Red Faction II

"Seeing Red Again..."

Red Faction II is like a sequel to your favorite action movie. It has half the plot, twice the action, and yet you're still feeling like you've done it all before. Despite all the new graphical additions, and the ''fully revamped'' geo-mod technology, Red Faction II has ''been done'' written all over it.

Gameplay: 7/10

I'll admit that this game has it's moments. Particularly, operating vehicles and controlling the turrets will make you giddy like a schoolgirl. However, the new geo-mod is rather disappointing. Most of the time, it's just for show; it is rarely used to progress in missions.

Also, there are some major problems with the AI. I don't know about you, but when I shoot an enemy in the head, I expect him to die, immediately. But that's not usually the case. In normal mode, I have to hit a guy in the head 6 times to get him to die! The smartest thing the enemies do is run when they get shot. And that is the pattern from level one all the way to the end. Uninspired, and not very exciting.

Aside from the vehicles, there is little to lift this game above the average first person shooter.

Graphics 8/10

Red Faction II looks good. There is no question. The weapons are polished, the environments are large, and the water effects are excellent. The character design lacks polish, however, and the textures are not very good. It is also rather jagged, and not as smooth as some other shooters on the PS2.

Sound 9/10

You can not really mess with the sound. It's perfect, with the exception of some really crappy voice acting. One of your teammates, Repta, tries really hard to be a Rambo, and ends up sounding like a moron. There are also a couple of laughable lines. ''I never trusted you! You were always too smart, too independent! Not very good qualities, for a soldier.'' What a joke.

Lasting Appeal 8/10

Red Faction II has two endings, three difficulty levels, a whole bunch of unlockable content, and an excellent multiplayer mode. Both endings suck; you'll finish the game both times and be equally unsatisfied. For people who really cared for the game the first time through, they will really enjoy going through a 2nd or a 3rd time, unlocking all the concept art, characters, weapons, yadayadayada. The multiplayer is admittedly great. I didnt' think it would be that great, but this aspect of the game was most improved. There's all sorts of game modes, and there is also a bit of strategy in the multiplayer game. I didn't think it would compare to Timesplitters 2's fast paced multiplayer, but I found myself enjoying certain aspects of the Red Faction multiplayer more. For example, geo-mod, and actually having 1 shot kill sniper rifles made the game more strategic.

Story: 6/10

Eh...the story is about an elite squad of nanosoldiers who try to kill some Chancellor of the commonwealth. Uninspired, and droll. The script tries to throw some curves in there, but overall, it's just a lousy attempt to keep interest.

Overall: 7/10

I really thought I would enjoy this game more. I was ready to love it, the game just seems like it was done before.

Reviewer's Score: 7/10, Originally Posted: 02/02/03, Updated 02/02/03