Red Faction Guerrilla Review

By Dan Whitehead Published 5 June, 2009

War on Terra.

Version tested: Xbox 360

The theme of underground resistance has always run through the Red Faction series, but it's never been so overtly political as it is in this third instalment - the first to ditch the traditional linear FPS format for a free-roaming third-person openworld adventure. "The liberators soon became an occupying force," declares our hero, Alec Mason.

The Earth Defense Force's alluring promises of new freedoms for the Martian settlers have soured into paranoid domination; roadblocks enforced by heavily armed soldiers, citizens imprisoned without trial. Propaganda broadcasts reassure the populace that Red Faction, the underground resistance movement, is compromised, weak and ineffectual. All the while you're carving through installations on their behalf using improvised bombs and stolen weaponry. The language and iconography is surely too specific to be an accident. This is Iraqi Insurgency: The Videogame, by any other name, and you're playing as the terrorists.

Despite the fading influence of Dubya's era of flag-waving good-vs-evil jingoism, it's still an incredibly bold (some might say stupid) parallel to incorporate into a major videogame, even if the story never really develops this timely theme into anything deeper than the old truism that one man's freedom fighter is another man's terrorist.

To begin with, Mason doesn't even want anything to do with Red Faction, and has no interest in fighting back against EDF oppression. He's only on Mars to work as a miner, to earn an honest living. Unfortunately his brother was a suspected member of Red Faction, and killed by the EDF for his connections, so it doesn't take long for Mason to be tarred with the same brush. Forced to defend himself from official intimidation he winds up as a fugitive, taken in by Red Faction simply because there's literally nowhere else to go on this barren world. You may be playing as a terrorist, but you become one by default rather than by intent.

The aim of the game, then, is to rid Mars of the EDF. There are six colonised sectors in all, and EDF influence in each one must be reduced to zero before you can undertake the final mission that will liberate the area. Completing missions for Red Faction is the obvious way to make strides in this direction, and doing so will also advance the rather slender story. Mostly, and as the title suggests, you'll be chipping away the EDF power base through smaller acts of insurrection.

'Red Faction Guerrilla' Screenshot 1

Guerrilla loses one mark purely for the outrageous lack of Jason Statham voiceover.

The world map shows Guerrilla Actions as green icons, key EDF targets as light blue. You're free to take whatever vehicles you fancy and tackle these objectives as you fit. Guerrilla Actions are essentially mini-games and side missions, where you must demolish a structure using specific weapons within a time limit, or rescue prisoners from EDF clutches. Sometimes you'll join a Red Faction force storming an EDF installation, other times you'll be defending Red Faction strongholds from reprisal attacks. Other objectives can pop up as you're playing, and you'll have the opportunity to chase down an EDF courier or destroy an incoming supply convoy.

More freeform progress can be made by destroying each sector's key EDF installations. These can range from industrial smokestacks to heavily fortified military bases. The more important the target, the more you'll reduce EDF influence when it turns to rubble, and - naturally - the more unwelcome attention you'll attract in the process.

The concept of demolition is key, therefore, and the physics engine immediately impresses in this regard. Unlike previous Red Faction games where the destruction was hemmed in by the limits of the PS2, this is architectural carnage of unusual realism. Buildings still fall apart in predetermined chunks, but the chunks are smaller than ever, their edges harder to detect while the building still stands, and the physics more immediately pleasing when gravity takes over.

To begin with you're armed with a serviceable assault rifle, a small supply of remote charges and your trusty sledgehammer, which carves through solid walls with unlikely - but enjoyable - ease. The latter two are your initial tools for demolition, and even with this basic equipment it's easy to see how the robust damage model influences gameplay. Identifying load-bearing walls and crucial supporting structures makes demolition a much faster process than simply peppering the place with bombs, although the latter is fun enough that you'll still keep doing it even when a more scientifically sound solution is available. Weaken a building enough - which means not only doing enough damage, but doing it in the right spots - and the joypad will rumble ominously, giving you a few seconds warning before the whole lot comes down on your head.

It's instantly gratifying, and chances are you'll spend a decent chunk of your first hour on the game just smashing and exploding stuff to see what happens. As fun as it is, though, it's just a mechanism - and one that requires a compelling gameplay framework to endure.

It's here that Guerrilla struggles, at least to begin with, and following those first giddy destructive sprees, the game settles into something of a rut as you battle through the first two sectors. Like most openworld games, too much time is spent navigating from A to B, and the Martian scenery doesn't have the sort of life or vibrancy that allows GTA to make the journey something that can entertain in its own right.

