Red Faction
Well, the long-awaited first-person-shooter for the PS2 is finally out in stores. But does it live up to the hype? Find out in our review (poem included).
Published: June 10, 2001
A few years ago at a place called E3,
THQ and Volition held a game called Red Faction high for all eyes to see.
We were mesmerized by the incredible graphics displayed on screen,
And marveled at the thought of something they called Geo-Mod technology.
Now a few years later the wait is over,
And we finally can take out our DualShock2 controllers.
Red Faction is on store shelves, once again for all to see,
And it's really no surprise that it's selling like crazy.
So sit back, relax, and set aside some time,
For you're about decide whether or not you want to play,
What I consider to be the best first-person-shooter in the PS2's lifetime.
[hr]
Since the PlayStation 2 was launched, Sony has made sure that people get the name of the machine right. This was readily apparent after the British classified it as a game player, and Sony got furious and made them alter the classification to a computer. As many of you already know, the full name of it is the PlayStation 2 Computer Entertainment System.
Eventually, it is Sony's goal to made the PS2 the center of every video gamers living room, by way of the upcoming 40 gigabyte HDD that will allow the system to store data and mobile adapter that will allow for a connection to the Internet, not to mention the DVD player that is built into every unit. Also reflecting the computer aspect of the system, it carries two USB and one IEEE 1394 port. That, ladies and gentleman is where the resemblance of the PlayStation 2 and a personal computer cease. Not ever will you find yourself in a situation where you'll have to press the infamous CTRL+ALT+DELETE key combination, or have to restart because of freezing. Or find yourself spending $500 on a graphics card in order to play the latest games. That's the thing I like about consoles so much, you don't need to upgrade them every 6 months in order to play the latest games!
So with that said, most console games have evolved off of the PC. This is especially true with games of the first-person-shooter (FPS) genre that almost all of the time originate on the PC and get ported to other platforms. Some of the more popular titles in recent memory include Quake III: Arena, Unreal Tournament, and of course the Half-Life spin-off, Counterstrike. But when was the last time a game of the FPS genre was native to a console? I for one cannot remember any game that has not come off of a PC and went to a console. Wouldn't it be great if a console native FPS had something that made it better than all of the rest?
Enter Red Faction, a game that is unlike any first-person-shooter ever created. A game that allows you to blow through doors when you find yourself unable or unwilling to find the key, a game that has the ability to alter environments in real-time, via Volition's Geo-Mod Technology. Add that, spectacular graphics, precise control, along with a mind-blowing plot and you've got one of the best first-person-shooters of the summer, if not ever for the PlayStation 2.
The storyline revolves around a miner that works for the Ultor Corporation named Parker (whom you control in the one-player mode). Ultor has established mining operations on the planet Mars and lures workers there with the promise of a better life. But things are happening that no one could ever have predicted. Miners are dying of a mysterious plague whose origin is unknown, Ultor guards treat the workers with no respect whatsoever, working conditions are horrendous, and they are forced to live and sleep in close proximity to each other (sometimes 8 people to a tiny room in the barracks!). Thus, talk of a revolt against the company starts making rounds around the depths of the mines, and a person by the name of Eos is posting notices attempting to recruit members for her resistance group called Red Faction. Parker plays a significant role in the success of the struggle against Ultor, and is, at times, the resistance's only hope for survival.
Aiding in the revolt against Ultor are five different vehicles, which you can hijack. These include a submarine, an ATV, a highflying flyer, and a rock-crushing machine. The one-player mode spans across seventeen different levels, which take you from the depths of the mines, to a station in space. Some levels of play give you the option of using stealth (such as in the laboratory), or, if you're skillful enough (myself as an example), just playing normally and killing everyone in sight.
Another mode of play is the multiplayer mode. Here, you can go head to head with an opponent, or if you prefer, with up to six different bots at a time. Or, if you want to mix things up a bit, you can go against another player along with up to four bots at a time. There are a total of nine different environments from which you can duke it out in.
