Join the Red Faction

Red Faction began as an FPS back in 2001, with a focus around destructible terrain. Set on Mars, it was all a bit Total Recall – miners on the red planet, striking back against an oppressive corporation.

It was good fun, nothing groundbreaking (except for the actual ground breaking, literally) – with a sequel in 2002. But the series was at its best when many years later they released:

1001 No.81: ‘Red Faction: Guerilla’ (2009)

Red Faction Guerilla brought the Red Faction series into ‘next gen’ territory, bringing with it a 3rd person perspective and a free-roam environment. And it totally suits it – the surface of Mars becomes your playground, as you can destroy pretty much anything and everything you come into contact with.

The storyline… well, who really cares. Same old save the rebels from the evil corporates. It is kind of weird that you’re up against an organisation named EDF. Of course it’s not the French energy company, but the Earth Defense Force. It does add a fun element to the game though if you imagine yourself a British Gas employee, screwing up the power plants of your rivals whilst gathering inaccurate meter readings.

But destruction is the real name of the game, in any way possible – though bringing down a building with your own sledgehammer is extremely satisfying. The physics are so much fun, and with thermal charges, cool ray gun things and rocket launchers (and stompy robots) blowing things up is bloody brilliant.

I really can’t think of a game since that has done it quite as well: and even the follow up game, Red Faction Armageddon, didn’t come close – actually pretty much killing off the series due to dumping the open-world freedom of Guerilla and putting you back underground.

Guerilla is well worth a visit if you’ve never tried it. Red Faction is dead now, dying with THQ – though purchased by Nordic Games, so a resurrection is always possible. We can live in hope!

Screenshots don’t really do it justice. To whet your sledgehammer’s appetite, watch this – and tell me you don’t wanna blow some shit up.