The difficulty can also be frustrating in the early stages, as EDF troops easily gun you down, their numbers bolstered by an apparently limitless supply of reinforcements that can flank you in an instant. It's especially problematic if you're tackling those key EDF targets, essentially making any attempt at tactical play redundant since you can never clear the area long enough to plant your bombs in peace. Instead you end up dashing into the thick of things, doing as much damage as possible, then trying to leg it out again before you get killed.

'Red Faction Guerrilla' Screenshot 2

It's OK. Sarah Beeny said we should knock through and turn this bit into an en suite.

You have recharging health, and any damage done to key structures remains even if you have to respawn back at the nearest Red Faction base, but these repeated suicide runs are wearying rather than exhilarating. Given the focus on demolition, it almost seems as if the game is crying out for more stealth-based options. Sneaking into fortified positions, setting charges and then detonating from a safe distance would be much more rewarding, but the crude run-and-gun combat system, augmented with only rudimentary crouch and cover abilities, combine with aggressively efficient enemies to steamroller any attempts to bring nuance to your play.

Many players may even lose interest completely during this first third or so of the game. After three or four hours of play, Guerrilla seems to be falling into the trap of so many other free-roaming games, with too much trekking, too many restarts and too little to keep things focused. The lynchpin thrill of destruction dims as the grind takes over.

Thankfully, it's a temporary dip and by the time you move into the Badlands, the pace has picked up again and you start to unlock interesting features and weapons that diminish some of the grumbles. This shift starts when you acquire the nano-rifle, which dismantles both walls and enemies at a molecular level, and precise demolition from afar suddenly becomes a much more feasible option. The map opens out at the same time, offering missions into more new areas - such as the posh, gated Oasis district where moneyed settlers drive groovy sci-fi sports cars - and it no longer feels like you're being funnelled into discreetly restricted playgrounds, recognisable only by their slightly different shade of dusty red.

The nature of your targets begins to get more complex as well. Enormous bridges and fortresses shrug off your now-feeble remote charges and rockets, and you need to start finding more inventive ways to wreak havoc. Quantum bombs and thermobaric rockets certainly do the job, but must first be unlocked and then purchased. Although you're free to replenish ammo at safehouses, actually improving your arsenal depends on how much scrap you've collected. This crude currency can be found in the wreckage of vehicles and structures, and equivalent value can also be mined from large crystals dotted about the planet surface.

You can trade this bounty in at Red Faction bases for better armour, new weapons, modifications to existing weapons and useful abilities. Some, like the ability to pick up scrap while driving, offer inessential conveniences. The option to travel directly to safehouses, on the other hand, makes a huge difference to the amount of mindless scenery chugging you need to do, and it's a bit baffling that it's something you only earn after irritation has already set in.

Over the long haul, however, the pleasures and pain come to a sort of equilibrium, helped along by a thoughtful array of multiplayer options. Online play offers Anarchy and Team Anarchy - deathmatch by any other name - as well as the obligatory Capture The Flag options. More interesting are modes like Siege, where teams take it in turns to try and remove each other from key fortified buildings. Damage Control is a base-capture variant, made different by the fact that the bases can be demolished and rebuilt, and Demolition casts one member of each team as the Destroyer, ensuring everyone scrambles to kill or defend the chosen one.

The weapons are familiar from the single-player game, but the addition of a repair gadget, to put buildings back together, and other different abilities contained in backpacks makes it a distinct experience. Jetpacks are the most obvious function on offer, but you can also generate localised earthquakes, run through walls and turn invisible. It's neatly balanced as well, with the benefit of each pack being countered by another. In a genre where make-do multiplayer is a common sight, there are enough fresh ideas and new takes on old standards here to show that Volition put some extra effort in for online, and it's appreciated.

'Red Faction Guerrilla' Screenshot 3

"You said crossing the streams was bad, Egon.".

The game even finds space for local multiplayer, an area so often forgotten these days. There's old-fashioned System Link for those with wires and tellies to spare, but even those with just a single joypad can have some fun in the shape of Wrecking Crew. These pass-the-joypad challenges concentrate on point-based carnage against a time limit, using a series of unlockable sledgehammers (including the infamous ostrich), the various backpack powers as well as limited demolition weapons. Fast, silly and making intuitive use of the excellent environment physics, it calls to mind Burnout's marvellously addictive Crash Junctions, and has much the same gleefully explosive allure.

