Reviewed: October 21, 2001
Reviewed by: Mark Smith
Publisher
THQ
Developer
Volition, Inc.
Released: September 24, 2001
Genre: FPS
Players: 32
ESRB: Mature
9
9
8
9
8.9
System Requirements
Recommended System
The First-Person Shooter (FPS) is easily the most popular and often abused genre in the world of electronic games. For every great title there are twenty that aren't worth playing. Volition; the wizards behind the magic of the first two Descent games and the more recent Freespace series have pooled their collective talents and delivered that one-in-twenty winning title.
It seems every FPS game these days needs a "hook" to make it stand out from the rest of the pack. Max Payne had the much hyped "bullet time", and Red Faction sports the equally touted "Geo-Mod Engine" that allows you to destroy/modify the actual architecture of the game levels. While being able to blast your way through solid rock admittedly has its own unique appeal, it's not enough to guarantee a successful title.
The concept of Geo-Mod is great, but Red Faction doesn't even begin to explore the possibilities it has to offer. Throughout the course of the scripted adventure you are "required" to deform the terrain on only one or two occasions. While there are other designated opportunities (X's on the walls), they are not mission-critical and generally only serve as shortcuts. You are free to blow-up just about anything at anytime. Some walls and items are indestructible and will only scorch when you attempt to carve your own path.
But the designers didn't rely solely on their featured gimmick. Red Faction offers several exciting features, some old, some new, that all combine to make this one of the best shooters of the year. The physics engine is considerably advanced and allows for particle and liquid modeling as well as realistically handling the deformable terrain. If you blast a stalactite with a rocket it will fall to the ground breaking into large chunks of rock.
Vehicles are nothing new to FPS games. Operation Flashpoint offers 38 unique vehicles you can drive or pilot. While Red Faction might not win any awards for the most vehicles in a game you will be amazed the first time you get behind the controls of a futuristic mini-sub or shuttlecraft. There is even one segment where you man a turret on the back of a jeep as a fellow rebel drives the jeep through a narrow canyon. There is even one of those giant drilling vehicles made famous in the movie Total Recall that you can drive through solid rock.
The single player version of Red Faction delivers a quality story that deals with a revolt by the miners on Mars. The miners are apparently suffering enormous casualties due to a mysterious plague. You are thrust into the middle of the armed conflict early in the game (like the first 30 seconds) and will have to assist in the revolt while learning the truth behind the growing epidemic.
The AI in Red Faction is some of the best in recent FPS history. The guards, soldiers, and mercenaries offer a challenging resistance, often attacking in large numbers using various strategies trying to flank you or snipe you from hidden locations. One refreshing note is that the enemies have access to all the same weaponry as you do. In fact, in order to get some of the better weapons you will have to pry it from their cold dead fingers.
The only thing more impressive than the sheer number of available weapons is their uniqueness. There are your usual favorites like the traditional shotgun and pistol, but things start to get really interesting when you get the more advanced weapons and explosives. Most weapons have alternate firing features and impressive destructive capabilities that encourage you to keep switching your weapons to find one best suited to your current situation. The weapons are extremely well balanced, even in multiplayer.
Red Faction plays just like every other FPS game. The story gives you minimal incentive for completing the game relying more on intense combat and challenging gameplay to keep your attention throughout the 20 levels.
The creative level design does a great job of mixing things up and giving you a fresh look just before things start to get too stale. You begin your adventure in the mines on Mars then move on to the upper levels with barracks and administration. Your adventure ultimately leads to underwater labs, ice caverns, the surface of Mars, and even an orbiting space station.
Puzzles are virtually extinct in this game and when they do crop up they can be as simple as pressing a button or as challenging as completing a five-part assignment to shut down a geothermal plant.
You are guided through most of the game by a voice coming over your comlink. Missions range from just getting through a level to search and rescue, escort, and even some demolition work. There are even some stealth missions that require you to locate disguises then infiltrate a facility without the benefit of a weapon.
Control is pretty much the standard fare you've come to expect from any FPS title. Using the mouse/keyboard combo is not only intuitive, but downright simplistic, which is probably why this game was virtually unplayable on the PS2. The vehicles all operate using the same controls used to move your character while on foot. You do have the handy ability to climb just about anything in the game that would be considered "climbable" such as fences, towers, ladders, etc.
Combat gets hectic at times, and you will frequently find yourself heavily outnumbered. Damage is location based for both you and your opponents. This means that you can take the time to line up that headshot for the single-shot kill, but don't take too long because that guard just might be doing the same thing to you. Most of the enemies you encounter are wearing armor or environmental suits offering them additional protection. Short of a precise headshot through the visor, you may find yourself pumping lots of lead into the enemy.
