Believe it or not, as a kid this was one of my favourite games. I still count it among them for that reason. You know why? Cause I happened to stumble upon the one correct way to play this RPG, was willing to overlook its remaining flaws, and was awed by its graphics and subject matter. But having recently watched an extensive blind LP of it on YouTube, by someone who tried a different approach than me, and viewing it through the lens of modern developments, it has become clear to me what utter garbage this game is. Horrible AI. Linear story. Tiny or cramped environments where your party gets in each other's way constantly. Frustrating mechanics at every turn. Glitches & bugs galore. An RPG with ridiculous customization, weapon and spell options, yet so hard and unbalanced that unless you go pure melee figther or stunlock, you will likely never beat it. The game part of this game is broken, the RPG part even more. It barely works as an action game, which is how my kid self experienced and appreciated it. Good points are graphics and cutscenes, historical references and locations, and a pretty cool story. It gets the tertiary stuff right, just not what matters: The gameplay.
I'm torn. One one hand, the levels are large and expansive, the atmosphere, cutscenes and music is top notch, the story gripped me with its harsh sadness as a kid, but... ...having revisited it as a more experienced adult, the gunplay and some of the puzzles are just too frustrating. As in, hard as hell! Tell you what: If you plan on doing one playthrough on Easy difficulty, and don't mind consulting a walkthrough for some of the more ridiculous puzzles, I can't recommend this game enough. But if you want a shooter which rewards skill gains by making the harder difficulties simply a bigger challenge rather than hair-tearing frustration, consider skipping it. Kid gamers can truck through almost any difficulty through sheer perseverance and the adaptability of a young mind. I have mastered and enjoyed games as a kid that I wouldn't touch as an adult. But this one had me beat even back then. Easy difficulty or nothing.
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.