Taken as a whole, the net result is a generous game that remains fun despite its frustrations, yet never quite achieves its full potential. Think of it as the game that Mercenaries 2 should have been. The presentation is polished, the visuals solid, the core gameplay gimmick amusing enough to keep you playing even as irritation creeps up. The gameplay has its ups and downs along the way, and some will find its lumpy structure a problem, but Red Faction is the very definition of a solid 7/10 - a game that should have been better, but offers more than enough to warrant a purchase during the quiet months.

7 / 10

Read the Eurogamer.net scoring policy
Picture of Dan.

About Dan Whitehead

Dan has been writing for Eurogamer since 2006 and specialises in RPGs, shooters and games for children. His bestest game ever is Julian Gollop's Chaos.

Read more articles from Dan by visiting the Dan Whitehead archive page.

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Comments (85) Latest comment 3 years ago

Comments threads automatically close after 30 days, but please feel free to continue chatting on the forum!

  • gareth886 #1 3 years ago

    Nice. I might pick this up and give it a go. I loved Red Faction 1.

  • Wastelander #2 3 years ago

    Hmmm, not bad. Think I'll go for Sims 3 today though.

  • LewisResolution #3 3 years ago

    "a compelling gameplay framework"

    What's that when it's at home, then? ;)

    Anyway: you're right, the game does take until around the fourth or fifth hour to get particularly interesting. But from that point I absolutely loved it. It's Far Cry 2 without the frustrating design choices. The world responds wonderfully to your destructive choices, and every option is thoroughly rewarding. It's my Game of the Year so far.

  • AphoticCosmos #4 3 years ago

    Already pre-ordered it, 7 was my guess but I need a fun explosions game for a few months.

  • beastmaster #5 3 years ago

    Okay, after much pondering I'm sold. Will pick it up over the weekend.

  • TheNinkyNonk #6 3 years ago

    "Red Faction is the very definition of a solid 7/10 - a game that should have been better, but offers more than enough to warrant a purchase during the quiet months"

    Edit:

    This review is the very definition of a solid 7/10 - a text that should have been less jaded, but offers more than enough insight into what it's like to grow old before your time to warrant a comment durinng the quiet hours

  • JohnnyWashnGo #7 3 years ago

    Oooh its not a FPS anymore?
    I love third person games and this one sounds like it may be good.
    My only question is - is it 7/10 good like Dead Space was?

  • Zomoniac #8 3 years ago

    Quiet months? VT2009, WMP, TW10, Infamous, Prototype, FNR4, Sims 3, Fuel and Ghostbusters either just out or out within the next few weeks, then Batman, ODST, NFS Shift, FM2, FIFA 2010, Bioshock 2, Beatles, Wii Sports Resort and Dirt 2 out in the couple of months that follow. The quiet period is just coming to an end.

  • Gearskin #9 3 years ago

    9/10 from me, on BXB

    When taken as a complete package, you get an incredibly fun, lengthy single player game coupled with a genuinely great multiplayer component. 6 modes, 21 maps... rare quality, to be honest.

  • penhalion #10 3 years ago

    Wasn't in any way expecting this to get more than a 4 or 5 after the demo......hmmm

  • DFawkes #11 3 years ago

    Sounds about right, I loved the demo but couldn't see it keeping things interesting past the first few hours. Love the sound of the nano-rifle though, I'll have this once I've finished FFVII again :)

  • LewisResolution #12 3 years ago

    Just to plug like hell, and to qualify my earlier comment of course, here's Wot I Fink.

  • Darren #13 3 years ago

    As soon as I saw this review was spread over three pages I was convinced it was going to score highly. The 7/10 score at the end was thus a little disappointing but it hasn't put me off the game as such as it has been scoring 80%-ish elsewhere. It's clearly a good game but many of the reviews have mentioned how repetitive it can get.

    But bugger it, I pre-ordered the PC version on the assumption that it will be technically better than the consoles versions (especially as I have a high-end system) but the bloody game isn't released until 26th June on that platform. Sucks to be a PC gamer sometimes... :(

  • IIIvirusIII #14 3 years ago

    the mutiplayer is by far a 8 + but single player get a bit boring .

  • Eraysor #15 3 years ago

    I've been playing it for the last few days, and I'd give it a 9. I really think it's worth at least an 8 in EG terms.

  • Genji #16 3 years ago

    This review just made me want to play EDF again.

