Red Faction II

"Join the faction...again!!!"

There's no doubt in my mind that the main reason most people will buy this game is because they enjoyed the first one and are hoping the Red Faction legacy will continue with this sequel. Well, I have good news and bad news. The good news, this is one hell of an enjoyable FPS. The bad news, it truthfully bears very little resemblance to the original.

GAMEPLAY - 8/10

The layout of the first game was, in my opinion, very rare and fantastic. Like Half-Life, there weren't really levels or missions, but rather the entire game was just one continuous adventure as you blasted your way through the Ultor Corporation on Mars. The weapons were diverse but predictable, and you could save literally anywhere you wanted. Also, you were pretty much on your own most of the time. Sure there were other faction members, but they more than likely got shot the moment they attempted to fight.
Red Factions 2's gameplay is radically different, although not necessarily in a bad way. The levels are now separated into missions complete with objectives, and you can only save at the beginning of each level section, much like Halo. And in this game, you are fighting alongside a squad of soldiers quite often, much like Halo. There are several awesome weapons, including a new feature that lets you hold dual pistols or uzis and fire them separately. There's also a button exclusively for throwing grenades, much like Halo. Last but no least, your health meter will recharge if you refrain from getting hurt for a brief period of time, much like Halo. Come to think of it, this game shamelessly apes Halo whenever it gets a chance.
By the way, I must tell of one thing I hate. Sometimes in this game, the enemies are endless. I mean, at some locations in the game, the bad guys will just keep on coming and never stop. However, it's not like the game tells you when this is going to happen, so you'll probably end up standing your ground and losing a lot of life because you think the bad guys will stop coming (since they usually do). Not a big problem, but it really pissed me off a few times.

STORY - 7/10

I thought that the story in the first RF wasn't really deep, but it sure was unique. Miners abused by the company they work for decide to revolt and take on their abusive bosses. In this game, though, it's just more of the same.
Parker must have retired after his adventure, since in this game your journey follows Alias, a nano-enhanced soldier that has been condemned to death by Sopot, the evil dictator of the Commonwealth back on earth. Not one to let death slap him in the face, Alias joins an underground group called Red Faction in an attempt to destroy Sopot and free the people of earth from his rule. So why are these people fighting against Sopot calling themselves Red Faction if they aren't on Mars? I have no idea.
I'll say this though, after a few hours of playing - minor spoiler - you kill Sopot and discover that he is not the main villain after all. I won't say who is, but I have to admit it surprised me. I didn't see it coming, and I commend this game for that. One thing the first game's story didn't really have was twists, and this one has quite a big one.

GRAPHICS/SOUND - 8/10

From reading the message board, I noticed that one of the biggest debates about this title is whether or not the graphics beat out the first game's graphics. I'm surprised it's even an issue, since RFII looks much, much better than the first. I'll admit, the area you start out in at the very beginning of the game looks pretty crappy, but rest assured the game starts to look a lot prettier, with realistic lighting and shadow effects, not to mention the enemy movement is pretty impressive. There are still some rough spots and the game by no means looks realistic, but it's pleasant to look at. With the possible exception of MOH: Frontline, it may be the best-looking FPS on the PS2.
The sound in this game rules all. Unlike the first Red Faction, there is music playing almost all the time in this one. It isn't annoying or irritating, but actually fits perfectly in every environment. Guns sound great, and voice acting is superb. Bad guys say some funny stuff when you shoot them, such as: ''Hey, you just killed my partner!'' There are also a couple celebrities lending their help to the cause. Lance Henriksen (Aliens, Millenium) is Molov, the leader of the nano-enhanced soldiers, and Jason Statham (badass from Transporter who knocks the door down) is Shrike, the crazy blue-haired devil who gets his kicks by piloting dangerous vehicles.
Interesting point: I'm wondering how you guys will react when you first hear Alias speak. For the longest time, he is totally silent, but at one point he just starts blabbing and his voice caught me off guard. It's sort of high and whiny. Not too bad, but it made me think, ''does he have some sort of pressure on his ballsack, or is his voice always like that?''

GEO-MOD TECHNOLOGY - 4/10

Pretty crappy. You can blow up about 20% of the surrounding environment, if that. A big step down from the first game in my opinion. Don't even try to tunnel, you'll just end up hurting yourself.

OVERALL - 8/10

A great game in its own right, but don't start it thinking it will be a continuation of the first game, since it sure as heck ain't. It's also somewhat short. Rest assured, though, it is almost non-stop action with plenty of bloody crotches and limping punks to keep you thoroughly entertained the whole way through.
One last word of warning, watch out for those pesky kamikaze explosive robot spiders. They really suck, and you will hate them.

Reviewer's Score: 8/10, Originally Posted: 10/27/02, Updated 10/27/02