Ask us back in October when we were devising this series where Volition’s follow up to Red Faction: Guerrilla would ultimately rest in this Top 100, and we’d probably have said: “Definitely in the Top 100.” Pushed for more accuracy we may have gone so far as to say: “Top 50, maximum.”
So, the fact that Red Faction: Armageddon has made the Top 20 is obviously something of a surprise to everyone. Not to take anything away from publisher THQ, of course. On the contrary, it’s obviously a testament to how much fun we had with Guerrilla that Armageddon has unexpectedly featured so highly on this, our century of 2011 greatness.
The game takes up the story of human colonisation on the Red Planet fifty years after the events that saw Alex Mason stick it to the man, or in this case the Earth Defense Force, in the last game. Things have gone decidedly pear-shaped since the end of the last game (we won’t give it away in case you haven’t played it) with living conditions on the surface of the fourth planet now unsustainable. The colony are now below ground, barely eking out an existence, struggling as they scavenge as much as possible from the hinterland above. The main protagonist is Darius, the grandson of Alex from Guerrilla, one of the few brave souls who still ventures to the vestiges of civilisation on the decimated surface above. So, everything is pretty crap on Mars, but events take an even worse turn when – just like any story where delving into the dark is involved – the colonists disturb an ancient subterranean alien race in the deep.
Many of the elements that made Guerrilla such a riotous blast return in Armageddon. The environmental destruction feature is cranked up even further, with the introduction of the Exo – a mech suit of immense power – that can literally run through buildings. The game also presents a “magnet gun”, a weapon capable of both colliding one object (a wall) into another (an alien’s face) and catapulting said EBEs through walls altogether.
It may be something of a surprise entry on our list but, upon reflection, it’s more than warranted. Some of the best multiplayer fun we had last year was running around Mars with a sledgehammer laying waste to the place, and these pleasant memories have obviously resurfaced when it came to voting on Armageddon. Arguably not necessarily a AAA title of 2011, we don’t care. If Armageddon offers up half of the fun we had with Guerrilla, we reckon our return to the Red Planet could be a triumph next year.
gideon1451
Personally, I preferred the first two Red Faction games to Guerilla. I’d hoped that they’d have returned to something more like that for the incredible split screen experience this but as there’s been no mention, I’m not keeping my hopes up.
Blayney
I too would love a current gen Red Faction FPS with all the old weapons etc. RF2 got A LOT of playtime from me.
Dany2Step
theres something about the satisfaction of taking down an entire building with a sledge hammer that you cant get else where.
its so theraputic. some people smoke weed i plant charges round the base of an EDF barraks and step back to admire my work.
yogdog
Weirdly, I’m with you on this.
Forget weed, it’s hammer time!
Kovacs
Governments should look into using that as an anti-drug slogan:
“Don’t get smashed. Smash!”
;)
KeRaSh
Respect the ostrich! Guerilla still is one of my favourite games on the PS3 and I’ll probably grab the PC version after I finish Mass Effect 1. Damn you Steam. I also saw Dead Space. Now I have to get that second copy too… Anyways, I had a blast playing the first game. I fully trust Volition to deliver at least the same amount of fun with the second game.
bunimomike
I’ll never forget playing the demo on the PS3 for the first time. I was in tears of laughter for ages! Replaying the level again and again and laughing nearly as hard, each and every time.
KeRaSh
I think I spent like 20 hours of actual gameplay time on the demo with a friend of mine. It was so much fun planting bombs on cars and trucks to gain a boost when driving over a ramp or just before running into a building. ah, good times!
Rocket_345
Totally agree with you. Absolutely loved the demo of Guerrilla but for some very odd reason i never actually went and bought the game. Doubt i will get it know though.
Foxhound_Solid
Red Faction on PS2 was one of my bro’s fave games…
He is keeping an eye on this one.
retro_
Multiplayer, RF:G was a hoot, utterly fantastic fun.
ratkiller75
I have to say that it looks like it has gone downhill since the last game. I don’t like the idea of another alien shooter and cannot see much opportunity for the destruction to come in whilst underground.
Stitch
I absolutely loved the destruction when I played the demo for the last game, i’ve never played a game where the part in a cave or a tunnel has been good though – it always feels too dark and claustrophobic, so I hope this game plays out well.
Origami Killer
didnt like demo of the last one so i didnt end p getting it. However the first two on the ps2 were both fantastic, simply because you could blow everything up which had never really been seen before. the graphics were great at the time and they were just both great to play and i can remember them so much, i would like to see it return to the FPS but i dont see that ever happening again :(