This Is The Most Emotion You Will See In This Game...
The current generation of high definition games come feature front-loaded. Gone are the days when shooting ducks and hopping on the occasional mushrooms was the only bullet point necessary to grab the average gamer. Independently developed and bottomless budget games, enjoy the luxury of being released when polish takes precedent over a perfect release date. The less fortunate game deals with a tight budget and an even tighter development schedule. With a great deal of promise, Red Faction: Guerrilla has the polish and charm of a less than fortunate game. The setting, the story and missions detract from a game centered around destroying the environment in an elaborate manner.
The Red Faction franchise has seen the most dramatic change in the Guerrilla iteration. The third-person over-the-shoulder shooter is a breath of fresh air for the franchise that was originally a tepid first-person shooter. Granted there are better shooters crowding the shelves, and chances are you're reading this review because you chose Uncharted 2 or Mass Effect 2. Red Faction: Guerrilla is worth digging in the bargain bin for. The developing game studio, Volition, gave the player a fun online multi-player and a variety of useful weapons. Weapons range from proximity mines -- which function as road blocks and stylish traps-- and a rocket launcher that can shoot three homing rockets if upgraded.
Oh look your drably colored coat matches the bland backdrop
I'm sure there is a plot in this game. Thanks to drab character design, monotonous environments, and core mission structure -- the forgettable story blends right in with this world of muted tones and lack of personality. Wait. I remember. You play as Mason, a miner who reluctantly joins the Red Faction after his brother is killed by the Earth Defense Force. As Mason, you will spend the rest of the game claiming territories of Mars by fighting, stealing and spying. Missions allow Mason to explore the drab green and brown areas of Mars, but also acquire salvage used to upgrade his armor and weapons.
From a technical aspect, Red Faction: Guerrilla manages to be a fun sandbox where destroy just about any vehicle or building. Be careful you don't startle the local martian bandits or EDF soldiers, otherwise you will have to find a cozy hiding area. Depending on how well liked you are in a particular area will determine how many guerrillas will join you in a skirmish. I came to the realization that the enemy AI (artificial intelligence) is top notch after your third or fourth war-based mission. If Mason is out-numbered, the EDF will push and flank with the voracity of a bad rash. As a minor set back, the friendly A.I. who join you are as about as useful as a bag of salted meat. Your guerrillas take cover and shoot in the 'general vicinity' of the enemy but serve as dimwitted targets for the EDF.
Nothing Like Having A Friend, A Jetpack and Stuff To Blow Up
Red Faction: Guerrilla has a lot of competition, and judging on its own merit, a lot of issues going against it as a satisfying game. The environment is as fun as you and your friends make it. The character design is as vanilla as the plot. So why do I still recommend playing Red Faction: Guerrilla? The game tries. There are secret side quests, weapon unlocks, missions where your goal is to simply cause as much monetary damage to the EDF as possible. There is a gun in this game that can dissolve buildings, people and vehicles. Volition should be proud. Though I just took Red Faction: Guerrilla to task, the team that worked on this game should be proud.
Every mission contributes to progress -- no matter how boring or repetitive. Every piece of metal salvaged leads to an upgrade. Upgrades open up more imaginative possibilities of destruction. Destruction is what Red Faction: Guerrilla guarantees, especially once the player takes in all the sterility this wasteland. Its a game that lends itself to dumb, stress releasing mayhem. Oh...and there is a jet pack.
I Give Red Faction: Guerrilla
The "Hey, Why Don't You Paint With More Colors" Award.