  • Marvinator #17 3 years ago

    There's something strangely satisfying about taking a building apart with mines and hammer. Not quite sure what it is but I'm really enjoying it. Pretty cool that the damage you do is persistent too.

  • Ranger101 #18 3 years ago

    "War on Terra"

    Best subtitle EVA!

  • kinky_mong #19 3 years ago

    I'm starting to think the crazy people's conspiracy theories about Eurogamer's commitment to being the lowest score on Metacritic isn't so crazy now.

    Hopefully this will be waiting for me when I get home, and if the full game is like the two excellent demos I'll be very happy.

  • LewisResolution #20 3 years ago

    @kinky_mong

    A ludicrous accusation, of course - but there's nothing wrong with trying to break Metacritic ;)

  • glaeken #21 3 years ago

    Dam I bet myself the review sutitle was going to be "Red or Dead?"

    Anyway I liked the demo and will be picking this up as nothing in the EG review overly puts me off.

  • bdizzy #22 3 years ago

    I've put about 12 hours into it, and I would easily call it a solid 8/10, or a flawed 9/10. Crackdown is the proper comparison, not Merc2, although it borrows a bit from Merc, GTAIV, Burnout, and a host of other games. What it borrows it uses well, and the AI is both impressive and unforgiving, but in a rewarding way like in Halo 3's Legendary difficulty.

    Sure, the presentation is a bit generic, but that shouldn't count for much when the fundamentals are so solid. The physics aren't a gimmick at all. You actually can approach problems with creativity. Here's an example: load up a tanker truck with remote controlled mines. Send said truck into the middle of a convoy you need to disrupt. Bail out before impact. Trigger mines. Pick off stragglers with assault rifle from comfortable distance. Or, blow some cars to stop the convoy on the bridge. Take out the bridge from under the convoy. Or, sneak up to the convoy quietly, kill everyone driving with an electric gun (the arc rifle), affix mines, walk leisurely away and blow it.

    Some great moments so far.

  • yegon #23 3 years ago

    Will definitely buy when it's cheaper. Clearly a big improvement over the ghastly RF2, which is a nice surprise.

  • LewisResolution #24 3 years ago

    Funnily enough, it reminds me mainly of Far Cry 2 in its unhinged, unpredictable mayhem.

  • TheBard #25 3 years ago

    Bandiera rossa la trionferà!

    The people's flag is deepest red,
    It shrouded oft our martyr'd dead
    And ere their limbs grew stiff and cold,
    Their hearts' blood dyed its ev'ry fold.

    Then raise the scarlet standard high,
    Within its shade we'll live and die,
    Though cowards flinch and traitors sneer,
    We'll keep the red flag flying here.

  • spenner #26 3 years ago

    I laughed this off after the demo, thought it was horrible. I think the suicide runs alone are enough to keep me away

  • Valis #27 3 years ago

    "Despite the fading influence of Dubya's era of flag-waving good-vs-evil jingoism, it's still an incredibly bold (some might say stupid)"

    Yeah, don't have opinions you crazy games developpers! No social commentary either please.

    And what does "some might say" mean? Did someone else say it to you, or is it just a cowardly way to distance yourself from what you say?

  • muscleblade #28 3 years ago

    @Darren

    This is a multiplayer focused game. If you dont like multiplayer like you so often mention this game is probably not for you.

  • Mr_Dodger #29 3 years ago

    Definitely 8, poss 9. Full of great moments, like many have said. Last night my vehicle was about to blow, so I ditched it. An APC came racing toward me, and I threw an explosive and triggered it as it went over. Cue the APC flying into the air over my head, spinning as it goes, before crashing head first into another EDF truck coming the other way.

    Great stuff.

  • lennon #30 3 years ago

    First game in ages that has made me feel I cant wait to get home from work to play more. Im only about an hour in as well.

  • cyacomini #31 3 years ago

    "Think of it as the game that Mercenaries 2 should have been"

    Am I the only person who found Mercenaries to be one of the best games of last year? I thought it was fantastic...

    Quite enjoyed the demo of RF but thought it might get 'old' fairly quickly - this review might change my mind though and make this a purchase for me.

    Can you fly around in things in RF? Loved the heli's in Mercs 2

  • mikew1985 #32 3 years ago

    Croftolol

    :D

    Good times!

  • TheEnd #33 3 years ago

    Much better than a 7. Silly eurogamer.

