[360/PS3] Red Faction: Guerilla Review

[AgtFox]

Red Faction: Guerilla Review

Title: Red Faction: Guerilla
Platform: 360/PS3 (Coming August to PC)
Developer: Volition
Publisher: THQ
ESRB: Mature
MSRP: $59.99 (360/PS3), $39.99 (PC)
Editor: Loren 'AgtFox' Halek

What's Hot: The graphics, outside of occasional “fade-in”, are fantastic; the destruction you can unleash is breathtaking; the handy - and upgradable - sledgehammer; some set pieces and missions are tense and well done; some of the weapons and items you purchase are quite cool

What's Not: Seems a lot like Mercenaries 2, but set on Mars and with no character; yet another open world game; side missions aren’t optional or supplemental to the story missions; can be quite difficult in certain missions; throwaway story with no thought behind it; synthetically long; not as good as Volition’s previous game, Saints Row 2

What have we wrought? It seems most companies believe we want more open world games and the latest one, the middle of a sandwich between inFAMOUS and Prototype, is Red Faction: Guerilla. Taken from its previous first-person shooter lineage and reset into a third-person destruct-a-thon, Volition has taken a bit of a gamble in regards to fans of the series. Now, this is the same developer who created the Saints Row games, although this is a more methodical open world and down to Mars (instead of Earth) shooter than those games.

You play Alec Mason, newly relocated to Mars. The game opens up with him talking to his brother, Dan, about how he missed their father’s death and that their mom misses the brother. Soon enough we find out Alec’s brother is entrenched with the Red Faction on Mars, a group that once took down the Ultor Corporation and is now attempting to take down the Earth Defense Force. Alec’s brother dies early on (this really isn’t a spoiler since it happens so early) and Alec makes it his task to join the Red Faction and take down the EDF, freeing Mars in the process. Throw all logic out the door since it is believed this is Alec’s first trip to Mars, so why would he really care about the people? Pretty simple setup and as you progress through the storyline you will find it is quite cookie cutter in its Science Fiction trappings and that you never feel for any of the characters. They’re just there to serve a continuance of the story.

You are given your trusty sledgehammer from your brother, a weapon that will be used throughout the game and is permanently attributed to the A button (on the 360) when using the quick change (press of the right button) or weapon selection (holding down the right button and clicking whichever face button of the weapon you want to use). The sledgehammer is capable of reigning destruction on pretty much anything and is a good tool to use to take down all the buildings that you will need to destroy. This game certainly does a good job showing off destruction and physics. Depending on how you hit (or blow up) a structure, simple physics will rule the day with the new GeoMod 2.0 Engine. You could make it so that a structure tips one way into another structure for instance or you could make it so it topples onto a bunch of EDF forces. Most of the time I found myself just wanting to destroy the targeted buildings and not really worrying about what kind of chain reaction I can get. Alec is outnumbered in this game at almost every turn and any breathing room you can find is greatly appreciated.

There are many things this game has going for it. First off is the GeoMod 2.0 Engine and all the physics it entails. This also translates well to the graphics. This is indeed a nice looking game with some “fade-in” of mountains in certain sections of the game. Mars itself isn’t densely populated outside of cars driving around and some people here and there. It certainly isn’t as busy as many other open world games out there, which is probably why the graphics are so nice and the framerate is relatively smooth until the last area where you go balls out on a tank. Then it can slowdown a bit and probably answers why you were never in a tank before. The vehicles and especially the mechs you can drive are nice. The vehicles are a little loose and some are equipped with weapons while others are not. You will be glad when a mech shows itself because they are rarely found in the game. Mechs can unleash a lot of damage and there were many missions where I wished one was available because of that.

As I was playing, the destruction model of course made me think about one of the games I think is a diamond in the rough, Mercenaries 2: World in Flames. Yes, there were graphical problems in that game, many people didn’t find it as good as the first one and most critics panned it, but that game had character and you could blow up pretty much everything but not with the physics this game presents. This game lacks that character in it and later on in the game where you were once having fun you no longer are or at least I wasn’t.

This isn’t to say Red Faction: Guerilla is a bad game, it just doesn’t have that something extra that kept me overly interested throughout the campaign. The first problem I had reared its ugly head early on when I found out you had to complete side missions to bring down the EDF power level in order to unlock the last mission in each section of the game (Parker, Dust, The Badlands, Oasis, Eos and the Fire Free Zone). Each mission often had a “Control” number tied to it on the map. That would mean if you completed the mission the EDF’s power level would be deducted by that much until it reached zero and unlocked the last mission. This is all fine and early on I was enjoying myself quite a bit, but as the game wore on I became quite perturbed having to finish all these side missions when I really just want to go through the main 20 missions. At some point along the way I lost count of how long it actually took me to beat the game, but it had to be over 15 hours. I was killed numerous time, but a lot of that time was spent doing the side missions which could be a long distance away when all I really wanted to do was get through those story missions.

