Red Faction: Guerrilla

by Chris Davis
reviewed on X360
Bringing Down the House (cntd)
Guerrilla Actions, if you want to get more to the meat of the game, are the things to play. Consisting of several different types, missions are placed at random throughout each sector and are quite common to come across. Actions also appear at random sometimes when simply roaming throughout the land but do not require you to partake in them unless you want to. By far the most entertaining one of the bunch are the Destruction missions, scenarios that require you to destroy a building using a given set of tools and a time limit. One of the best examples of these missions resides in the Oasis sector and requires you to take out a water tower from a distance using your sledge hammer to knock explosive barrels at it like a golfer at a driving range. Instantaneous fun is to be had with these missions. Two other ones that are particularly enjoyable are the Heavy Metal missions that require you to fend off the EDF whilst riding around in a mech and the Collateral Damage missions that have you hopping in the back of a buggy and destroying EDF buildings and propaganda with a rocket launcher to earn cash. The only really annoying missions are the Transporter ones that require you to take a random vehicle found on the map to a safehouse in a set amount of time, something not easy to do when the EDF is hot on your tail.
IdiotGuy420, Meet Sledgehammer
Surprisingly, the one of the more enticing parts of the game comes in the form of something that, these days, doesn’t go well for most shooters: multiplayer. Simply put, the multiplayer portion of the game is probably the most entertaining I have played in a while. Level sizes range from claustrophobic to stadium-sized and are of many different locales that feel as though they were ripped out of the singleplayer campaign. The various modes included therein are your typical fair with different names like Anarchy being your normal deathmatch and Siege being a CTF mode. Damage Control, a take on a territories mode, has players destroying specific enemy buildings and then rebuilding them in order to gain points.
The main draw of the multiplayer is the variety of backpacks you can find littered throughout the map. Varied in nature each has a specific function and is almost essential if you want to survive during a session of play. My personal favorite is the Rhino, a backpack that, when fully charged, will propel you forward through almost any manmade wall and, if hitting the enemy in the process, causes them to ragdoll for about fifteen feet. Pure hilarity will ensue if you can ram your opponents into the air and introduce them to your sledgehammer. The multiplayer also utilizes an experience system that rewards you based on your actions in-game just like almost every multiplayer shooter on the market today. Unlockable rewards include the aforementioned Ostrich Hammer, seen in Volition’s April Fool’s Day video about the game, as well as many other collectable hammers.
Shaved Heads are Sooooo Cliché
Red Faction: Guerrilla has shown to be one of the most surprising hits of 2009 and is definitely a game everyone should experience. As a playground experience just like Saints Row the gameplay, though not without caveats, is still unique enough to warrant some good old fashioned stress relieving. The multiplayer, though not holding up to the fierce standards set by Halo or Call of Duty, is still very enjoyable and deserves even more attention than the singleplayer campaign warrants. After all, who doesn’t enjoy hitting that annoying little twelve year old who won’t shut up with a sledgehammer? I do! With the summer gaming drought beginning soon, those looking for something new need look no further; Red Faction: Guerrilla has you covered.
8.0
fun score
No Pros and Cons at this time