  • booner #34 3 years ago

    At least an 8

  • bratmandu #35 3 years ago

    I am still undecided on the game, but that review was awful - he spends most of those two pages talking about the plot and what you unlock and when and obscure, details like "Guerrilla Actions as green icons, key EDF targets as light blue". Why are you telling me about the HUD?

    He mentioned the multiplayer for about 2 sentences, which I think is rather bad review technique as the longevity and overall fun of the game (and most games) is probably going to be in the multiplayer.

    I think this review focussed on the wrong things, and if I hadn't player the single and multi player demos I don't think I'd have a very good idea of what this game plays like.

    Poor show.

    **and how did he work George Bush into that review???
    Edited by 1 at 05/06/09 @ 10:46

  • Metalfish #36 3 years ago

    Anyone who complains about a score that is +/-1 away from their own is an idiot.

  • infoxicated #37 3 years ago

    I'm not sure what to do, now. I was going to go to the shops to pick up Sims 3 for the missus and Red Faction for me until I read this review.

    Think I'll sit tight and see if I can pick it up pre-owned, as if it's a frustrating game there's bound to be some trade-ins within a fortnight or so.

  • miiiguel #38 3 years ago

    I brtCrofoto cut/pastes his own comment over and over again, I think he's a bot.

    Credibility; some mumbo/jumbo about GTA; and I'm 17 but I know video-games for 50 years now I even played Moon Alert on a speccy.

  • Progguitarist #39 3 years ago

    Demo was ok but I dont think I'll bother with this.

  • JahB #40 3 years ago

    played the demo, it's a 8/10 just for the almost completely destructible environments alone.

    you're kidding right? first off, the destructible environments look horrid, and after that god awful demo i was expecting a 5 at best

  • Whizzo #41 3 years ago

    Some, like the ability to pick up scrap while driving, offer inessential conveniences.

    You're joking aren't you? Being able to pick up scrap while in a vehicle is probably the first upgrade you should get because a lot of things you'll trash will be because you've driven through them and you can't get out and pick it up.

    RFG is a fantastic game, something I really doubted after the lacklustre MP beta.
    Edited by 1 at 05/06/09 @ 11:12

  • Sir_TimAlot #42 3 years ago

    Red faction is basically a driving game with blowing stuff up making up about 10% of the gameplay.

  • LewisResolution #43 3 years ago

    My general thought, for those who are undecided, is that if you liked the explosions and crumpling buildings of the demo, you'll love the full game: it's that, times a million, and with increasingly creative destructive methods opening up as you progress.

    If you're after anything deeper, or you're the sort that turns off if something doesn't grab you within the opening hour, you'll probably be disappointed. But in terms of creating a huge sandbox of big bangs and fierce action, I don't think I've seen better.

  • lennon #44 3 years ago

    I agree with Whizzo essential early upgrade :)

  • layleeloo #45 3 years ago

    Purchase during the quiet months?

    Are EG BLIND?? Have they not seen the ruck of massive games coming out of late and in the next few weeks? Its hardly quiet is it.

    But still maybe worth a look

  • TheJuriel #46 3 years ago

    Looks like my opinion remains the same as after playing the demos. Will definitely get it, but that can wait until I find it used.

    And yeah, quiet month it is not. Sims 3, Prototype, Batman, Blood Bowl... plenty of games, plenty of genres, it's gonna be hectic.

  • muscleblade #47 3 years ago

    @TheJuriel

    What do you mean by Batman. Batman Arkam Asylum isnt coming out for months.
    Prototype could be good though. Its out next week too.

  • jambo74 #48 3 years ago

    7, though it would have been less looking at the demo.

    A Miss...

  • Chupakun #49 3 years ago

    Sooo, if the US came to "liberate" the UK and I fought back, I'd be a "terrorist"? Heehee

    Anyhoo, I find the demo somewhat lacking and while I know it's not indicative of the final product, I shall give this a pass.

    Although...Geomod is fun, fun fun.
    Edited by 1 at 05/06/09 @ 12:15

  • dr_faulk #50 3 years ago

    I played the demo and loved the fact that you can drive a truck through a building, and everyone in it.

  • bratmandu #51 3 years ago

    @ dr_faulk

    loved the fact that you can drive a truck through a building

    If you're doin that then you have to stick detpacks all over the truck and drive it through the middle, get out, escape, detonate.

  • wonton #52 3 years ago

    "Anyone who complains about a score that is +/-1 away from their own is an idiot. "

    Funny how all the "Should have been an 8" comments stopped after this :)

  • Gearskin #53 3 years ago

    I think Crofto is genuinely tapped in the head.

