Red Faction: Guerrilla

A different take on the franchise, a different level of destruction.

Feel the need to blow something to bits? Volition's Red Faction: Guerrilla will undoubtedly satisfy that urge, because thanks to the studio's GeoMod 2.0 engine you can literally blast to bits any structure in the game. Plant and detonate remote charges or launch rockets into the bases of towers and you'll see them topple over, shattering in all the appropriate places and snapping as new stresses are introduced on the way down. If you missed out when the game was released for Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 this past June, the just released Windows version is the best bang for your buck. It's got the full game console players got to smash through online and off, as well as some additional single-player content, multiplayer maps, and modes.

For a full written account of what the game's like, head over to the original review. In this article I'm just going to cover what's new to this specific version of the game, how it performs, and how it controls. First off, you should know Guerrilla is integrated with Games for Windows – Live, which means you'll need to connect through your Gamertag to head into the online modes and earn achievements. So far from what I checked out online the process of joining matches seems to be functioning fine, though it wasn't easy to find a game for some of the game types unlocked in multiplayer.

Setting Charges Video

Guerrilla offers a standard assortment of online play types including free-for-all and team deathmatches and capture the flag, along with a handful of more specialized team modes. In general they're great fun, especially considering you can use your sledgehammer or other structure-busting armaments to bring down bridges or smash holes in walls. This opens up interesting gameplay opportunities like breaking open new spots to hide in if you're under fire, or bringing a desired weapon power-up to you by breaking apart the supports on the infrastructure that holds it aloft instead of trying to find a way up. There are also backpack power-ups that give you special powers like a heal ability, destructive charge, jetpack, or shockwave, among other things.

The added multiplayer mode, called Bagman, is set up so every player involved tries to locate and pick up a bag. That player is then highlighted in green and has to avoid being killed to earn points, and every kill made while holding the item is worth more. Of course, others will rapidly descend upon your position quickly as you rack up points, so it seems something like a stealth backpack would be the best thing to use to try and survive for as long as possible. When you're finally killed, the bag drops, and anyone else nearby can snatch it up to build their point total. A team version of this has also been included.

Explosive Spree Video

The game's performance does appear to be a cause for mild concern. The game runs acceptably when nothing's blowing up, but when there's a detonation and support beams, bits of staircases, and walls that start flying all over the place, the game slows down. Granted, I wasn't playing with ultra powerful components, so users with superior hardware may experience something different. The videos linked in this write-up were captured on a gaming rig with an Intel Core 2 Quad 2.4 GHz CPU, 2 GB RAM, and a GeForce 8800 GTX on Vista 32. Hopefully they can help give you a sense of how the game might run on your system. For the multiplayer clip, the game was running at 1600 x 900 resolution with the display settings at medium, and for the single-player sections the resolution was the same but the display settings were bumped up to high.

Chop during explosions aside, if you are interested in purchasing this product, you'll find it's a great value. The Demons of the Badlands added content is available right after you install the game. It's a short prequel of sorts to the main campaign, and I would actually recommend holding off on playing it through until you've cleared the regular story because of the subject matter. As for the main campaign starring the bald-headed character seen on the front of the game box, Alec Mason, it's quite a lengthy experience for an action game, easily taking up over 10 hours since the progression structure essentially forces you to engage in side-quests on a regular basis. Again, I recommend you read the original review for more detail.

Multiplayer Mayhem Video

For control, either keyboard and mouse or gamepad can be used and customized to your liking. While the driving doesn't exactly feel very natural using the WASD keys, the shooting and weapon switching feels better in the PC version thanks to the precision of the mouse and the convenience of the number keys.

Closing Comments

Considering the game costs 40 USD and includes all that's described here in addition to more maps, it's quite a deal. If you've got a decent gaming machine and are willing to sacrifice maximum settings for a more stable framerate, then I'd say go for it. The game's story and mission structure aren't the strongest around, but the addictive thrill of pummeling buildings into tiny bits is something you won't regret experiencing. The appeal of behaving as an architect's arch-nemesis does wear thin as the game progresses, but then you can head into the online component where it's easy to have a good time swinging sledgehammers and shattering supports in an adversarial environment against live opponents. As I said at the end of the console review, while the game may not do everything right, it's your best bet for free-form demolition and unpretentious entertainment.

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Red Faction: Guerrilla Wallpapers
Red Faction: Guerrilla Screenshots