Red Faction: Guerrilla

Red Faction: Guerrilla is a third-person open-world action game that heavily focuses on destructible environments.

Welcome to Mars

Alec joins the Red Faction after the EDF kills his brother

In Red Faction: Guerrilla, players take on the role of insurgent fighter Alec Mason with the newly reestablished Red Faction movement and battle for liberation from the oppressive Earth Defense Force. Utilize improvised weapons, explosives, re-purposed mining equipment and vehicles to tear through the fully destructible environments swarming with EDF forces, Red Faction resistance fighters, and the downtrodden settlers caught in the crossfire. Red Faction: Guerrilla redefines the limits of destruction-based gameplay with a huge open-world, fast-paced guerrilla-style combat, and physics based destruction featuring Geomod 2.0 and real-time stress physics on buildings.

Story

Red Faction: Guerrilla is set on the planet Mars 50 years after the events of the first Red Faction. The player becomes Alec Mason, an honest man looking for work as a miner on mars. Soon after dropping on mars, EDF, or Earth Defense Force, oppression is obvious. After meeting up with Alec's brother Daniel, Alec soon finds that Daniel is involved in the Red Faction, the resistance force of Mars. After watching his brother die Alec has no choice but to join the Red Faction to avenge his brother, and because the EDF has already put a price on his head. Throughout the game the player fights the EDF using whatever methods necessary (ie. building destruction, brute force) to crush the EDF and take back Mars!

The Red Faction II storyline seems to have been ignored in this game. The only reference to the future events of Red Faction II is the presence of the nano forge which was used in RF2 to create nano-technology enhanced weapons and soldiers.

Singleplayer

Heavy vehicles at high speed are excellent house-smashers.

Gameplay centers around freeing the areas of Mars from the EDF through a number of means including destruction of important buildings, side missions (Guerrilla Actions), and story missions. In order to clear an area, the main missions for that area must be completed and the EDF's control must be reduced to zero. Control can be reduced by two means; Destroying EDF buildings or by completing Guerrilla Actions.

There are various Guerrilla Actions:

House Arrest - The player must rescue hostages from the EDF and return them to base.
Guerrilla Raid - The player must help the Red Faction clear an area of EDF soldiers and destroy a building.
Transportation - Steal a specific vehicle and return to base within the allotted time.
Demolition Master - Timed mini game centered around destroying specific targets.
Heavy Metal - The player is required to kill a certain amount of EDF troops/vehicles given the destructive vehicle.
EDF Assault - Given over the radio, you must help the Red Faction protect an area by killing all the EDF that attack.
Steal Convoy - Given over the radio, the player must intercept an EDF convoy, steal the targeted vehicle, and return it to base.
Destroy Convoy - Given over the radio, the player must intercept an EDF convoy and destroy all the targets.
Interception - Given over the radio, the player must chase down the target, retrieve the intel, and make it back to base.

There are also varying types of EDF buildings to destroy and how you go about their destruction is completely up to the player. These types of buildings include:

High Importance Buildings - these buildings are specially marked and well guarded against attack, but the amount of control lost when they are destroyed is greater.
Medium Importance Buildings - these buildings are marked with a blue marker on your map and offer a significant amount of control loss when destroyed.
Low importance Buildings - these buildings can be identified on the mini map by their red outline. These are usually unguarded but offer little control loss.
Propaganda - unmarked billboards and signs that can be destroyed for both control loss and morale boost (and the Free Your Mind achievement/trophy).

Another factor in the campaign mode is the morale level of a sector. The morale meter determines how well the population supports you and how willing they are to fight the EDF. A higher morale means more support from fellow Red Faction members during missions. Morale can be raised by destroying propaganda, completing actions, completing missions, and by killing a large amount of EDF troops. However, morale can also be lost by accidentally killing your own troops or from them being killed by the EDF.

During the singleplayer campaign players are able to find and collect various collectibles. These collectibles include:

Ore Mine - there are 300 of these spread across the in-game world. They are shown as orange dots on the minimap. Destroying an ore mine rewards the player with a high amount of salvage points. Mining every ore in the game unlocks an achievement/trophy.
Radio Tag - there are 36 hidden radio tags to find in the in-game world. They are shown as purple dots on the minimap. Upon collecting a radio tag, the player will hear a short audio message played. Collect them all to unlock and achievement/trophy.
Propaganda Sign - there are 50 of these signs to find in the game. They're usually found alongside roads and are quite easy to spot. Upon destroying a sign, the player will gain a small morale boost in that particular sector. Destroy them all to unlock an achievement/trophy.

Multiplayer

Multiplayer is different from the single-player experience.

The multiplayer component focuses on the absolute destruction aspect of the game. Everything but terrain is destructible and modes and maps are built around that. Due to this that the map will look very different at the end of the round as opposed to the beginning of the round. The game mechanics almost completely abolish camping, since all cover can be destroyed. Vehicles have been entirely excluded from multiplayer, which makes the experience more hectic because of the smaller maps.

