Marksman Gaming - Review

Author: Daemon

Type: PS2 Game

Released:

Designer: Volition Inc.

Publisher: THQ

Genre: First-person shooter

The guards have gone too far, they've killed your friend as you return from your work shift. The call goes out; the rebellion has begun. Everywhere miners and guards break into fights. You, Parker (a forced labourer) rush to the side of your dead comrade and take the gun from a dead guard's hand. Quickly, you shoot down the remaining guards in the cavern and rush off, into the bleak darkness of the Martian mines.

Red Faction was first released in 2001 and quickly rose in popularity within the general FPS fanbase. But it didn't stop there, ohh no: it started to draw in unsuspecting sci-fi gamers, and more. Red Faction has all the essentials required for an FPS: a shotgun, a flamethrower, a rocket launcher, and its own secret weapon: GEO-MOD. This revolutionary system allows the player to literally blow their way through a wall instead of using the door. The game's storyline, while not quite original, is good: a corporation (UltorCorp.), in its rush to fully exploit the wealth of minerals on Mars, has somewhat forgotten the finer points of employee satisfaction, and a rebellion ensues. The designers also added little quirks to FPS gameplay: throwing mines on your enemies makes them run in terror, while rushing towards them in a vehicle also sends 'em flying. All the textures in the game really give you the feeling of being shut down inside a mining complex deep below a planet's surface.

Now to the specifics. First of all, the guns. Red Faction, as I said, has all the essentials and more. What makes this game even more fun is the fact that no gun ever becomes obsolete. For example, the pistol can be silenced, allowing you to eliminate your foes without alarming their pals; also, it is the only gun that can shoot underwater (aside from the sub, but I'll get to that later). The assault rifle is also a good example of the fact that they always have a use. The assault rifle is (of course) your main assault weapon, and can be used on full auto or three round burst. It is accurate and deadly; no matter what foes are thrown in your path, the assault rifle is sure to be able to destroy them. Then there's the ultimate be all end all of guns, the precision rifle. The P.R is like having a sniper rifle that works as an assault rifle: you can kill things at range or rush in guns blazing, depending on your personal preference.

Now to vehicles. In Red Faction, there are many vehicles that you can use; namely the Miner, the Fighter, the Sub, the buggy, and the all-powerful APC. As you progress through the game each and every one of these vehicles will come into your possession at some time. The Miner has the awesome ability to drill through walls; this is so very fun (like I said earlier, why use a door when you can blast your own way through?). The sub allows you to transport yourself through underwater passages much faster than swimming; it is armed with highly explosive torpedoes, which are very useful when dealing with evil mutated fish. The buggy is fast and has a rear mounted machine gun that can kill any enemy you will encounter. Now for the big guns: the APC is big, armoured, and has lots of guns. No foe in the entire game can withstand its mighty Gatling gun or its powerful grenade launcher.

Breakdown

Graphics: 8.5/10

Red Faction's graphics are good for the time it was made, but now might be seen as a bit angular or rough. They serve the game well and are not at all a bad attribute to the game.

Effects: 8/10

Fairly standard FPS effects, but with a few excellent points. For starters, there's the ultimately cool Geo-Mod; the only real problem with this system is the fact that the Geo-Mod holes are always incredibly angular in shape. The designers even added the "zing" of bullets whipping past your head.

Gameplay: 8/10

The game play in Red faction is good. There is little to no glitches that I have found that detract from the immense fun of playing this game. The Red Faction system runs smoothly, but load times are a bit long which can at times be very aggravating.

Replayability: 10/10

The replay ability of this game is very high, I myself have never gotten bored of blowing the hell out of the men in blue(also known as guards). This game's veriety of weapons and ways of accomplishing things gives it a distinct edge and I for one will never be tired of it.

Overall: 10/10