Red Faction: Armageddon

Overview

Red Faction: Armageddon is a direct sequel to Red Faction: Guerrilla, taking place on Mars fifty years after the first game. It retains the emphasis on destruction, using Geo-Mod 2.0 to make objects crumble in realistic ways. The game features a variety of weapons to cause destruction as well as a score attack mode (Ruin) where you can destroy entire levels and Extermination, a horde type mode that can be played online.

The game was released June 7th, 2011 in the US and June 10th, 2011 in the UK.

Story

Red Faction: Armageddon is set on Mars, fifty years after the events of Red Faction: Guerrilla. You play as Darius Mason, the grandson of Alec Mason and Samanya, the protagonists of Guerrilla and the Demons of the Badlands DLC, respectively.

The game starts with Darius Mason and the rest of the Red Faction racing for the Terraformer before cult leader Adam Hale destroys it. Mason makes it inside the Terraformer but is too late to stop the Terraformer from being destroyed, Hale disguising himself as a wounded soldier and getting away right under Mason's nose. The Terraformer now being destroyed, humanity is forced underground into old mining caverns. Mason is forced to live with the guilt that humanity's exile is his fault.

The story skips several years and Mason has now reconverted himself into a smuggler with love interest Kara in the underground city of Bastion. Despite Kara's warnings, Mason takes a mining job where he destroys an old Marauder seal. Before he can realize what he's done, his employers reveal themselves to be cultists under Hale and Mason is left for dead. He awakes three days later and realizes that he's unleashed a force of dormant native Martians on the planet. Unwilling to let the Martians take the planet that is rightfully theirs back from the invading Humans, Mason races back to Bastion only to realize that it's been devastated by the Martians. He helps the surviving Humans set up camp and get them clean water but they end up accusing Mason of releasing the Martians and start chasing him down. Mason escapes and meets up with Kara. The two have no other choice but to go to the surface and hunt down Hale.

After a brief meet and greet with the Red Faction, Kara and Mason find Hale. Hale is attempting to use the Martians to rule Mars but it is evident that he has little to no control over them. After a chase in the mines, Mason kills the dastardly cult leader and manages to hightail it before the rest of the cultists kill him. The death of Hale however does not solve the Martian problem. Darius and Kara decide to go pay a visit to an old Marauder oracle to see how they can stop the invasion.

Upon arrival, the oracle is dead but has left a data key that Darius' navigation system (S.A.M.) decrypts. All the Martians are being controlled by the queen, buried deep in a marauder temple. Darius and Kara make it into the temple and after crashing their vehicle, the two share a kiss confiding their feelings to each other. But just as this happens, the Martians attack and Kara is killed by a tentacle before being dragged down into a pit and eaten by the aliens. Devastated, Hale promises to make the Martians pay, and after committing unjust Martian genocide, he makes it to the Martian queen. After giving the queen a good beating, she flees to the surface. S.A.M. indicates that all the Martians would die due to the unnatural presence of oxygen in the Martian atmosphere, so Mason somehow fixes the Terraformer, rendering Mars as it was before Hale returned it to its natural state. The game ends with Mason, destroyer of worlds and murderer of species, looking at a ray of sun coming through the clouds that should not be there.

Gameplay

Red Faction: Armageddon is a third person shooter. Much like other games in the genre, you run around the environment, taking on multiple enemies at once with a wide array of weapons while taking cover behind objects to let your health replenish (it must be noted however that there is no cover system). Armageddon stands out ever so slightly by including minor destructible environments, though nothing to the extent of its superior predecessor Guerrilla. All of the destruction is done with the game's weapons, which range from sledgehammers to rocket launchers, all perfect for sending two story buildings crashing down onto Martian defenders. And if ever you run out of ammo, you can always use the Maul, a giant gravity hammer. Shooting in the game centers on locking on your opponent, meaning that precise aiming is not necessary. Weapon selection is done thanks to weapon lockers, scattered throughout the game world (some of which have to be rebuilt). You can only carry for weapons with you at a time and ammo is mostly replenished through ammo crates since the aliens don't drop any ammo. Ammo crates range from small cubical crates that only replenish ammo for one gun or large rectangular crates that replenish all weapons. The game keeps you from getting stuck in a location by featuring a powerful melee attack that you always have that can break down doors and walls.

Armageddon mixes third person shooting with rare on rails segments where you take control of a heavy machine gun (there's only one segment like this in the entire game). It also has you riding in the EXO Walker, a mech suit that's equipped with both rockets and machine guns. The mech suit also comes equipped with a powerful dash and has infinite ammo. Unlike Mason, the mech has two layers of health: a shield that replenishes and a health bar that does not. The game also lets you pilot the Inferno GX, a gunship that fires missiles and bullets. You control both the vertical and horizontal movement of the ship and fire lock on missiles that rarely miss.