The second problem is the need to collect salvage in the game. As you destroy objects and buildings, they often will leave blinking blue salvage. You collect this to be able to upgrade your current weapons as well as unlock new ones via the main character Sam, a handywoman. There were some upgrades along the way I wish I wouldn’t have made, but for the most part it is set up pretty well and you should have a good idea of what to buy in order to help you. After getting the rocket launcher, I pretty much outfitted myself with that, the pistol (which is really handy) and the assault rifle along with my sledgehammer. Early on you’ll be using mines that stick to walls to destroy buildings more quickly, but the rocket launcher really does a good job at that as well. Towards the end of the game you receive access to items that you MUST have and I found myself having to do salvage heavy side missions in order to accumulate enough to buy these things. The salvage heavy side missions usually revolve around destruction of a building when given a certain amount and kinds of weapons with which to do so. Early on the destruction mini-games were cool, but like the other side missions they just kind of wore thin for me.

It is hard for this game to stand up to something like another recently released open world game, inFAMOUS, simply because I enjoyed the ability to not have to go through the side missions if I chose not to. You could literally go through that game without doing any side missions at all. With this game, the side missions become a necessity and they often fall into the repetitive syndrome we saw in a game like Assassin’s Creed, a fantastic game brought down by having to repeat mini-games in order to get to the next assassination attempt. Here you are doing side missions in order to unlock and finish the final mission and continue on to the next section of Mars. I guess I just enjoy the open world games that give you the choice to do side missions or use said side missions as a supplement to the story. This game does neither thing and it bothered me a bit.

The game also has a gametype called Wrecking Crew where you and your local friends can destroy objects. I only played this a bit since I really have no one locally to play it with. The multiplayer options are also interesting. I didn’t play it here in the retail release, but I did play quite a bit of it during the multiplayer demo that came out. It is basically your standard fare for multiplayer gaming, but when you have jet packs, stealth packs, rockets and other things it can get quite interesting.

In the end, much like Assassin’s Creed, Red Faction: Guerilla is a good game sucked into the trappings of making non-storyline side missions a necessity to continue through the main quest. It is weird that the same Volition that brought us Saints Row 2 has presented us with this game. Both games are of the open world variety, but I find Saints Row 2 to be far more enjoyable where this game makes me feel like I’m going through the motions in order to complete the game. Saints Row 2 also had plenty of character and a good story, both of which are absent here. I know I sound overly negative with this game, but it is certainly worth a look for anyone that likes excellent graphics, fully destructible buildings and a change of pace from the two superpower laced open world games of inFAMOUS and Prototype. You also may like the side missions that became tedious to me and you may not be bothered by how they lengthen the game synthetically. If this game was left to just the main 20 missions, it would have been over quickly in my estimation. Red Faction: Guerilla is a good game, but it just doesn’t have that extra something that other games I noted in this review have, something that makes it stand out above the rest of the glut of open world games available to us.

Score: 3.5 out of 5 CoGs


Loren says,”Red Faction: Guerilla is a good game mired by an overly long campaign because of the necessity to do side missions in order to progress through the main missions instead of using them as an option. These side missions also became repetitive and eventually annoying to me. I understand why they put them there because the story missions themselves would see you blowing through the game in no time. Ultimately a rental is the best option, but other reviewers out there certainly disagree with me.”

*Note - Review based upon the 360 version of game

[Poedonk]

I have to disagree entirely. I found the new Red Faction to be fantastic all around.

I want to argue that though likened to Assassin's Creed in the review, RFG is very different all around. It seems to borrow from many different games to put together an amalgamation of fantastic gaming. Assasin's Creed seeps through on the navigation and side missions, GTA in travel and side missions, Tribes in the multiplayer, COD 4: in the artillery support mission. Yet it still stands alone as a unique gaming experience.

Single player aside, which I thought was fantastic, the review only touched on the multiplayer very briefly. I sat down last night and tried the wrecking crew out with a friend, which does provide an hour or two of interesting play, it's a neat little option for local multiplayer. The online multiplay is fantastic however. Jumpacks alone provide an interesting twist we haven't seen since tribes, mix in the Rhino, Thrust, etc etc and RFG's very interesting mix of weapons and you have a load of fun. It also contains some interesting gaming options, like building destruction oriented modes that pose a new way to play. This coupled with the dynamic of destructable urban environments just makes for a load of fun.

