Are-You-Kidding-Me?!?!
When Red Faction first came, it was an interesting game. For the first time you could fire rocket launcher through wall and pass through. Level design was more linear already, which is pity because imagine such feature in games I mentioned before... But, it was unique in its time and even though I don't thing series was ever very good like some other AAA titles it was fun. With that said, here was a chance to make masterpiece, with 3-th title/chance.
Biggest mistake was, they made yet-another-would-be-GTA-clone! Yes you guess, I really have enough of this. It started first with NFS:Underground2, continued with Just Cause, Mercenaries2, Farcry2, even latest Wolfenstein and so many other games I don't even remember. Am sick of this. You start a game where you land on Mars to visit your brother, getting some intro + first tutorial to show game's destruction capabilities and cutscene comes where your brother get killed. Because soldiers go after you too now, you join rebel faction and game start... which mean you get into controls and get few words of text like "sorry about your brother"... thats it. No really, thats it! All happen so quick and bland. Now you are free to go around, you can start mission by arriving to the "point" location, or take countless useless filler subquest of type: rescue prisoners, destroy that, help faction fighting somewhere with soldiers and... thats it. Ok maybe some more but these are mostly and same subquests. Characters you rescue for example are mindless bots with no personality. If you played Mercenaries 2 or Just cause, its same(Just Cause was still "o.k"). But with worse graphic because you know.. this is Mars so.. all is in redish color tone and there is not much to "see" on Mars but empty ground and some structures(usually).
But you all wanted to see destruction model. This IS great. Well at least, until now as far as I know only this game and Warmonger got it right. This game doesn't need Physx for those who have ATI. Still, destruction really feel realistic and is probably best made. To this time I dare to say its best destruction model together with Warmonger. Cars destruction doesnt seem to follow this model though...
But you know, this is a game where such advanced destruction model is NOT NEEDED. Why? Well because this game plays like those I mentioned before, which means:
-enemy respawn like there is no tomorrow
-stealth system suck big time as in such kind of games does
So you cannot plan your mission, that instead of direct assault infiltration you could burn whole building with them and silently watch satisfying results. And IF you would be able to do this(means they wont notice you, but more likelly because mission is scripted for it), they will respawn somewhere after explosion.
There is so much more wrong with this game, for example enemies comes on APC cars... as they spawn somewhere in distance and approach you in high speed they crash into each other. If you stay there for while then in time game spawn even like 10+ vehicles that crash into each other and create total mess on the street - there is TOTAL LACK OF "AI" IN THIS GAME. Other bad things are map and level design for example. You have some rebel "base" there, but few meters from it can be actual fighting, quest or subquest simply because its so compressed on each other you often dont need vehicle to reach point. Its worst level design in some time, even FarCry2 had better. Of course game forces you to use destruction system by useless objectives like destroying certain structures that feel just like a filler and to show its physics system. Its horrible. I didnt liked controls and sometimes I found for example zoom unresponsible to my mouse click. Also if you reload you must click zoom again as it doesn't remember and click sometimes wont register. You need zoom if you want to shoot accurate. Often I click 3-5 times before it register. Funy after pluging X360 pad it works well but this is FPS shooter - I WONT PLAY THIS ON PAD!!!! Mouse movement didnt felt right too and for how average game look it still could bog my rig down on full settings. I have e7400 @3.6ghz, gtx-260 650/1400/1100, 4gb. Games like Batman run like butter on it in full and looks terrific.
I dont know why every new game must have GTA style mixed into. If it would be done well, I stay quiet. Aside from GTA series themselves, nobody EVER did it right. Some games made right choice between linear/nonlinear level design and gameplay, first FarCry was great example. I really felt am there with unlimited possibilities. I could approach and attack from any direction, I could take path through forest toward my destination. Maybe It was not 100% free to go map but it felt hell close and was fun! When you killed enemies they were dead, nobody respawned to attack you from behind(at least not on such dumb level as in this game). I hoped so much games like that comes as standard from then on.. and they all choosed gta system with worse possible implementation.
If you wanted interesting story, at least as good as in prequels... if you wanted to strategically use destruction and physics system, if you wanted Game with some substance... then sorry. But if you think FarCry2 is best game ever and you enjoy games like that one and Mercenaries 2, you will like this game too. I hated it.