A shallow sequel that probably isn't worth your time.
+ The shooting can be kind of fun but the guns don't feel as good as the first game. It feels a lot sloppier and less precise. Also, in the first game it was clear that headshots do a significant amount of damage. In this game, it takes about as many headshots to kill an enemy as it took bodyshots in the original game. Sure, the headshots still do more damage than bodyshots but when you have to unload half a clip into their head in order for them to die, then why even bother aiming at their head?
You do get to dual wield pistols and submachine guns, which was nice. But these guns are pretty weak and grow obsolete very fast, so the thrill doesn't last long.
A huge problem, though, is being able to switch between weapons. Instead of the four categories that you can scroll through in the original, now they map specific guns to each number key. The other option is to use the mouse wheel to scroll through the weapons. This is entirely cumbersome because you end up with lots and lots of weapons and it's such a pain trying to find the gun you actually want to use. It becomes a real problem during boss fights or high intensity moments where you really need to know which weapon you are switching to. Most of the time I just had to run and try to find safety and then scroll through the list (which only contains pictures of guns) hoping to lock on to the one I wanted.
There are some vehicles that you get to use: some of which are fun and others are irritating. The mech suit you get to use is a heck of a lot of fun and you really feel powerful in it. The submarine, however, is slow, clunky and such a pain to use. In fact, the level where you have to use the submarine is one of the worst in the game because it's so hard to control and maneuver and you have to slowly kill off a dozen other submarines in order to progress.
Another problem with the game is its lack of save options. You are only allowed to save during a scene transition, which basically acts like a checkpoint. I wouldn't mind this so much but what makes it worse is that there is no way to skip cutscenes if you die and have to replay a section over again. And trust me, there will be parts in later levels that get real tricky and you'll have to attempt a few times. Having to sit through a slow and boring cutscene just adds insult to injury and does nothing to help the game.
Finally, my last complaint is that enemies tend to respawn infinitely. And in general I think that is a bad game design habit. It doesn't happen everywhere, but it happens enough to notice. You can never completely clear these sections and you may waste your entire ammo clip trying to kill the enemies. The justification isn't even part of the game. For example, I was in a graveyard and trying to snipe two enemies from a cathedral window. I killed them, and then two more just stepped into view from behind the wall. And two more. And two more...ad intinitum. So there was never a way for me to kill them and clear a path for me to run. It's just irritating.
There are a few moments of explosive fun, but most of the game feels very weak and thin. Definitely not as solid as the first game was in terms of combat.
Story/Presentation: 2.5/5
+ They made an effort to actually put a story behind it, but they didn't really do a good job. You play as a genetically enhanced mercenary in a team of 5 others like you. Your squad starts off by trying to assassinate a corrupt dictator, and in doing so you join the Red Faction who share a similar goal. This takes about half of the game and then once you kill him, your squad suddenly breaks apart and you have to chase some of them down. There are more characters than the original, but they seem very cookie-cutter in their role and attitude. Plus, the story is linear and plain and there isn't really much mystery or subplots so it's not really that rewarding.
Graphics: 3.5/5
+ The graphics may be a little improved from the first, but not much. It still uses the technology that allows you to destroy parts of the world, and actually they include this feature into the game more which is nice. But overall it doesn't feel as good as the original. At least the first game had that classic old school feel to it, where this game is sort of the in-between phase when graphics didn't really improve. Take from it what you will.
Value: 2/5
+ I beat the game in 4 hours, which is way too short. But maybe it's a good thing because the game wasn't worth playing any longer. It's still $10 on Steam which is really asking a lot because I really don't think it's worth that much. If you have a choice, I'd say skip this sequel. It doesn't add anything to the series and you won't be missing out on anything. If you find this really inexpensive or you just want to play it so that you've played the entire Red Faction series, then go ahead. But don't go seeking this game with the expectations of something great.