Unfortunately, no game is perfect, and Red Faction is no exception. While Volition did fix the weapon reload glitch (see 54[/previews]]our preview for more information on this) and the frame rate problem, there are still some points (although they are few and far between) where the frame rate drops very abruptly for a second or two, and once (it should be emphasized that this only happened once at a relatively unimportant time period) toward the end of the game, goes down to about 4 or 5 fps for a little under 5 seconds. The rest of the time however, the frame rate is smooth and constant. Another con is the loading times. These usually last around 10 seconds or so (see the movie below titled "An unstable reactor, loading, an escape, and an explosion" to actually see the loading time and how it works itself into the levels). And depending on how fast you progress through the levels, occur every few minutes.
As I said before, the control is very precise and responds accurately to what is done on the controller. The digital pad is used for things like reviewing messages that are sent to you (which may be objectives for the mission you're trying to accomplish (if you forget or don't play for awhile), and the X, triangle, circle and square buttons are used for reloading a weapon, scrolling through your arsenal, as well as the action button which does a variety of things. The only thing is that it might take awhile to get used to, but when you do, you'll love it. To assist with this, Volition has included a training mode in which you can build up some mad skills and make your friends wonder how you got so good.
The sound can only be described with one word: phenomenal. Even though the game does not offer surround sound, hooking it up to a receiver that has Dolby Pro Logic decoding (which almost all do today) can give you an experience that wraps around you. The music is top-notch, and never seems out of place. During gameplay, the Ultor guards actually taunt you saying things like, "Come out miner!" Which can give clues to where they are so that you can plan your next move.
In terms of graphics, the environments are absolutely beautiful (that is until you fill them with craters from your fusion rocket launcher). They are very colorful and can play a huge role in how you complete a mission. For example, in the first level of the game, there are spots marked with X's that you must place a remote charge on (just think of the remote mines in Goldeneye 007, except you can only put one down at a time) and detonate in order to advance. The detail put into the characters is readily apparent, and there is not one FMV (full motion video) sequence in the entire game! All cinemas use in-game graphics as their backbone, instead of CG.
So is Red Faction the best first-person-shooter ever to be on the PlayStation 2? It would be foolish to answer that question, especially when you consider that the system has only been around for a little over a year (in Japan at least), and that we have yet to see even second-generation titles on the market. But one thing is for sure, Red Faction has revolutionized the world of first-person-shooters forever, and will pave the way for titles that are beyond the realm of our imagination today. For the innovation that they call Geo-Mod Technology is just the beginning.
THQ and Volition held a game called Red Faction high for all eyes to see.
We were mesmerized by the incredible graphics displayed on screen,
And marveled at the thought of something they called Geo-Mod technology.
Now a few years later the wait is over,
And we finally can take out our DualShock2 controllers.
Red Faction is on store shelves, once again for all to see,
And it's really no surprise that it's selling like crazy.
So sit back, relax, and set aside some time,
For you're about decide whether or not you want to play,
What I consider to be the best first-person-shooter in the PS2's lifetime.
[hr]
Since the PlayStation 2 was launched, Sony has made sure that people get the name of the machine right. This was readily apparent after the British classified it as a game player, and Sony got furious and made them alter the classification to a computer. As many of you already know, the full name of it is the PlayStation 2 Computer Entertainment System.
Eventually, it is Sony's goal to made the PS2 the center of every video gamers living room, by way of the upcoming 40 gigabyte HDD that will allow the system to store data and mobile adapter that will allow for a connection to the Internet, not to mention the DVD player that is built into every unit. Also reflecting the computer aspect of the system, it carries two USB and one IEEE 1394 port. That, ladies and gentleman is where the resemblance of the PlayStation 2 and a personal computer cease. Not ever will you find yourself in a situation where you'll have to press the infamous CTRL+ALT+DELETE key combination, or have to restart because of freezing. Or find yourself spending $500 on a graphics card in order to play the latest games. That's the thing I like about consoles so much, you don't need to upgrade them every 6 months in order to play the latest games!
So with that said, most console games have evolved off of the PC. This is especially true with games of the first-person-shooter (FPS) genre that almost all of the time originate on the PC and get ported to other platforms. Some of the more popular titles in recent memory include Quake III: Arena, Unreal Tournament, and of course the Half-Life spin-off, Counterstrike. But when was the last time a game of the FPS genre was native to a console? I for one cannot remember any game that has not come off of a PC and went to a console. Wouldn't it be great if a console native FPS had something that made it better than all of the rest?
