Red Faction: Guerilla
(Xbox 360, Ps3; $59.99; Rated M for Blood/Strong Language/Violence; www.redfaction.com)
For a game that stayed relatively low on the hype-radar, the newest edition of the “Red Faction” franchise hits with as much force as its main character’s trusty sledgehammer.
“Red Faction: Guerilla” is the first time the series appears in a third-person perspective as opposed to the first-person perspective of its two predecessors. This turns out to be a welcome change: 1. Because there are more than enough first-person shooters out there, and 2. It makes for some very fun Geo-Mod shennanigans.
What the heck is a “Geo-Mod” shennanigan?
The “Red Faction” series’ calling card has been the ability to destroy parts buildings and assorted structures in order to make firefights more interesting. See a need to get through a building, but the doorway is blocked by enemies? Blow a hole in the wall and flank them. The previous games ability to destroy was limited- a basic skeleon structure would remain even if players blew the heck out of the stucture. With “Guerilla,” the new Geo-Mod 2.0 allows players to completely dismantle every structure in the game- brick by brick.
The benefit of having free control of the camera in a third-person perspective allows players to actually get to see the glorious explosions they make in the game, while running away to get clear of the blast zone. The Geo-Mod technology allows for some very fun mechanics in the, now, open-world game. For instance, players can set remote-detonation charges all over a building, attract enemies into the building, and lead them up to the second level; then the player can leap out of the 2nd-story window and detonate the charges, trapping all of the enemies inside and blowing them to kingdom-come.
Sadistic? Maybe. Entertaining? Definitely.
“Guerilla” is chock-full of game. After arriving on Mars, the oppressive Martian government ends up killing your brother which pulls you into the middle of a band of freedom fighters. In order to avenge your sibling’s demise, the Red Faction uses you and your demoltion skills to wreak total havok. Progressing through a variety of mission types will recruit more guerilla fighters to the Faction’s side- but it’s all really a thin narrative as an excuse to blow more stuff up.
When not playing the single-player campaign, “Guerilla” has an offline multiplayer mode that challenges players to see who can cause more destruction in a short period of time, as well as a healthy and enjoyable online multiplayer that gives players power-ups like the “Rhino Pack,” which allows players to runs straight through a building in order cause its collapse on unsuspecting opponents.
Perhaps it’s appropriate that “Guerilla” was released in the summer- it is definitely on-par with blockbuster movie releases: no one really cares what the plot is, stuff blows up real pretty-like, and everyone goes home feeling like they got their money’s worth…
Unless you saw “Transformers 2;” but then again- you knew what you were getting into.