Red Faction: Guerrilla Review
2022-08-17
When the first Red Faction came out a few years ago, it made a great impression on the crowds thanks to the capabilities of its Geo-Mod engine – at that time, it was the first ever shooter to offer completely destructible environments. And we're not talking about things like breaking a crate with your foot here, in Red Faction you could simply blow up a wall if the door next to it is locked.
However, most acknowledged the fact that besides the element of environment destruction, the game was mostly a generic shooter. So, naturally, many were wondering if a third installment in the series was a sensible thing to do, in fear that the game may lose its charm.
Gameplay
Only a few minutes in Red Faction: Guerrilla are enough to show that Volition knew what they were doing when they opted to do another game. The title remains innovative enough to stand on its own, without having to rely on the success of its predecessors. The first thing you'll notice is the new camera – it's no longer played through the first person perspective, instead using a third person camera now.
This proved to be a lot more convenient for the new gameplay mechanics, which involve using a sledgehammer to tear down walls and complete buildings (yep, you're no longer limited to explosives for the purpose, just in case you were getting bored of them).
Destruction still plays an important role in RF:G, though on more levels than before – you now need to break down buildings not only to progress, but also to collect “Salvage”, your primary resource which is spawned after destroying something. RF:G features an open-world style of play, where you can roam around the different areas of the world freely and accomplish your tasks in an order you choose.
Graphics and System Requirements
The Geo-Mod engine has been vastly improved for this title, featuring more impressive and realistic building destruction than ever. Thanks to the added magic of the Havok physics engine, building debris no longer crumble down to the ground in a pre-calculated manner, instead flying all around realistically, bouncing off walls and such – just try tossing a grenade in a small house surrounded by larger structures and you'll see what the new engine is capable of.
It's surprisingly light on the computer as well – you only need a strong CPU to handle it properly. If you've got at least a 2.0 GHz dual core processor you should be able to enjoy the destruction scenes in their full glory, while you'll need any moderately good DX9-capable video card to handle the rest of the rendering to its fullest.
Other
If you get tired of what the original game offers, don't worry – some downloadable content has been released for it as well, in the form of new missions, weapons and vehicles – more than enough to extend the game's replayability by a long run.
Conclusion
Red Faction: Guerrilla shows that the series still has some fresh ideas to show, and if you want an exciting experience that differs from your regular shooter, be sure to try this.
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