As more and more first person shooters flood the gaming
market, the less unique and genuine they become. While many
are of high quality, very few actually revolutionize a certain
characteristic. Ion Storm’s genre-busting game, Deus Ex, has
been the only title since Half-Life to truly change the way we
look at an action shoot-em’-up. Volition, creators of the
brilliant space sims Freespace and Freespace 2 (and the under
whelming Summoner), is looking to change all that with their
upcoming shooter, Red Faction.
Red Faction, even at an early stage, is looking like it
will set the standard for FPS games, just as Volition’s
Freespace titles did for space shooters. While many developers
today try to grab our attentions with updated visuals in their
FPS games, Red Faction is looking to impress by means of a
revolutionary gameplay design. Although the graphics will
surely be fine on their own, Volition’s Red Faction will
introduce us to the Geo-Mod™ Engine, a model that allows for
real-time arbitrary geometry modifications, which permits
complete environmental destruction. But what does this mean to
you, Joe Gamer? In the most simplest of terms, it spells that,
for the first time in recent memory of games, the gamer can
now break down and destroy walls, barriers and whatever else
may be a geometric obstacle in the game. Not only is this an
insanely cool feature on its own, but the prospect of how it
affects gameplay is extraordinary. Now gamers will not be
confined to endless halls and tunnels, as with a simple click
of a rocket launcher you can punch through the adjacent
impediment, poke through and blow the hell out of whatever’s
on the other side. Pretty damn cool.
The best shooters have always had the best storylines, and
Red Fraction looks to be no different. Volition created epic
masterpieces out of Summoner and Freespace 2’s plots, so Red
Faction appears as though it’s sci-fi tale should keep most
hardcore gamers enticed from start to finish. The official
scenario line is this:
"The player assumes the role of Parker, a worker
toiling in mines run by the Ultor Corporation far beneath the
surface of Mars. The miners are suffering from inhuman living
conditions and a strange, deadly disease called the Plague
that is suddenly sweeping through their ranks. The miners'
anger and resentment are ready to boil over, and the player
provides the spark that starts a rebellion against Ultor. The
player's goal is to stay alive long enough to bring down Ultor
and solve the mystery of the Plague. This journey takes him
from gritty subterranean mines to Ultor's pristine science and
nanotech labs to the surface of Mars and even onto satellites
orbiting high above the planet."
The game will be spaced over 20 levels, including the deep
seas of Mars, underground caves and even the home base of
Ultor Corporation itself. Volition’s hoping to expand upon
different shooter formulas, applying multiple level approaches
to the game. Objectives pertaining to stealth, action driven
and cooperation involved will all be included into Red Faction’s
model.
Also being implemented into Red Faction is the use of
transportation. Doing Starseige Tribes one step better,
players will be able to hijack five different vehicles, being
of land, sea or air traveling. Submarines, air fighters and
even ATVs will be available, each equipped with their own
weapons for an added effect.
On top of this, Red Faction will undoubtedly come readied
with varied means of an arsenal. Features 15 weapons of mass
destruction, each with its own secondary firing capability,
the game’s lineup of firearms and whatnot will include
rocket launchers, riot sticks, rail guns and heavy explosives.
Along with the weapons, Red Faction shares a spot-on location
based damage system, ala No One Lives Forever and Soldier of
Fortune, providing for realistic enemy damage. While there is
no online support planned for the game (mainly due to Sony’s
broadband network will not be up and running yet), Volition is
planning on instituting a 2-player deathmatch mode plus
Geo-Mod specific objectives.
If Red Faction is the next evolutionary step in FPS is yet
to be seen. It’s got the visuals, the story and, obviously,
a very exciting and interesting approach to gameplay to
warrant it as a "Must Have" PlayStation 2 title by
default. Anyone looking for the next revolution in first
person shooters or possibly just an exciting new action game
would be foolish not to keep their eyes on Volition’s Red
Faction.
Red
Faction is also heading to the PC.
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