Red Faction 2

The original Red Faction hasn't aged tremendously well either, but this game really doesn't hold up, even allowing for the obvious technical limitations. The plot is substandard and wastes the voice acting talent they brought in (Lance Henriksen and Jason Statham) alongside some dismally amateur performances and awful dialogue. The game itself has little connection to the first in the series, and while the gameplay is passable, the significant reduction of destructible elements (the selling point of the original) means a bland and mostly boring slog. There are some decent vehicle sequences, but this game would've been a letdown when it was new.

This is the only game in the franchise I played through just once before uninstalling. And even that playthrough was solely to feel like I got something out of my money. Pros: -None. Even at its best, it is bland, unoriginal and forgettable in all areas. -You get to use an exosuit late in the game. Cons: -Eternally respawning enemies!!! -No destructible environments. -Ugly, featureless graphics. -Doesn't take place on Mars. -Barely connected lore-wise to the rest of the franchise. -Short length. -No multiplayer, one of the few pros the original version of the game had. In conclusion: I can only recommend this title if you get it for free, or you are a Red Faction diehard completionist.

Wow, the top reviews are brutal. Well, honestly, I went to play this game without ever playing the first game, and I thought this game was quite entertaining and a blast. I didn't understand much of the background or the universe of course, but the pace of the game was pretty cool and I wasn't bored at any point during the game. As a game on its own it is pretty fine and runs smooth, so most of the bad blood comes from people who were disappointed about it as a sequel. For me as a newcomer who randomly played it, it was pretty entertaining to play.

Red Faction 1 tried to tell a serious sci-fi story, unmemorably. Most of its gameplay was unrefined, especially enemy AI movement and the mostly irrelevant terrain destruction. RF2 is more polished. Gunfights are better, the visuals are better, and most important, the game tosses you explosive weapons every chance it can, so you can knock holes in walls indiscriminately. RF1's destructible environments felt like a sideshow. In RF2, blowing up a wall to ambush an enemy is a standard tactic. All's not well. RF1 was charming in its old-school PC clunkiness. RF2 has all the charm of an early console port, relying on checkpoints and one-path corridor level design. There are still cheap sneak attacks by enemies spawning out of nowhere. The first level is frustrating. The story is silly and over the top, filled with nano-powered superheroes and corny dialogue. There are no real ties to the first game. The final boss has a huge pool of hitpoints and enough firepower to kill you in a couple seconds. But it's fun enough. I've played far worse. Get past the first level, then launch grenades at everything you see.