Red Faction: Guerrilla ReMARStered REVIEW - a near-total recall
(Review based on PC version)
I'm personally very happy that Guerrilla has gone on to be a cult classic, probably even the most beloved Red Faction game. It's not too surprising though, since in the decade since its release no game has really provided such ludicrous sandbox destruction. Now the recent ReMARStered Edition means you can enjoy the simple thrill of singlehandedly leading a Martian proletariat revolution in modern HD.
The story of Guerrilla is very basic, despite the somewhat lengthy and well-produced cutscenes trying to convince you otherwise. That's okay though because once you pick up your trusty sledgehammer all you need to know is where to point it. Guerrilla's big claim to fame is its GeoMod engine, which allows you to tear apart buildings in meticulous detail. Blow up a tower's support struts, for instance, and it will keel over onto whatever structure or person is unfortunate enough to be nearby. Naturally you unlock increasingly ridiculous explosives and lasers as you go through the game, but even your humble hammer can comfortably punch through walls and ceilings. The open world is a bit cramped in places but there's no shortage of corporate monoliths to demolish in the name of freedom, and a firefight with enemy troops is much more tense when at any moment your cover might be blown up or the floor might collapse.
And while the story might be window-dressing, the world of Guerrilla is actually quite nicely realised. News reports paint the Red Faction as uppity terrorists while spinning government massacres as fair fights. You liberate each district of the Martian colony in turn, which creates a nice immpression of shit getting real as you home in on capital sector. And even the visuals and audio have some flair, like some memorable technology design that looks like an upgrade from what was in the original Red Faction game. For a very goofy game, Guerrilla still has a sense of place, and hating the villainous government is made even easier because they can put up a surprising fight even on medium difficulty. That challenge also helps you to appreciate the expensive but totally worth it upgrades, since the best weapons really make a difference.
While the ReMARStered Edition is just a good port rather than an essential upgrade, it does have nice additions like the inexplicable yet hilarious option to buy extremely useful jetpacks right from the start. This might be considered cheating by purists, but I was just replaying on easy mode while ploughing through Harry Potter audiobooks, so the ability to exploit an overpowered jetpack was very much appreciated. Definitely get ReMARStered if you're a fresh recruit to the Martian resistance, but whether it's worth upgrading from an older version depends on how often you're likely to replay.
Although Guerrilla is ten years old and starting to show its age, the GeoMod engine still provides something quite unique even after so many similar sandbox games have improved the genre in other respects. For me at least, the ReMARStered Edition was all the excuse I needed to break out the trusty old sledgehammer and get my ass to Mars one more time.