I will note the exp system in mutliplay is odd at best, but does provide new skins and icons as you level up, but keeps the playing board equal, not giving an advantage equipment wise to veteran players.

I hope my second look gives those who were hopeful for the game a push to go try it out.

9/10

[TrackZero]

Originally Posted by Poedonk

I have to disagree entirely. I found the new Red Faction to be fantastic all around.

I want to argue that though likened to Assassin's Creed in the review, RFG is very different all around. It seems to borrow from many different games to put together an amalgamation of fantastic gaming. Assasin's Creed seeps through on the navigation and side missions, GTA in travel and side missions, Tribes in the multiplayer, COD 4: in the artillery support mission. Yet it still stands alone as a unique gaming experience.

Loren's comparison of required, repetitive side missions to progress the main story is accurate. Perhaps you mis-read it.

It's good you think the Multiplayer makes up for any issues though, to each their own.

[AgtFox]

Originally Posted by Poedonk

I want to argue that though likened to Assassin's Creed in the review, RFG is very different all around. It seems to borrow from many different games to put together an amalgamation of fantastic gaming. Assasin's Creed seeps through on the navigation and side missions, GTA in travel and side missions, Tribes in the multiplayer, COD 4: in the artillery support mission. Yet it still stands alone as a unique gaming experience.

As much as you might say it "still stands alone as a unique gaming experience", the truth is it really isn't. I make a note that this game is very much an almost year later Mercenaries 2 with tighter graphics and physics/destruction, but without the story or character that game had. You can't sit here and tell me that the story contained within Red Faction: Guerilla is better than other open world games out there.

I liken it to Assassin's Creed only because the experience was much the same for me (and I liked AC more than this game in the end). It started off great, but then the repetitive side missions got annoying and the pure audacity of me having to actually do side missions I really don't want to do in order to continue on is bad game design. Like I said in the review, I know why they did it. They put that in because just going through the 20 story missions it would probably be in the 6-10 hour range for the single player.

Anyway, I welcome your thoughts on the game, I just wanted to expand upon what you said.

Also, if you guys haven't figured it out by now with all my reviews, I will always hone in on the single-player aspect of a game. The multiplayer is good on this game, I never doubted that...I played the multiplayer demo quite a bit.

[Psykoboy2]

Originally Posted by Poedonk

a second opinion

Thanks for the input and hey...welcome to CoG! Just curious...how'd you find us?

[Karak]

Thanks for the review.
You may want to rewrite the Not Hot parts. It's pretty poorly written or maybe just too repetitive. If you read it straight through it's like someone angry wrote out what they were thinking, in particular the repeated parts about the missions and their impact on the game. It could be cleaned up to make more sense and maybe repeat itself less.
Also, what does "Not as good as Saint's Row 2" mean? Where would the comparison's begin and end that this sentence would make sense? The two are so vastly different. I ask because the two seem to have nothing to do with one another. I am not sure but shooting poop on people on Mars might be fun but it doesn't have it's place. Obviously that's a single example and maybe not what you meant.
Anyway I actually agree with the clearer parts of the review.
Thanks as always.

[Primus]

I am with Poedonk. I have been having a blast with this game, and it doesn't feel too much like anything I had played before.

My main gripe with it is the controls, that is really it. They are pretty unconventional and I find it got me killed quite a few times.

[AgtFox]

The tie between Saints Row 2 and this game is that it is by the same developer. I liked SR2 better than this game, that is the comparison I was making. I guess I don't understand how they went from a game that had a lot of character and a broad story to a game with no character and a cookie cutter story.

I'll work on the What's Not. There was a lot of stuff to put down from my perspective and I tried to hone it down as much as possible.

[AgtFox]

Originally Posted by Primus

I am with Poedonk. I have been having a blast with this game, and it doesn't feel too much like anything I had played before.

My main gripe with it is the controls, that is really it. They are pretty unconventional and I find it got me killed quite a few times.

I'm wondering how far you are into the game. The early hours are impressive, but later in the game the fun is left behind for the most part and stuff becomes almost a chore.

[AgtFox]

Originally Posted by Karak

You may want to rewrite the Not Hot parts. It's pretty poorly written or maybe just too repetitive. If you read it straight through it's like someone angry wrote out what they were thinking, in particular the repeated parts about the missions and their impact on the game. It could be cleaned up to make more sense and maybe repeat itself less.

