Red Faction (2001 Video Game) User Reviews

Gameplay, innovation and narrative merge well together in Red Faction, resulting a worthy and solid game

[ohsta62 · 9/10 · 22 April 2010]

So I had this bundled with my PlayStation 2 I got back in Christmas 2001 or 2002. Ah, yes. Some nostalgia here. Although Red Faction was also ported on Xbox and PC, this was when the PS2 was having improved software as launch games in 2000 like Eternal Ring or Donald Duck Quack Attack were quite weak. This is one of the best FPS ever with tight gameplay, an interesting story and an innovative feature known as GeoMod. Short for Geometry Modification, this was a technology that had all if not most environments destructible. You could make a tunnel by explosive weapons, destroy a bridge so things on would fall etc. Not only was it a cool feature but it enhanced gameplay to these several neat tricks. GeoMod was possibly one of the selling points of the game.

The story has Earth some years in the future i.e. the year 2075 out of minerals. As they are needed to survive, it is decided to mine some out of Mars as the latter planet has some. It revolves around a miner named Parker, who criticizes the poor work conditions in his job in the prologue. Guards from Ultor Corporation who operate the mining place are inevitable. One day, after a dismissal for miners. One of them lectures a guard and attacks him which the miner gets shot. A rebellion planed by miners has began and you as Parker must fight your way out alive.During which, there have been ill people in the complex from an illness known as 'The Plague' which cure is unknown.Throughout most of the single player adventure, you kill guards trying to stop you. Later on, Mercenaries are to attack Parker rather than guards, which are tougher and all.

The gameplay is strong. What I like quite a lot is that it feels like a continuous adventure through places like Half-Life. Places are different when you progress through the game and each often having interesting qualities as you move on. A good selection of weapons, from a pistol to a rocket launcher to a rail gun. What's good is that you could select quite a handful of them whereas in some FPS like Halo 3:ODST, you could only have 2 weapons not counting grenades.

Of course, they are problems in Red Faction. The graphics are good and detailed but are out dated now, some dying screams of guards are quite too intense and awkward and the ending feels unfinished. Parker is a hero and The Plague is cured, that's it. What about the minerals for Earth? Mars probably terraformed or something. It would have been nice if there was an epilogue by Parker or someone but maybe the ending was rushed.

Red Faction is a solid game for mostly anyone. It is worth a buy and a play. It could take a few days to complete but it still is a great game.

Red Faction has come a long way, but the original title holds up rather well

[those_who_dig · 7/10 · 10 June 2022]

Red Faction is definitely a product of its time, but it stands as an above-average shooter with some fun mechanics.

There's a decent variety of weapons in the game. Some items will make others redundant, but there aren't any hugely overpowered or underpowered items in the Red Faction arsenal, and so each player's preferences should be accommodated.

The famed destruction physics are fun to play around with, but they seem to become less relevant as the game progresses. They hardly factor into the final act at all.

There's an attempt at a stealth system in Red Faction, which is one of the game's major shortcomings in my opinion. It's hard to detect any guiding principles behind whether the protagonist will remain incognito or have his cover blown, and the forced stealth sequences strip the player of every weapon beside a holdout pistol. Even with alarms tripped and dozens of enemies swarming you, you're forced to stick to your pistol and can't even pick up fallen enemies' weapons.

The story is straightforward and light. There are two major antagonists in Red Faction, with the first being much more entertaining than the second. Battling these two villains is a bit of a let down, however.

Overall, I'd say the first Red Faction game has held up relatively well despite the clear signs of age. It's no Half-Life, but rests comfortably in the B-tier of early 2000s shooters.

An overall great immersive FPS for the PS2.

[OneLeggedHippy · 17 July 2001]

When I purchased this game I was expecting the next Goldeneye (N64) or Medal of Honor (PSX). Those two games basically set the standards for Console Shooter games. While Red Faction manages to be the best FPS (first person shooter, for those who dont know) on the PS2, it is not the best FPS ever.

---The Bad's--- There isnt much to complain about this game. There are really no major complaints about the gameplay or graphical problems (glitches, etc...). But my real gripe is the lack of Features, and the not-so-great multiplayer mode. The multiplayer mode serves its main purpose (2 players killing each other). But compared to other console games like Perfect Dark (N64) and TimeSplitters (PS2) it just doesnt have enough. I was also kind of annoyed that I did not unlock or get anything after I completed the game which usually happens with other FPS's.

---The Good's--- The main selling point in this game is the "Geo-Mod" technology. This is basically the ability to destroy anything that is in the game. Dont like a certain wall or rock? Then blow it up... There are SOME parts of the game where you cannot use this feature, but it is very rare. This feature can be very fun and creative to use. For Example, there was a convoy going across a bridge, and if you fire a few rockets at the bridge, it will collapse sending them to the bottom of a canyon.