I must also comment on the splendid save game system and the lightning fast load times. While loading is a bit slower than saving you will be amazed when you realize you can hit the QuickSave button and it saves your game without your character even breaking stride or without the slightest pause in sound or dialog.
Red Faction was born on the PlayStation 2 then ported to the PC. I've played them both and the PC definitely edges out the PS2 version in the graphics department simply because you can play it at much higher resolutions. The colors, textures, and all the special effects are identical to the PS2 version. I did notice that the colored lighting and shadow effects were a bit more advanced on the PC using a GeForce 2 accelerator.
Levels range from boring and bland to breathtaking and spectacular. You being in the dusty mine shafts and while these early levels aren't colorful, they are realistically textured, lit, and filled with volumetric dust giving the mines a very "dirty" look to them. Later on you will explore the brightly lit and sterile medical facility and a beautifully lit and colorful space station.
Special effects are excellent. Explosions send chunks of rock and dust flying through the air, and the first time you destroy an enemy mini-sub and watch the craft implode in a gaseous bubble of oxygen you will have to pick your jaw off the ground. Fire a couple torpedoes into a stalactite and watch it fall to the ground below crushing anything or anyone in its path. Perhaps my personal favorite effect in the game is the shattering glass when you shoot out a window. The glass cracks then breaks away into shards in a very realistic way.
Vehicles all feature custom views and cockpits that are not overly complex and feature just enough information to get the job done. There is an amazing sensation of flying (or floating) when panning and moving around the levels in the various vehicles.
The interface is clean and communicates everything you need without covering up any of the action. Some information is mapped right onto the weapons such as the ammo counter on the assault rifle or the infrared scanner on the rocket launcher that actually lets you see guards through doors. Even the main menu screen is a sight to behold, as its gleaming metallic menus hang suspended in orbit as Mars rotates slowly beneath.
Once you get past the opening movie the cutscenes are few and far between. They are created using game engine graphics, so you are never taken out of the game for a moment.
The weapon effects make up most of this category. Each weapons has excellent sounds, both when firing and even during the reload animations. The tripod-mounted turrets are thunderous and the rockets and missiles available on the various vehicles create mass destruction with appropriate seismic rumblings.
Subtle effects such as hydraulic doors, the hissing of air in the airlock, the metallic rustling of the chain link fence are all excellent. EAX is used to its fullest potential, and if you have an EAX compatible card you are in for a real 3D surround sound treat.
Voice acting ranges from humorous to downright bad. With the exception of Hendrix (your comlink guide) most of the dialog is painfully bad and delivered by obvious amateurs. Guards will cry out "Don't shoot me - I'm unarmed" then proceed to blast you when you approach. Civilians will run around begging not to be shot then run off and call for the guards making you wish you had capped them when you could.
Music is sparse, but when it does appear it definitely makes a difference, often instilling some type of desired emotional impact or adding additional tensions to an already tense situation. The militant theme gives the game a cinematic feeling much like a sci-fi war movie.
My first trip through the solo adventure took me approximately 37 hours on the normal skill setting. Some levels are extremely difficult and I found myself dying quite often, especially when the mercs showed up with the rail gun, which is usually a one-hit-you're-dead weapon.
Of course, no matter how long it ultimately takes you to finish the main game there is plenty to keep you busy after you have liberated Mars. Red Faction comes complete with one of the most powerful and easy-to-use level editors I have ever tried. And when you get tired of designing new levels you can always take your rebellious miners online.
Red Faction supports up to 32 players for some battles of epic proportions. Game modes consist of your traditional FPS settings such as CTF with an obvious lack of team-based modes. The Geo-Mod puts an interesting twist on the multiplayer experience, allowing you to blast the ground right out from under your opponent.
There seems to be a lot of people playing this game online right now, so finding teammates or opponents shouldn't be too difficult. Hosting or joining an online game is made extremely easy using the intuitive menus and options built right into the game.
Geo-Mod is a great concept and hopefully it will be implemented further in future titles. As it is now, it is more of a novelty than a plot device. Even though you aren't required to blast through walls I'm willing to bet you will catch yourself tunneling through solid rock one rocket at a time simply because you can.
Red Faction is pure non-stop action that grabs you from the opening level and doesn't let you go until the closing credits. The eclectic mix of levels combined with challenging opponents and the occasional vehicle segment offers something fresh and new around every turn. The huge arsenal of weapons will have you feeling like a kid in a candy story. Even though you will likely settle on a few favorites, you are guaranteed to have fun trying them all out. And in the end, that's what Red Faction is all about - fun!