Red Faction: Guerrilla - Hands On Preview

Scheduled to arrive on Xbox 360, PlayStation, and PC Games for Windows during the early months of 2009, Red Faction's third outing is on the brink of under-going its biggest challenge to date: a multiplayer beta stress test involving over twenty-five thousand gamers across both Xbox Live and PlayStation Network. But how is it holding up ahead of the impending online onslaught?

TVG recently returned to the terraformed frontiers of Mars to go hands on with some of Guerrilla's multiplayer game modes for the first time, and get a closer at the struggle between the EDF and the re-born Red Faction...

Life On Mars?

Currently in development amongst the cornfields of Champagne, Illinois, Red Faction: Guerrilla is the first instalment in the destructive franchise for over five years, during which time the studio has evolved into a wholly 'open-world' outfit. Sporting a brand new version of the proprietary GeoMod technology, Guerrilla has already showed in the past few months some of the spectacular levels of architectural destruction, and how much fun can be had with a giant hammer.

However, how compelling is the campaign and its procedural side-quests? Is there life on Mars or are we just going to be devastating the burgeoning frontier colonies? And beyond the campaign, what can we expect from the multiplayer modes?

The Martian landscapes are cut into three very different styles that reflect the level of terraforming achieved, from the dusty red plains to the Wild West-like mid-range of hamlets and pockets of frontier men and the more civilised EDF areas. Going hands on this time around introduced some of the early days of the Red Faction resistance, with their first hits on EDF strongholds. Beginning in the rather aptly named outpost of 'Dust' (anyone, dust?), the landscape of the early game is every bit the frontier-land; a couple of buildings are joined along the edge of a ridge by one of many EDF news posts that broadcast propaganda as the game progresses. It's all a bit stark to say the least.

But it certainly doesn't stay that way for long.

Throughout the game, Mason receives calls from within the Red Faction hierarchy, offering suggestions on where the fight against the EDF can be taken next. In this instance, a group of miners had been shepherded into a small canyon as they try to protest against the increased oppression from their past 'saviours'. It's an ambush. Hijacking one of the vehicles nearby and making it across the off-road terrain of Mars towards the canyon, the mission leant itself to Mason making an explosive entrance - and we couldn't disappoint, throwing the 4x4 over a ridge and careering into the side of a building.

Offensive Raids also form a key part of the campaign, and link up with the morale dynamic that Volition are implementing throughout the game. During these missions, players won't just have to contend with killing off the EDF soldiers, but they'll also have to destroy key buildings held by them. In fact, flattening the buildings is the primary objective during the raids, and it's entirely reasonable (if you're a bit of a pacifist) to leave every EDF soldier alive...but where's the fun in that?

The GeoMod technology remains jaw-droppingly impressive, with levels of architectural destruction not seen in a game before; and yes, by that we do mean it surpasses the likes of Battlefield: Bad Company and Crisis. Seeing buildings collapse in on themselves when structural walls are destroyed is something that remains engaging. That said, the edges of the rubble can at times be a little too exact; I mean, there were occasions where a piece of wall had such a sharp line to it, that it could almost be used as a razor blade. However, none of this affects the gameplay, it's just something that did occur from time to time.

The aim of Volition is to enable gamers to feel like they (as Mason) are a part of the Red Faction movement and not its 'great leader'. As Associate Producer, Ish Vicens explained to TVG, "... you're not the only person fighting or doing something."

Expanding the gameplay offerings for players are various side-quests that should offer a more rounded experience, and also help address Vicens' desire to make players feel a part of an uprising, rather than the leader of one. For instance, guerrilla-style quick attacks on EDF placements are sure to become something of a mainstay example in the end game, together with time-based challenges to demolish buildings in the quickest time. But Red Faction will also include procedural optional quests like ambushing small EDF convoys, which pop up randomly. All three examples seem on course to delivering the rebellious and near desperate nature of the faction. One of our concerns over Red Faction: Guerrilla back in March was how expansive the gameplay will actually be, but from our most recent experience, those fears have largely been resolved. We just hope that what we've seen is the tip of a side-quest iceberg.

A Martian Playground Of Destruction.

For the first time, we were able to sample a small part of Red Faction's multiplayer offerings, which look set to give gamers a very different (yet familiar) online experience. Two of the many gametypes being added to Red Faction were on show. One, Team Anarchy, is every bit the tried and tested (and tired?) Team Deathmatch variant. With the battle-lines drawn between the EDF and the Red Faction, and the destruction of the campaign largely intact, it doesn't take long to see why the gametype includes the word 'anarchy' in its name.

The second gametype, Damage Control, is a variant of Territories but with a very definite twist. Not only armed with weapons, players will also find a repair tool in their inventories, which they have to use on three objects in the map in order to take control of them. Another mode that'll end up pretty anarchic, the balance of strategies between players as they try to repair and defend their stations with destroying the remaining objects is compelling. What's more, some maps have smaller objects, which are easier to destroy and capture, which only increases the already frantic pace.

Whilst the multiplayer will include the destruction of the single-player campaign, stress isn't calculated, most likely a technological restraint rather than anything else. That's not to say that Guerrilla's online experience will be fond lacking; far from it. In fact, after a multiplayer battle is fought, it was rare to see a building standing intact, thanks not only to the standard array of weapons from the single-player, but to a feature unique to the multiplayer modes.

Giving players limited skills boost are a series of backpacks that throw a unique spin on the typical multiplayer fare. Only a handful were on show in London, with more promised ahead of next year's release, but it's easy to see the impending anarchy the backpacks will allow. The 'Rhino' for instance, gives players the ability to run through walls, perfect for clouting an opponent taking cover behind an object, whilst others, like the Firepower pack, gives a more obvious edge. Beyond the skills boost, it's how the backpacks will allow the development and implementation of strategies during battles that prove compelling.

For instance, flying to the top of the building with a jetpack backpack gives an obvious height advantage - but take out the stairwells with bombs, and it becomes even more secure as only other jetpackkers will gain access. Backpack/weapon combos are also being hinted at, with the Fleetfoot backpack (which increases the running speed of characters) making a surprisingly effective pack to use with the sledgehammer; we can only guess at what the hardcore will come up with next year.