The Ostrich Hammer; one of the most coveted unlocks.

To get into a game, players select a game mode and are taken into a lobby. Once there, they are shown who they will be playing with, the current map, and the settings of the match. The game often changes up the settings to provide a new experience. For example, you could find yourself in a match where the health has been lowered, friendly fire has been turned on, and unlimited ammo is activated. The game also changes up your starting equipment, so players could start the match with powerful weapons or a sledgehammer and nothing else.

The player is able to earn experience points during a match. When a game ends, the player is shown a stats screen that shows them how well (or bad) they did, and also shows a bar that fills up with the points they earned. If it completely fills, the player unlocks something. The unlocks come in the form of new characters to play as, new game modes, new sledgehammers, and/or bonus XP events. The bonus XP events occur when the player does something unique during a match. Bonus XP events can include killing the top player on the other team, killing someone that is wearing a backpack when you aren't, recovering to full health after being near death, and much more.

Modes

Anarchy - Anarchy is a free-for-all mode which pits all players against each other in one of many maps. Depending on the options chosen, the leader for the match may be highlighted. In addition, this is one of the few modes where players aren't put into teams (Red Faction, EDF, etc.), but instead display whichever character they chose for that type.
Damage Control is one of the many multiplayer modes.
Team Anarchy - The same mechanics of Anarchy apply in Team Anarchy, except players are split into teams. Unlike Team Anarchy, there is no leader highlighting, and characters are now split into factions rather than playing as a certain character.
Capture the Flag - Capture the Flag is the traditional Capture the Flag mode, seen in most shooters on the market. Once the enemy's flag is capture, it must be returned. If the flag is missing, the enemy's flag cannot be returned. Various customizable options appear only in this mode, such as returning flag upon touch and how long a flag stays after being dropped (five seconds to a minute).
Damage Control - Damage Control is a mode unique to Red Faction: Guerrilla. In each map in this mode, there are three control points on the map. Players are given the reconstructor (a weapon which can literally rebuild things on the map) and then must capture the control points for their team. Enemy control points must be destroyed, and then recaptured.
Demolition - Demolition is another mode that is unique to Red Faction: Guerrilla. In Demolition, one player on each team is designated as the Destroyer, and then must destroy everything in sight, gaining points for the team. Killing the enemy Destroyer will delay their destruction for nine seconds, until a new Destroyer is randomly selected.
Siege - Siege splits players into two teams, one attacking team and one defensive team. The defensive team is tasked with protecting several structures, while the offensive team must knock them down (gaining points for their team). This is the longest mode, as it takes twenty minutes rather than ten (each team gets a round). In addition, several maps that Siege takes place on are unique to that mode.

Maps

Unlike other open-world games, Red Faction: Guerrilla uses special designed maps for its multiplayer component.

Map Name	Game Mode
Crash Site	Anarchy, Capture the Flag, Damage Control, Demolition, Team Anarchy
Deadzone	Anarchy, Capture the Flag, Damage Control, Demolition, Team Anarchy
Downfall	Anarchy, Capture the Flag, Damage Control, Demolition, Team Anarchy
Excavation	Anarchy, Capture the Flag, Damage Control, Demolition, Team Anarchy
Fall Factor	Anarchy, Capture the Flag, Damage Control, Demolition, Team Anarchy
Garrison	Anarchy, Capture the Flag, Damage Control, Demolition, Team Anarchy
Pinnacle	Capture the Flag, Damage Control, Team Anarchy
Quarantine	Anarchy, Capture the Flag, Damage Control, Demolition, Team Anarchy
Radical	Anarchy, Capture the Flag, Damage Control, Demolition, Team Anarchy
Rift	Anarchy, Capture the Flag, Damage Control, Demolition, Team Anarchy
Sand Pit	Anarchy, Capture the Flag, Damage Control, Demolition, Team Anarchy
Settlement	Capture the Flag, Damage Control, Team Anarchy
Warlords	Anarchy, Capture the Flag, Damage Control, Demolition, Team Anarchy
Wastelands	Capture the Flag, Damage Control, Team Anarchy
Wreckage	Capture the Flag, Damage Control, Team Anarchy
Cornered	Siege
Crescent	Siege
Crevice	Siege
Framework	Siege
Gauntlet	Siege
Overpass	Siege

Backpacks

The game also features a power-up system called backpacks that can either be picked up from dispensers throughout a map, or as part as your initial spawning load out. You can only equip one Backpack at a time, but you can switch out Backpacks at a rack. When a player dies, their backpack is returned to its rack.

Concussion - Sends out a shockwave which will blast debris away and knock down or kill any enemies within the attack range.
Firepower - Gives the player a significant damage boost to any weapon or explosive for a limited period of time.
Fleetfoot - Gives the player a speed boost for a short period of time.
Jet Pack - Fly around the map with a limited amount of fuel. The fuel regenerates when inactive.
Rhino - An invulnerable attack directly forward, which can destroy structures and enemies.
Stealth - Allows the user to become nearly invisible to enemies for a period of time.
Thrust - An invulnerable attack directly into the sky or down to the ground, which can destroy structures and enemies.
Tremor - Produces an earthquake-like effect that causes destruction to any structures near the player as well as making aiming difficult for nearby opponents.
Heal - Regenerates the user's health and the health of teammates in the vicinity.
Vision - Allows the user to see the highlight of enemies through structures but not through rock.