Enter Red Faction, a game that is unlike any first-person-shooter ever created. A game that allows you to blow through doors when you find yourself unable or unwilling to find the key, a game that has the ability to alter environments in real-time, via Volition's Geo-Mod Technology. Add that, spectacular graphics, precise control, along with a mind-blowing plot and you've got one of the best first-person-shooters of the summer, if not ever for the PlayStation 2.
The storyline revolves around a miner that works for the Ultor Corporation named Parker (whom you control in the one-player mode). Ultor has established mining operations on the planet Mars and lures workers there with the promise of a better life. But things are happening that no one could ever have predicted. Miners are dying of a mysterious plague whose origin is unknown, Ultor guards treat the workers with no respect whatsoever, working conditions are horrendous, and they are forced to live and sleep in close proximity to each other (sometimes 8 people to a tiny room in the barracks!). Thus, talk of a revolt against the company starts making rounds around the depths of the mines, and a person by the name of Eos is posting notices attempting to recruit members for her resistance group called Red Faction. Parker plays a significant role in the success of the struggle against Ultor, and is, at times, the resistance's only hope for survival.
Aiding in the revolt against Ultor are five different vehicles, which you can hijack. These include a submarine, an ATV, a highflying flyer, and a rock-crushing machine. The one-player mode spans across seventeen different levels, which take you from the depths of the mines, to a station in space. Some levels of play give you the option of using stealth (such as in the laboratory), or, if you're skillful enough (myself as an example), just playing normally and killing everyone in sight.
Another mode of play is the multiplayer mode. Here, you can go head to head with an opponent, or if you prefer, with up to six different bots at a time. Or, if you want to mix things up a bit, you can go against another player along with up to four bots at a time. There are a total of nine different environments from which you can duke it out in.
Unfortunately, no game is perfect, and Red Faction is no exception. While Volition did fix the weapon reload glitch (see 54[/previews]]our preview for more information on this) and the frame rate problem, there are still some points (although they are few and far between) where the frame rate drops very abruptly for a second or two, and once (it should be emphasized that this only happened once at a relatively unimportant time period) toward the end of the game, goes down to about 4 or 5 fps for a little under 5 seconds. The rest of the time however, the frame rate is smooth and constant. Another con is the loading times. These usually last around 10 seconds or so (see the movie below titled "An unstable reactor, loading, an escape, and an explosion" to actually see the loading time and how it works itself into the levels). And depending on how fast you progress through the levels, occur every few minutes.
As I said before, the control is very precise and responds accurately to what is done on the controller. The digital pad is used for things like reviewing messages that are sent to you (which may be objectives for the mission you're trying to accomplish (if you forget or don't play for awhile), and the X, triangle, circle and square buttons are used for reloading a weapon, scrolling through your arsenal, as well as the action button which does a variety of things. The only thing is that it might take awhile to get used to, but when you do, you'll love it. To assist with this, Volition has included a training mode in which you can build up some mad skills and make your friends wonder how you got so good.
The sound can only be described with one word: phenomenal. Even though the game does not offer surround sound, hooking it up to a receiver that has Dolby Pro Logic decoding (which almost all do today) can give you an experience that wraps around you. The music is top-notch, and never seems out of place. During gameplay, the Ultor guards actually taunt you saying things like, "Come out miner!" Which can give clues to where they are so that you can plan your next move.
In terms of graphics, the environments are absolutely beautiful (that is until you fill them with craters from your fusion rocket launcher). They are very colorful and can play a huge role in how you complete a mission. For example, in the first level of the game, there are spots marked with X's that you must place a remote charge on (just think of the remote mines in Goldeneye 007, except you can only put one down at a time) and detonate in order to advance. The detail put into the characters is readily apparent, and there is not one FMV (full motion video) sequence in the entire game! All cinemas use in-game graphics as their backbone, instead of CG.
So is Red Faction the best first-person-shooter ever to be on the PlayStation 2? It would be foolish to answer that question, especially when you consider that the system has only been around for a little over a year (in Japan at least), and that we have yet to see even second-generation titles on the market. But one thing is for sure, Red Faction has revolutionized the world of first-person-shooters forever, and will pave the way for titles that are beyond the realm of our imagination today. For the innovation that they call Geo-Mod Technology is just the beginning.
