The production values are pretty bad, but the game ends up being pretty fun.
User Rating: 7.2 | Red Faction II PC
I call this: "Testosterone: The Game". "Red Faction 2" is a very enjoyable, action-packed, and somewhat mindless shooter full of big weapons and lots of explosions. Were it not for the mediocre graphics and short length, it would be an excellent shooter. Like the first "Red Faction", this game uses the Geo Mod engine, which allows you to destroy stuff and blow holes in walls. The Geo Mod feature is used extensively in this game, unlike the first "Red Faction", and it adds a lot to the game. It does a good job of feeding that primal desire that you have to blow stuff up. A lot of the game's environments are destructible. You can take a look around the room sometimes after a big battle and see all of the carnage that has been done. In some areas, you may attempt to find cover, but if an enemy has grenades or rockets, then he can blow your cover away. You can get into a few extra rooms and areas by blowing holes in the walls. The action for the game rarely bogs down or gets boring. After a few shooter levels, you usually get a vehicle ride, during which you get to ride in the gunner's seat and mow down bad guys with a heavy turret or a rocket launcher. In one scene, you get to ride around in a tank blasting away with the cannon while your wisecracking driver rampages through the streets smashing up buildings. The vehicles in the first game were much better, since you actually got to drive them too, but they still make for a fun chane of pace here. The game has the console checkpoint save system that we all love to hate, but the save points are spaced so close together that you will hardly even notice. The plot for the game is simple, but it is enjoyable, and it actually has a decent twist or two in it. There is no attempt to be something that it isn't. The entire game is like a B-movie action film, complete with macho taunts and death lines. The script is charmingly cheesy, and the voice acting is decent. Lance Henriksen, in fact, voices one of the important characters in the game, and he does a very good job. The different squad members in the game actually have enough variety in their personalities and traits to give the game some character. The game is so short though, that it is hard to justify paying full price for it. The first time through, I finished it in about 8 hours, and the second time through, I finished it in about 6. The game has different ending cut scenes, depending upon how you play through the game, but I still probably won't play it again. Another problem that this game has is outdated graphics. They are about 2 years or so behind the curve, and even with low object detail, the frame rate sometimes bogs down. Some of the cut scenes in the game are AWFUL. Lip-synching is nonexistent. Characters move their mouths worse than talking mechanical dummies at an amu****t park. If you played "Red Faction" and were kind of disappointed by the lack of use of the Geo Mod engine, then you might want to pick up "Red Faction 2". Or, if you just need something to satisfy your urge for a good shooter, then it will be a good purchase for you.
