Red Faction Guerilla

-Background Info-
Red Faction Guerilla. My third Red Faction review in two days. Wow. I certainly have a lot of time on my hands. Sure, there are references to Red Faction I and II in this game, but unlike its predecessors, it's a THIRD PERSON SHOOTER!!! This totally changes the game, and it's now a lot more like GTA and a lot less like the other Red Faction Games.

-Story-
In Red Faction I, the Earth Defence Force, or EDF, arrived on Mars to rid the planet of Ultor. 50 years on, the EDF have changed directions and are following the footsteps of Ultor. Colonists were now treated like the miners were 50 years ago: abused, assaulted and killed. Of course, just like any population under the rule of an abusive government, rebellion would form. The Red Faction was reformed, and although the enemy has changed once again, their purpose remains the same. Members of the Red Faction utilise hit-and-run tactics to destroy and sabotage EDF troops and equipment, as they do not have the same supply lines as the EDF.

Alec Mason, a middle-aged man who decided to move to Mars to join his brother and find work, soon realises that not every fine detail was included in the contract. He witnesses colonists being pushed around and verbally abused, and soon finds his brother, Dan, in his car. Dan is a demolitions expert in the Red Faction, and is willing to teach his brother the arts of the "trade". The two brothers head towards an abandoned laboratory and Dan teaches Alec how to use his sledgehammer and remote charges. After the laboratory was destroyed, a gunship hovers in the air, and plans to arrest Dan Mason for being a member of the Red Faction. Dan resists arrest, however, and is shot dead by the machine gun on the gunship. Alec blacks out, and soon finds himself surrounded by EDF. Just as the EDF planned to eliminate the sole witness, the Red Faction runs in and distracts the EDF. Seeing his chance, Alec sees a secondary, more useful funtion of the sledgehammer, and slams it into the helmet of a nearby EDF soldier. Alec runs off in the van, and soon arrives at the Parker Safehouse.

-Gameplay-
Despite being a third person shooter, Red Faction Guerilla doesn't lose much shooting value. In fact, the third person view allows you to see what is going on around you. There is also a slightly different variation on how many weapons you can keep with you. You must have the sledgehammer at all times, and hold three more weapons at the same time. You can swap the weapons if necessary in a Safehouse, choosing which ones would suit the occasion more. The major difference is the objectives of the game, and thus what you need to do. Unlike Red Faction I and II, Red Faction Guerilla utilises the Geo-Mod 2.0 engine to the fullest, focusing less on killing troops and more on destroying buildings. In fact, anything can be leveled with a sledgehammer and rockets if you wish. Also, the gameplay style is heavily altered. Instead of going stage to stage, you can move freely throughout Mars, taking whatever missions are available. Like I mentioned before, this game is a lot like any game in the GTA series. You can steal vehicles and drive them wherever you like, or you can attach two dozen bombs to it and watch it explode in a building. Also, there is an "alert level", which indicates the level of alert the EDF is on (obviously). To completely eliminate the alert level, you can go to a Safehouse, and refill your ammo supplies.

There is also a recurring weapon, on that has been around for all three games, and that is the rail driver. However, this game is not as fun as it could be because it lacks a HEAVY MACHINE GUN! My favourite weapon is the nano rifle, which dissolves anything that the bullet comes into contact with. Another entertaining part is the vehicles. You can drive anything from sports cars to garbage trucks with rockets on the top, an there are also tanks, mobile missile pods and combat walkers available for you to destroy structures with. Did I mention you also get a jetpack?

-Graphics-
This game is full HD, and I can certainly see it. Sure, it might not be as good as some graphics-intensive games, but it certainly does the job. It's always fun to see a gunship disintegrate midair into orange dust after being shot with the nano rifle, and also to see a scout car blow up in a building, along with the two dozen bombs stuck onto it. The blood splatter is not very obvious, so it might be good for people with parents who worry about you.

-Sound-
You can never mistake a building collapsing into a fine heap of debris. The sounds are so accurate that it even makes you think that you could really run around with a sledgehammer and make building collapse by destroying the walls. Personally, I think the best sound effects are with the sledgehammer, especially against the soft flesh of an EDF soldier. A soft thud sound, a crumpled body near your feet and other soldiers not next to you will not notice one single bit. With a little cheats, you can make a body fly so fast it would make holes in walls. Seriously.

-Final Comments and Rating-
A different twist to the Red Faction series, Red Faction Guerilla certainly was not a rushed job. In fact, when I first played it, I expected it to still be somewhat like an FPS. However, after completing my first mission, I felt that there was something wrong. The next day, I realised that I only thought it was bad because it was different, but I soon realised the different kind of fun that I could have. A large variety of weapons, a not-too-steep learning curve and destruction value make the game worth it. However, the slight lack of replay value and not-too-good multiplayer stops it short of being my favourite game.

8.5/10

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