  • CableNut #54 3 years ago

    Just got me Red Faction & Fuel
    both cracking games :p

  • Masaroth #55 3 years ago

    7's good for me. Eurogamers 7's ive found are usually better than the cack they give 10's too imo

  • mikew1985 #56 3 years ago

    Only cause you're not expecting much! Some fantastic 7's in the last year though. But a 7 is a good score, if I like the sound of a game a 7 does not put me off.

  • jaxon58 #57 3 years ago

    @TheJuriel
    Blood Bowl isn't out for a while either.

  • Scimarad #58 3 years ago

    I enjoyed the demo but I was expecting the game to get slated. Definitely sounds like something I'd like to play after I finish Infamous...

  • bratmandu #59 3 years ago

    Personally I couldn't give a toss about EG's review, I'll use the two demos to make up my mind. Some number, arbitrarily doled out by a 'web journalist', who doesn't sound like he's played the game at all, is a poor representation of a game's playability.

  • LewisResolution #60 3 years ago

    @bratmandu

    What utter nonsense. Dan is a respected games writer, and the review is fair, measured, descriptive and accurate throughout. I disagree slightly with his overall opinion of the game, but it no way are your suggestions even slightly founded. The score is wholly immaterial.
    Edited by 1 at 05/06/09 @ 18:28

  • comedian #61 3 years ago

    Respected by his peers, not the trolls who frequent this wretched hive of scum and villainy.

  • shotgun44 #62 3 years ago

    It's not a complete thread until Crofto has had his personal blurb cut and pasted into a message:

    'Yeah, a big gamer with pretty strong but informed views on gaming, which often leads to me looking down on most gaming reviewers since they talk complete nonsense. I know what makes a good game, and what makes a bad game... I've been wasting my free time playing the bloody things long enough to tell the difference (unlike most gamers out there).

    You'll not often find me lavishing unfounded praise upon the likes of Grand Theft Auto or Gears of War, but rather on actual high quality games such as Okami and Super Mario Galaxy, which really are examples of excellent and polished gaming design.'

    Genius. It's looking increasingly more likely that he's not even joking when he says that, though!

  • LewisResolution #63 3 years ago

    "Respected by his peers"

    That is what I was aiming for, yeah.

    @jstar
    Personal jibes are completely unnecessary. Can't we keep the discussion to Red Faction?

  • siro #64 3 years ago

    The demo was yawntastic. I wonder if I could like the full game. Probably a no buy for me.

  • YourMessageHere #65 3 years ago

    I think jstar is being sarcastic. I certainly hope he is, anyway.

    Looking forward to this, a good bit of creative destruction is always nice and I'm kind of sick of linear games.

  • login_name #66 3 years ago

    I have to agree with the majority of this review. I was about ready to quit after one suicide run too many, however, I stuck with it, manly due to the review mentioning things get better and now I'm glad I did. It still annoys me though and could do with a lot more strategy to the attacks. A bit of stealth ability wouldn't go amiss and would it have been so hard to let me have a bit of fun before you call in every bloody troop on the planet to stop me?

    Why can't I take out troops without immediately raising the alarm? Heck you can't even get away with bumping into a fence without infuriating the entire army. Why can't I create a diversion by blowing something else up? They always know it was me, always.

    Having to run in and, immediately, out all the time is boring, it is not fun, and more to the point, it's not the tactics a small rebellious faction would use. They would be a little more smart about their attacks. Go for weak points. Get in and out quickly, but without generating too much heat on themselves. Use diversions, stealth and planning. Not just drive a truck into a building and then leg it before the tanks come - wash, rinse, repeat. That's just stupid.

    This game could have been amazing, I was really looking forward to it. The simplest of changes could help make it great. As it is, I'm just trying to find silver linings so I don't feel I wasted my money.

  • BBIAJ #67 3 years ago

    @ Crofto: Have you played the full game though? There is no tearing/pop-in to be seen.

  • bratmandu #68 3 years ago

    @ LewisResolution

    "What utter nonsense. Dan is a respected games writer, and the review is fair, measured, descriptive and accurate throughout. I disagree slightly with his overall opinion of the game, but it no way are your suggestions even slightly founded. The score is wholly immaterial."

    Condescend much? I agree that the score is immaterial, and would rather read reviews that don't have scores. What I don't want to read is a plot summary, description of minor irrelavent details like how icons appear on the in game HUD, and I was hoping to hear much, much more about the multiplayer aspect, perhaps half the review even.