When on foot, you can not only destroy but also rebuild thanks to the nano forge. The nano forge is an important part of the game since it lets Darius purchase upgrades thanks to salvage that is both found on the ground and by killing enemies. Once you have enough salvage, you can purchase upgrades at upgrade stations scattered throughout the levels (these stations are blue while weapon stations are red). There are four rings of upgrades that you can purchase from. Every upgrade on the first three rings cost 1000 pieces of salvage while each upgrade on the fourth and last ring cost 1500. Some upgrades contain prerequisites such as having to purchase a previous upgrade. Upgrades give Darius special abilities such as the ability to put enemies into stasis while other upgrades improve his health as well as his weapons. Special abilities can only be used every so often, as indicated by a progress bar on the lower left side of your reticule.

Weapons and Nano Forge

Weapons

Name	Details	Image
Enforcer	Type of Item: Firearm Origin: EDF Description: Firing smart bullets, the Enforcer is a tracking assault rifle. Uses: Anti Personnel
Nano Rifle	Type of Item: Firearm Origin: Marauder Description: Single fire semi automatic rifle that launches a load of nanites programmed to dissolve anything they touch. Uses: Destruction, Anti Personnel, Anti Vehicle
Banshees	Type of Item: Firearm Origin: Marauder Description: Huge caliber twin pistols Uses: Anti Vehicle, Anti-Personnel, Anti-Armor
Pulse Grenade	Type of Item: Launcher Origin: Marauder Description: Semi-Automatic, Grenade Launcher, Long Range Energy-Based Uses: Anti-Personnel, Area Denial
Laser Pistols	Type of Item: Firearm Origin: Red Faction Uses: Anti Personnel
Plasma Thrower	Type of Item: Firearm Origin: Red Faction Militia Description: Plasma-based, Experimental, Exponentially powerful Uses: Demolitions, Heavy Assault
Charge Launcher	Type of Item: Explosive Origin: Red Faction Description: Updated for warfare, the Red Faction Charge Launcher is a military weapon that fires remote charges more accurately and to a longer range. Uses: Anti Personnel, Urban Renewal, Anti-Vehicle
Pistols	Type of Item: Firearm Origin: Ultor Description: Standard rapid fire semi automatic pistols Uses: Anti Personnel
Shotgun	Type of Item: Firearm Origin: Red Faction Description: Standard pump action shotgun Uses: Anti anything in front of you at the moment
XNG-5000	Type of Item: Launcher Origin: Marauder Description: Fires a nanite charge that sticks to anything it hits, causing severe damage over time and dissolving any structures it attaches to. Uses: Anti Personnel, Destruction
Arc Welder	Type of Item: Electrical/Firearm Origin: Red Faction Militia Description: Capable of stun or kill, Heavy, Electrically charged, Practical, Tough Uses: Quiet kills, Stun, Short-Medium Range Attack
Plasma Cannon	Type of Item: Firearm Origin: Red Faction Description: Plasma-based, Chargeable, Powerful, Slightly Unwieldy Uses: Demolitions, Heavy Assault, Anti-Armor
Plasma Beam	Type of Item: Firearm Origin: Red Faction Description: Plasma-based, Laser-like, Heavy, a beam of plasm that heats up and melts any object. Uses: Heavy Assault, Anti-Armor, Destruction
Rail Driver	Type of Item: Firearm Origin: EDF Description: Zoom in provides enemy detection, Fires through walls. Uses: Anti Personnel
Rocket Launcher	Type of Item: Rocketry Origin: Ultor Description: Meter-and-a-half in length, Heavy, Limited use, Unwieldy, Dangerous, Requires precision and care Uses: Anti-Aircraft, Anti-Armor, Heavy Armor
Singularity Cannon	Type of Item: Explosive/Firearm Origin: Marauder Description: Singularity creating, Fusion powered, Massively destructive Uses: Destruction, Anti-Vehicle
Assault Rifle	Type of Item: Firearm Origin: Red Faction Description: Projectile-based, Triple-barrel, Standard issue Uses: Patrols, Firefights, Assaults, Security
War Maul	Type of Item: Melee Origin: Red Faction Description: Powerful, Slightly Unwieldy, heavy damage Uses: Salvage, Construction, Destruction, Silent Kills
Magnet Gun	Type of Item: Firearm Origin: Darius Mason Description: Twin-staged, Magnetic, Ad hoc construction Uses: Salvage, Mining One of the game's signature weapons. To use this weapon, you must fire two projectiles. You fire the first projectile onto an object or enemy and a second projectile onto anything else. Once this second projectile is fired, the object that was hit will come flying into the second object.
"Mr. Toots"	Type of Item: Miniature Unicorn Origin: Unknown Description: Ridiculous Uses: Anti-personnel It's best if you don't ask, really...

Nano-Forge

Nano-Forge Ability	Details	Image
Shockwave	Description: Launches energy all around Darius that suspends any biological in the area, stunning them and damaging them over time. Uses: Close Combat, Crowd Control
Impact	Description: Projects a wave of force in front of Darius, destroying anything in front of him and launching any enemies at high velocity. Uses: Destruction, Close Combat
Shield	Description: Creates a Shield around Darius that stops incoming fire, also any enemy's within the shield will be attacked by nano-machines.
Reconstruction	Description: Restores damaged man-made items to their original form. Uses: Repair Upgrade: Ability to shoot a small batch of nanites to repair at a distance.

