made can be destroyed, not just by blowing up the whole thing and see it go up in smoke, but to take it apart piece by piece and watch it topple over, like setting up explosives in various area on a three-story building. For instance, if you take out a wall in the right place, the entire structure above slowly becomes weak, before it eventually crumbles.
As always there are minor faults within the game, like some minor AI glitches. Overall though, this can be easily overlooked when you weight the positive aspects of the game to its negative. It can be safely said that you will be missing a great action experience if you do not check this one out.