    Now I understand that review copies arrive early and there are few people online before the release date to play with, but I still feel this review shed little light on the overall game. IT'S MY OPINION that a review should focus less on the minor details, and more on how much fun it is, playability, lifespan, etc.

    I agree the review is accurate and descriptive, but fair and measured? How can you possibly justify the complete lack of information on the multiplayer aspect, and the other modes, Wreckin Crew, etc, which I was looking forward to getting some information on.

    Well the game arrived today anyway so I'm about to find out for myself.
    Edited by 1 at 06/06/09 @ 13:44

  • LewisResolution #69 3 years ago

    "I agree the review is accurate and descriptive, but fair and measured? How can you possibly justify the complete lack of information on the multiplayer aspect, and the other modes, Wreckin Crew, etc, which I was looking forward to getting some information on."

    A) because it was you that was looking forward to such information, not me.
    B) because writing a fair and measured review does not necessarily mean talking about everything in the game.

    Your comment was ignorant and offensive to those who invest a lot of time and effort into producing high quality writing on the internet.
    Edited by 1 at 06/06/09 @ 14:08

  • bratmandu #70 3 years ago

    a) I expect, (not 'looked forward' to as such), to be informed on an aspect that is crucial to long term enjoyment of the game.

    b) A fair and measured review does not start talking about George Bush and HUD icons, and certainly covers the most important parts of the game.

    I respect your dedication to this reviewer - but I stand by that IT IS MY OPINION that the review did not cover the aspects of the game which are important to whether or not I (and a lot of other people) would enjoy the game.

    I know first hand that reviewing can be a difficult balancing act, and I respect anyone who does it as a career, but it is also the duty of a reviewer to play the game fully, explore the major aspects of play, and must themselves respect the teams who put these games together, by writing a complete review, not focussing on irrelevant referrences and minute details.

    I really don't get why you feel the need to resort to flaming me for stating my opinion just because this reviewer is your boyfriend or something, if he's wrong he's wrong.

  • DanWhitehead #71 3 years ago

    I'm sorry if you feel this review didn't give you the exact information you wanted, and in the exact required ratios you prefer, but to say that there was a "complete lack of information on the multiplayer aspect, and the other modes, Wreckin Crew, etc" is demonstrably wrong.

    Number of words spent talking about various multiplayer modes: 371

    And, since this seems to be a peculiar obsession for you...

    Number of words spent describing the HUD: 14

  • bratmandu #72 3 years ago

    I got it now and I like it, especially the various modes of MP.

    Counting words now? 14 on the HUD is 14 too many for such a trivial thing. Are you including 'and' and 'to' and the like?

    It's horses for courses I suppose, but when I read a review, I want to know virtually nothing of the plot, save maybe the quality of it. I want to know about different modes and ways of playing, including single player AND MP, how it feels, what you can and can't do, and how much life you reckon it has.

  • DanWhitehead #73 3 years ago

    Seriously, all of that info is in the review. There's literally one paragraph on the plot. I'm sorry that one sentence on the icons used to differentiate mission types on the map is such a distraction for you, but all the things you're complaining about amount to maybe a few hundred words in a 1,910 word review.

  • bratmandu #74 3 years ago

    Ok you have your opinion about what should be there and what shouldn't and so do I. Like I say, horses for courses. I made my own mind up from the demos and playing my friend's version.
    Edited by 1 at 06/06/09 @ 20:02

  • LewisResolution #75 3 years ago

    Oh my great goodness.

    Surely flaming would be somewhere more along the lines of making gay jokes or insulting Dan's (and, by extention, my) integrity as a "web journalist", rather than calling you out on misrepresenting the situation and posing your views as objective certainty.

    Big sighs. But let's all kiss and make up. I'll be doing that especially to Dan, natch.

  • Omroth #76 3 years ago

    I'm a massive fan of this - 9 personally.

  • spookyzombie #77 3 years ago

    A 9/10 from me too. Another one of those examples of the demo being a bad reflection of the full title.

  • Darren #78 3 years ago

    @muscleblade - "@Darren

    This is a multiplayer focused game. If you dont like multiplayer like you so often mention this game is probably not for you."