Also wanted to point out that the What's Hot/Not section is not meant to read like a sentence. It is more phrases. I usually like to keep the ideas concise when I do a review and I was trying to convey things that I couldn't find a shorter way to do so. I think I've honed it down now though.

[Karak]

Originally Posted by AgtFox

Also wanted to point out that the What's Hot/Not section is not meant to read like a sentence. It is more phrases. I usually like to keep the ideas concise when I do a review and I was trying to convey things that I couldn't find a shorter way to do so. I think I've honed it down now though.

No problem, I see how it is written, I just noticed a ton of "mission this mission that" with the same general reason and thought maybe they could be condensed to be a bit clearer. This was actually because I agree with the review but the points I indicated were ones I thought others would bring up to argue the review.

I see the Saint's Row 2 reference in a clearer light, thanks for the explanation. But how about, "It is disappointing to see the developer of Saint's Row 2 blah blah blah."?
Rather than seeming to hit on this game for not being the same. I mean it's based on Mars, has no gangs, no side "activities" or even reasons to have side activities, no cars or purchases like them, and barely any populace. The actual ability to be more like Saint's Row 2 isn't really feasible from what I can see.

One thing that really confuses me about ALL reviews and opinions about Red Faction is that it is "open world" It is, that is true, but just barely meets the description. I mean by calling it open they really opened themselves to some severe comparisions. Because it lacks everything else that usually goes with an open world game.
I for one enjoyed the game and see all the problems with it. It has a ton of issues really. For me the largest is calling it open world but in the end...well...it basically it is, but without all the fun and mixing of other activities that many people think open world means.
I guess I am saying I just enjoyed blowing sh*t up
Back to Prototype.

[AgtFox]

Originally Posted by Karak

No problem, I see how it is written, I just noticed a ton of "mission this mission that" with the same general reason and thought maybe they could be condensed to be a bit clearer. This was actually because I agree with the review but the points I indicated were ones I thought others would bring up to argue the review.

Yep, I understand the repetitiveness that was there. I think I used the same problem to talk about two different things (side missions not optional and the game being overly long because of same problem). I just added the "synthetically long" and took out the mission part of it. Thanks for the catch though.

For once in a rare time I actually did the Hot/Not first, I mostly do them after writing the review. I also know I edited them before publishing this and I was knowledgeable about the repetitiveness, but ignored it because it was tied to two different things.

[Disgustipated]

I think this game deserves at least another half point for the multiplayer alone, and you should go back and play that some more. There's quite a bit of multiplayer content, and all of it is kickass. It even has local play, which you mentioned, but the local play ROCKS, unlike most shooters out today.

[JayK47]

Has anybody played the PC version? I would expect that a 3rd person game would play better on the 360. But the PC version is also much cheaper and I don't plan to do a whole lot with the multiplayer. Thanks for the review.

[digitalErich]

Wait, did someone say Tribes?

[AgtFox]

Originally Posted by JayK47

Has anybody played the PC version? I would expect that a 3rd person game would play better on the 360. But the PC version is also much cheaper and I don't plan to do a whole lot with the multiplayer. Thanks for the review.

Isn't out until August.

[JayK47]

Hmmm. I was wondering if that was correct. I was seeing conflicting dates between different sites for a while. Well so much for that. I suppose it I want to play it any time soon it will have to be on the 360. Any idea why PC games have to wait? More polish, or exclusivity BS? Hopefully more polish.

[AgtFox]

Originally Posted by JayK47

Hmmm. I was wondering if that was correct. I was seeing conflicting dates between different sites for a while. Well so much for that. I suppose it I want to play it any time soon it will have to be on the 360. Any idea why PC games have to wait? More polish, or exclusivity BS? Hopefully more polish.

Honestly I don't know. Prototype is out on PC as well as 360 and PS3 this week though, so that one doesn't have a waiting period.

[Poedonk]

Originally Posted by Psykoboy2

Thanks for the input and hey...welcome to CoG! Just curious...how'd you find us?

Hey, thanks!

I've actually can't remember. I've been reading COG for months, and love the coverage. Out of the two other games news sites/blogs I read, you guys are my favorite. I just feel in love with RF:G enough to feel I needed to counter post so someone who was deciding between the new releases in it's genre might give it a test run rather than overlook it. I know how reviews sway my purchases usually.

[Poedonk]

Originally Posted by digitalErich

Wait, did someone say Tribes?

The capture the flag multiplayer with jetpacks and the strange and intriguing mish mash of weapons has a vaguely tribes feel. Not the same dish but a similar aftertaste is the best way to describe it.