• ID = PS0698
• STYLE = First-Person Shooter
• DEV. = Volition Inc.
• PUB. = THQ, Inc.
• R-DATE = Oct-23-2002
• ESRB = M / For Mature
• PLAYERS = 1-4 players
• LIST PRICE = $19.99
  

Earth. Twenty-second century. Five years after the rebellion on Mars.

For 15 years, Chancellor Victor Sopot has oppressed the people of the Commonwealth. His corrupt rule and a relentless war of unification with the United Republic has left the Commonwealth bloodied and impoverished. As distant battles rage, sewage taints Sopot City's rivers, pollution smudges the sky, and wretched citizens huddle in crumbling ruins. The Public Information Building, built by the dictator as a tribute to himself, broadcasts lies about Sopot's bravery and the Commonwealth's military victories.

Condemned to death by Chancellor Sopot, six super-soldiers unite to save their country, vowing to overthrow Sopot using the unique powers that nano-technology has given them. Join the squad as Alias, a demolitions expert. Fight side-by-side with Molov, Repta, Shrike, Tangier, and Quill--each possessing unique attributes and specialties. Battle through diverse environments using vehicles, an arsenal of specialized weapons, and explosives in a mission to overthrow the government. Defeat Sopot and restore the honor of the Commonwealth!

• Revamped Geo-Mod engine - the only FPS with real-time, arbitrary geometry modification.
• All-new storyline & characters - fight as a member of an elite squad of six.
• Enhanced graphics and prerendered cutscenes for a completely immersive experience.
• Utilize four varied vehicles in combat, including a tank, a hover flyer and a submarine.
• Acquire superior firepower from multiple boss battles.
• 14 specialized weapons of mass destruction, including dual-handed pistols and machine guns.
• All-new inventory of useful items - health kits, night vision goggles, numerous grenades and more.
• Stealth, puzzle solving and action-oriented objectives.
• Advanced AI behavior - AI works in squads and reacts realistically to events.
• High replay value due to multiple endings based on player actions. 4 player mode - split screen death match and create your own bots.
• USB keyboard/mouse support.

Set a few years after the first game but curiously failing to feature Parker, the hero from the original, Red Faction II casts you as Alias, a nanotech-enhanced soldier out to bring down the Soviet-style Commonwealth that has decided to blight the land in the way that evil dictatorships always seem to in video games.

The primary gimmick of the Red Faction games is the Geo-Mod (geometry modification) graphics engine, which allows you to destroy almost any wall, ceiling and floor in order to proceed or simply to just have a bit of a laugh. The biggest problem with the first game was its terrible loading times, which really interrupted the flow of the game, but that's been sorted out for this sequel, which also includes improvements to the previously Spartan multiplayer modes.

As you'd expect there are also lots of new vehicles to drive--including a very natty robotic power suit--plus tons more weapons and even a new Halo -style shield system. Admittedly none of this is terribly original, and the frame rate can stutter on occasion, but it's still lots of fun for red-blooded men and women. -- David Jenkins