Vehicles

Name	Details	Image
Inferno GX	Terrain: Air Utilities: Aerial Combat, Transportation Manufacturer: Marauder Seating: 3 (Driver and 2 Passengers) Weapons: Rapid Fire Cannon, Blossom Missiles Seen In: RFA
Marauder Heavy Walker	Terrain: All Utilities: Heavy Construction, Mining, Bomb Disposal, Heavy Combat Manufacturer: Marauder Seating: 1 Weapons: Heat-Seeking Missiles, Napalm Laser Seen In: RFA
Marauder Scout Walker	Terrain: All Utilities: Combat Manufacturer: Marauder Seating: 2 (Driver and Passenger) Weapons: Lightning Cannons, Convergence Laser Seen In: RFA
Mining Exo	Terrain: Light, Urban Utilities: Heavy Construction, Mining, Bomb Disposal Manufacturer: Darius Mason Seating: 1 Weapons: Magnet Gun Seen In: RFA
L.E.O. Military Exo	Terrain: All Utilities: Artillery, Recon Manufacturer: Red Faction Seating: 1 (Pilot) Weapons: Machine gun, Triple rocket launcher, Destructive charge ability.

Multiplayer

The only online multiplayer mode featured in Red Faction: Armageddon is. Extermination. It's a mode similar to Horde in Gears of War 2 where four players must co-operate against wave after wave of aliens. There are a total of 15 different maps comprised of 30 waves. Of the 15, five are locked but they can be played if the host has unlocked them. Objectives vary from map to map. One will require you to simply kill all aliens to proceed while others will also have you defending certain buildings or generators. TThe game tells you how many "troops" are left to kill in the top right corner of the screen.

The upgrades that you've purchased in the singleplayer do not transfer to the multiplayer. Instead, you unlock new abilities as you complete waves. You also unlock new weapons as the waves go on. Unlike in the singlepayer, you can only carry one special ability that upgrades itself wave after wave. Players have lives, the number of lives depending o,n how many players are in a match. You lose a life each time you are downed. Each time you find yourself on the ground, a partner will have to come and heal you within 25 seconds or else you are permanently eliminated. Each wave you complete carries you to the next and you can replay specific waves.

There is one final "multiplayer" mode called Ruin. This can not strictly be called as multiplayer since your not playing with other people. Instead, Ruin is a score attack mode where you try to create as much chaos as possible and then compare your score with the rest of the Red Faction community. You begin each infestation map by selecting four weapons. Once that is done, you'll have little over a minute to blow everything up and build your multiplier. Your multiplier rises when you cause different acts of destruction at the same time (for example if you manage to topple a building which explodes a gas canister). Once the timer stops, you are immobilized but the game gives you an extra 10 seconds to see if anything that you have damaged may suddenly topple and earn you points. To unlock more Ruin maps, you much beat a par score for each map. It must be noted that Ruin is only available for people who buy the game new. A code to download a key to unlock the mode is on the back of the instruction manuel and if you do not have it, you can or choose to purchase it or play a demo of it which consists of one map.

Sales

Red Faction: Armageddon sold exceptionally poorly, not managing to break into the top 10 of sales on the week of its release. This is not due to the strength of the Red Faction franchise in general, but because the developers ignored the phenomenal success of the previous entry, Guerrilla, and chose not to follow up on its winning combination of open-world gameplay and utter destruction. Despite this failure being entirely their own fault, THQ has nonetheless decided to take it out on the Red Faction franchise, claiming that it's not strong enough to face other heavy hitters on the market. THQ sent out a press release, expressing its feigned disappointment and what it plans to do with the rest of the Red Faction franchise:

Given that that title now in two successive versions has just found a niche, we do not intend to carry forward with that franchise in any meaningful way.

Soundtrack

The original score for Red Faction: Armageddon was composed by Brian Reitzell.

PC System Requirements

Minimum

• OS: Windows XP, Vista or Windows 7
• Procesor: 2GHz Dual Core Processor (Intel Core 2 Duo or AMD Athlon™ X2) (or better)
• Memory: 2 GB of RAM
• Hard Disk Space: 7.5 GB
• Video Card: 320 MB Nvidia GeForce 8800 series / ATI Radeon HD3000 series (or better)
• Sound Card: DirectX 9 Compatible
• DirectX: Version 9

Recommended

• OS: Windows XP, Vista or Windows 7
• Processor: Quad Core Processor (Intel Core i5 or AMD Phenom™ II X4) or 3.0+ Dual Core
• Memory: 4 GB of RAM
• Hard Disk Space: 7.5 GB
• Video Card: 1GB NVIDIA® GeForce GTX 400 series / ATI Radeon HD5000 series (or better)
• Sound Card: DirectX 9 Compatible
• DirectX: Version 11