Wrecking Crew

There is an offline only multiplayer game mode known as Wrecking Crew. Wrecking Crew features several different modes, all of which are based around causing as much damage with a set amount of resources (such as ammo, time, or both). At the beginning of the game the players individually pick their own weapon and backpack to start out with, and after each match the person who causes the most destruction chooses the weapon and backpack load-out for the next round.

Downloadable Content

Demons of the Badlands

One of the new vehicles in the Demons of the Badlands.

Demons of the Badlands follows the story of Samanya, three years previous to the events of Red Faction: Guerrilla. It shows her past as a Marauder, along with her sister, Vasha (leader of the Marauders). Throughout the three missions in the Demons of the Badlands, Samanya is shown to be a contrast of her sister. While Vasha is heartless and cruel, Samanya cares for people and is compassionate towards the colonists that Vasha will kill in a heartbeat. Because of this, Samanya leaves the Marauders (meeting Dan Mason in the process, setting up for the creation of the Red Faction and the events of Red Faction: Guerrilla).

Demons of the Badlands adds more than just three story missions, however. There are also several new vehicles, new weapons (such as the Subverter, the Missile Pod, the Spiker, and a new version of Remote Mines), Marauder power cells (which are scattered around the Mariner Valley and must be collected), eleven new Marauder Actions (basically the same as Guerrilla Actions), and several high and medium importance EDF targets to wreak havoc in. Many other subtle changes have been made, such as the removal of the morale meter, and the fact that upgrades are now unlocked with the completion of missions and Marauder Actions as opposed to collecting salvage and purchasing them (as salvage is removed altogether).

Multiplayer Pack

The second DLC pack was announced on August 24, 2009. Known as Multiplayer Pack, it adds several new maps and two new modes. The pack was released on September 17, 2009, and costs $7.00 (or 560 Microsoft points). Originally the new maps were only available to play Bagman and Team Bagman on, but since the release of the pack, Volition has added a playlist in which the new maps can be used in Damage Control and Team Anarchy.

The new modes, Bagman and Team Bagman, are taken from Red Faction II. Bagman is a free-for-all mode where every player fights over the "bag," with every second in possession of the bag gaining the player a point. Team Bagman is the same concept, except there are two teams fighting for the bag rather than a free-for-all.

New Maps

Playing Bagman on one of the new maps.

Puncture
Broadside
Compound
Division
Equilibrium
Gradient
Haven
Remnant

New Modes

Bagman
Team Bagman

Smasher Pack

Behemoth allows the player to use one of three walkers.

The third and last of the three promised DLC packs was announced on September 25, 2009, set to be released on October 1, 2009 for $4.99 (or 400 Microsoft Points). Known as the Smasher Pack, it adds eight new maps to the Wrecking Crew mode of Red Faction: Guerrilla, as long as introducing a new mode for Wrecking Crew called Behemoth, in which players use one of three walkers to destroy buildings.

Reception

Reviews for Red Faction: Guerrilla have been mostly positive. According to critics, the game suffers from a weak story and repetitive gameplay. However, critics praised the games physics, engine, and action. The game currently has an 85/100 on Metacritic for the Playstation 3 and Xbox 360 versions and an 83/100 for the PC version.

blog	Weekend Gaming! 02.05.10	MGSolid86
blog	Falling out of Love with a Game	Curval
blog	Games for Windows Live is a horrible, disgusting mess.	itchyeyes
blog	Twenty-Ten	DBoy
blog	Which of these should I get?	Half_Life
news	Three New Red Faction: Guerilla DLC Packs On The Way	Brad
news	Red Faction: Guerrilla for $40 on Amazon	Vinny
news	"Write About This Game We're Promoting And We'll Let You Play It Early"	Jeff

Game Name	Red Faction: Guerrilla
Platform(s)	Xbox 360 PlayStation 3 PC
Publisher(s)	THQ
Developer(s)	Volition Incorporated Reactor Zero
Genres	Add a new genre Shooter Vehicular Combat Action
Themes	Add a new theme Sci-Fi
Original US Release	June 2, 2009 need a fuzzy date?
Original US Release	Q2 2009 know the real date?
Aliases	Red Faction 3 Red Faction: Guerilla
OFLC	OFLC: MA15+
ESRB	ESRB: M
PEGI	PEGI: 16+

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PC Games with LIVE Achievements A list of titles with Games for Windows - LIVE achievements. Some of these are also available on Steam and Games on Demand.
Red Faction: Guerrilla Achievement Guide Walkthrough for each and every achievement from the June 2009 release Red Faction: Guerrilla.
Multiplayer Guide Red Faction Guerrilla Multiplayer Guide