    Huh? Last time I checked the game has both single and multiplayer so I don't see why this wouldn't be for me anymore than Gears of War and Gears of Wars 2 were, neither of which I played online either. Besides I'm getting the game for the PC at a fraction of the price of the console versions so it'll probably prove to be a worthwhile purpose. I *did* enjoy the single player demo, you know! ;)

  • SimonM7 #79 3 years ago

    EG's 7s are quickly becoming the REAL kind of endorsement, seeing how thoroughly enjoyable Dead Space, Bionic Commando, Infamous, Nuts & Bolts, Resident Evil 5 and Ninja Blade have been. 10s however are reserved for the more pretentious excercises in boredom like Fable 2, which I suppose you have to have some kind of special, finely tuned senses to truly see the extra 3 points of.

    Really, the only thing that throws off the measurement is the mind numbingly dull Assassin's Creed which we're now supposed to bunch in with Dead Space on the accomplishment scale. :o

  • MikeP #80 3 years ago

    Asked a couple of friends about this over live last night. Favouite response was "this is a 7 in the way that Chromehounds was a 3".

    So I bought it. Fingers crossed...

  • bratmandu #81 3 years ago

    @ SimonM7

    Surely though, all those games are reviewed by different people, so you couldn't really say "EG's 7's are a good endorsement", as, the point I was trying to make last week here was that some reviewers value certain aspects of a game less than others or yourself, so the review score and general outlook may differ depending on the reviewer.

    I'm still in favour of the old Edge-style 'no scores on reviews - just words'.

    For this one, I, and it would seem, a good few other people are turning to the demo and friends to get an idea if they'd this game or not.

    I'd say to you to SimonM7, to ignore the numbered scores completely, and think about the impressions you had of this or any other game, before reading a review - and if the review doesn't address the things that you had thought about beforehand, find a review that does, or try a demo or get a friend's opinion.

    For example, in this review, I had wanted to know how good the multiplayer was, but this review didn't focus on MP that much, so I tried the demo and read some other reviews.

    I think I made the right choice - loving this game! 11/10!!!! (intentional irony). Seriously though - this game rocks bells.

  • Sunyavadin #82 3 years ago

    More games need system link these days. There's a reason I own multiple 360s and widescreen TVs....

  • dirk_aircool #83 3 years ago

    Finnished this game now . The enemy AI is super agressive and the core missions are mostly just dreadfull . you are under almost constant accurate hostile fire for the entire mission from all sides . and some mission have you driving the lenth of the map for no good reason . on the plus side , destroying stuff is just so much fun in this game . its worth buying just for the physics engine alone .( if you like destruction).

  • bratmandu #84 3 years ago

    @ dirk_aircool

    I'm a good bit in, playin on hard, the Ai is pretty tough, I wish you could lose the alert level a bit easier in enemy territory. i.e. if you're out and about (not near a base or enemy stronghold), it goes green again fairly quick when you escape, but if you are in a base or town, and you get away from the guards and hide, even if no one can see you, it NEVER goes green until you leave the area.

    It's annoyin when I'm trying to stealthily plan out the blowing up of the blue star buildings, I got it almost perfect but one guy seen me and the yellow alert wouldn't go away after I took care of him, patrols just kept coming after that but they never found me. I waited ages but they kept wandering about lookin for me, when I made a break for it the alert went to orane and all hell broke loose.

    Maybe a patch to make yellow alert go away if you're not spotted for a while?

  • MalikStarks #85 3 years ago

    After having the game for about a week now I have to say It's a lot of fun. Like some, at first I was a bit put off by the sort of run and gun nature of the action. However now after playing for a bit I see why the developers chose to design the game this way. The focus of the game is on destructible/explosive environments and the only way to truly enjoy this is to force gamers to incorporate it into the fighting.

    In other words BLOW S*** UP ...if you get pinned down by EDF look for something flammable to point your rifle at, or plant a remote charge on (The buildings are planned out with support structures like power generators, propane tanks etc). Need to take out a couple of guys on a bridge...plant some remote charges and blow up the damn bridge. Doing so will buy you enough time to do what you need to do (and the explosions are awesome to look at). I haven't gotten far enough to get some of the more advance weapons but that should make all of this even easier.

    In that sense the game does in fact force you to be creative and strategize, just more in a more fly by the seat of your pants sort of way, and it's good for a change of pace. It's not pure run/gun/suicide IF you keep your head and understand what your doing. I would have preferred a way to launch more complete-suprise type attacks (the convoy is one example), but overall I'm having a lot of fun with it. While the gun play is solid AND essential it's not like gears, or COD, in that you can't play it that way.

    It's sort of like Rambo meets McGyver.