The Graphics in this game are average. The game runs at a fast speed. But sometimes the textures feel a little dull and boring. And the enemy's faces lack in variety. All the uniforms in this game could use a little variety also. There's basically the 'good' Miners (Red outfits), the 'bad' Ultor Corporation (bluish outfits), and then some scientists.

Gameplay is done excellently. The controls are very similar to the PS2 game called "Timesplitters". It will take a while to get used to the controls, but once you have it is pretty easy. And the addition of Vehicles in this game add to the level of enjoyment. The story keeps you motivated throughout the game. And frankly, its not that bad of a story. Its basically about a guy named Parker who wants to try something new in life. So he decides to become a Miner and work for the Ultor Corporation (which is on Mars). When he arrives there he learns that it really sucks being a miner. The conditions are horrible and the guards brutally assualt you. Finally, the miners start a revolt against Ultor and call themselves the Red Faction. You take control of Parker and start your journey into a very long game.

---Overall--- This game manages to keep you occupied until your finished. If your a big fan of FPS's, you might still play it after your done.

This game has good graphics, gameplay, sound, and most importantly...its pretty fun to play.

Great game (Spoilers)

[Argive · 10/10 · 19 January 2002]

Red Faction is fabulous. It moves at an extremely fast speed, and it has a bit more depth to it than other first person shooters, which usually center around the plot of "find the keycard to open the door". There is very little of that in RF.

The game is rather difficult, which compensates somewhat for the fact that it is short, maybe 10-15 hours long. But those 10-15 hours are worth it, as there is no wasted time here. RF never, ever, gets boring.

As for the controls, if you have played Oni before, you already know the basic control scheme. It's fairly easy to get used to. Just play the training level and you'll probably have it down quickly, although you may want to indulge in some minor retooling, since the action button is insanely far away from the movement buttons in the default control scheme.

As for the graphics, they are good, but not great. There is a certain choppiness to everything in the cinemas, and sometimes movement of your enemies seems quite awkward and forced. But this is okay, since you encounter some rather nasty looking creatures later on, and the lack of excellent graphics means that they are not quite as terrifying as you would expect.

One really nice facet of this game is the Geo-Mod engine, which allows you to blow holes in about 80% of everything you see. Door locked? No problem. Just whip out the Rocket Launcher (a.k.a. "Big Earl")and blast about 3 rockets into the wall, enabling you to simply go around the door. Unfourtunately, you cannot simply blow a hole in the door, and there are parts of the game where you can't take advantage of the Geo-Mod engine. Oh well.

Lastly, the plot and voice acting are both very good. The plot is simple, but not boring at all, and the acting is great.

This game is unbelievable. Volition and THQ did a great job.

PlayStation's answer to Half-Life

[NuclearNinja · 10/10 · 9 April 2023]

A real masterpiece for its time.

This game really set the bar for what I expect in a game, even now. Gripping story-line, good voice acting, some puzzles, immersive environments and even some humour thrown in.

Surprisingly the gameplay and graphics still hold up today. Which even for an FPS isn't always the case. It actually feels a little more challenging than a lot of modern FPS, without being frustrating. You have to be steady and aim your shots in a similar way to Counter Strike (on PC with no auto aim). However, there aren't kick back patterns to memorise.

Literally ground breaking destructible environments in an FPS was mind boggling to me as a child. My friends and I would play entire death matches on the max time settings just to dig tunnels, then try to link them up underground. Which seems ridiculous given that these days you can just turn on any number of sandbox games that allow you to tunnel and build but hey, at the time we thought it was awesome.

If you like sci-fi, FPSs and don't mind some old graphics I cannot recommend this game highly enough.

Ruins itself

[amadeuseisenberg · 3/10 · 8 October 2020]

At first, it's an amazing experience full of enjoyment. Difficulty is just right and progress is rewarding. It has a length that no modern linear shooter could rival. Then comes the inevitable part where developers run out of ideas and want to make the game harder. New bullet sponge enemies are introduced along with new weapons with insane damage and lots of chances to insta-kill the player(enemies using railguns with merciless accuracy and one shot kills at full health on medium difficulty, are you stupid?). The game becomes cheap and unfair. Any enjoyment gets drained out and it just becomes an idiotic chore. Steady progress at a fair pace gets replaced with trial and error, and skill-based gameplay becomes luck-based. There's no option to change difficulty mid-game and no cheat codes even to help wade through the trash, hoping to see a glimmer of hope again.

It's such a shame. The game is so thoroughly enjoyable at first, but then it needs to show you why it was never considered a classic. I haven't been so deceived and disappointed in a long time.