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Red Faction: Armageddon

RFA is basically one great momentdestroying buildings with a powerful weaponrepeated for a whole game.
68%Game Brain Score
story, gameplay
grinding, stability
68% User Score Based on 2,531 reviews
Critic Score 77%Based on 5 reviews

Platforms

PCWindowsXbox OneXbox Series X|SPlayStationPlaystation 3XboxXbox 360

About

In Red Faction: Armageddon, players return to Mars to fight off alien invaders in a destroyed underground civilization. As Darius Mason, they'll utilize advanced weaponry and the Nano Forge to survive and protect the red planet. The game features both single-player and multiplayer modes, with the latter including infestation mode where players cooperatively fight off hordes of enemies.

Red Faction: Armageddon screenshot
Red Faction: Armageddon screenshot
Red Faction: Armageddon screenshot
Red Faction: Armageddon screenshot
Red Faction: Armageddon screenshot
Red Faction: Armageddon screenshot
Red Faction: Armageddon screenshot
Red Faction: Armageddon screenshot
Red Faction: Armageddon screenshot
Red Faction: Armageddon screenshot
Red Faction: Armageddon screenshot
+4

68%
Audience ScoreBased on 2,531 reviews
story267 positive mentions
grinding38 negative mentions

  • The game features impressive destruction mechanics that allow players to destroy and rebuild the environment, adding a unique gameplay element.
  • The variety of weapons, including the magnet gun and singularity cannon, provides fun and creative ways to engage enemies.
  • The game offers a decent storyline and engaging cutscenes, making it enjoyable despite its linear structure.
  • The game frequently crashes, especially during cutscenes and checkpoints, making it frustrating to play.
  • The linear gameplay and lack of open-world exploration limit the overall experience, feeling repetitive and dull at times.
  • The enemy AI is often predictable and unchallenging, leading to a lack of excitement in combat encounters.
  • story
    1,115 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The story of "Red Faction: Armageddon" has received mixed reviews, with many players finding it to be generic, predictable, and filled with clichés. While some appreciate the attempt to create a more linear narrative compared to its predecessor, "Guerilla," others criticize it for lacking depth and coherence, often describing it as a mere backdrop for the gameplay. Despite its shortcomings, the game still manages to engage players with its action and destructible environments, though the overall consensus is that the story is not a strong point of the experience.

    • “The story is decent, plot and gameplay progression is considerably more linear than Guerrilla's open-world freedom, however, you should not be coming in to this game expecting it to be Guerrilla 2.”
    • “The story is captivating and I love the large array of weapons that you can choose from.”
    • “The story takes a detour from its traditional rebellious themed roots and focuses on bug extermination--they actually make it work pretty well.”
    • “The worst part of the game is by far the writing, quips, and execution of the story.”
    • “The story is nonsense (yes, I even watched the Syfy original movie that tied this game to Guerrilla).”
    • “The story is terrible, and doesn't really matter anyway because no one expects this franchise to have a good story or even a story at all.”
  • gameplay
    512 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The gameplay of "Red Faction: Armageddon" has received mixed reviews, with many players noting its shift from the open-world exploration of "Guerrilla" to a more linear, corridor-based structure. While the game features impressive destruction mechanics and a variety of unique weapons, some players find the gameplay repetitive and lacking depth, often feeling like a standard third-person shooter. Overall, the mechanics are generally praised for their fun and fluidity, but the linearity and less engaging level design have disappointed fans of the series.

    • “Red Faction: Armageddon delivers satisfying destruction mechanics with its signature environmental destruction and powerful weaponry.”
    • “The gameplay is where it stands out.”
    • “The gameplay is very solid, you have a bunch of very different weapons at your disposal (the magnet gun, you never grow tired of that), plus the destruction mechanics really let you solve the various challenges you have to face with different approaches, also boosting replay value.”
    • “This game is a complete disservice to the Red Faction series, and instead of Red Faction being a fun shooter, or as it was in Red Faction Guerrilla, a free roam, third person destroyer/shooter, the game is now made into a linear third person shooter, where you fight aliens. The gameplay is well polished, but it is also monotonous and not worth your time for this price tag.”
    • “The gameplay is repetitive and the vaunted scenery wrecking gimmick wears thin quickly.”
    • “Gameplay is linear; a third person linear walk through dull and drab corridors.”
  • graphics
    271 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The graphics of the game receive mixed reviews, with many players noting that while they are impressive for a title released in 2011, they can feel dated compared to modern standards. Some praise the detailed environments and destruction physics, highlighting the game's visual appeal, while others criticize the graphics as bland or lacking the grandeur expected from a sci-fi epic. Overall, the visuals are generally considered solid, with good lighting effects and a polished look, but they may not meet the expectations of players accustomed to more recent releases.

    • “The graphics in the game are impressive, and the environments are highly detailed.”
    • “The game's graphics are impressive, with the environments on Mars being beautifully rendered, with lots of intricate details that add to the overall immersion of the game.”
    • “For a game that came out in 2011, the cutscene animations, graphics, and lip movement are all phenomenal.”
    • “The graphics feel dated and fail to capture the grandeur and scale one would expect from a sci-fi epic.”
    • “The weak storyline, repetitive gameplay, lackluster AI, dated visuals, and technical flaws all contribute to an experience that is anything but enjoyable.”
    • “Graphics bugs, physics bugs, freeze-ups, crashes to desktop, and disappearing sound are so common they're infuriating.”
  • humor
    47 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The humor in the game is a mixed bag, with some players appreciating the witty dialogue and funny interactions, particularly involving the protagonist and his AI companion, while others find the jokes to be generic and unfunny. Many reviews highlight the comedic potential of the game's destructible environments and unique weapons, like the magnet gun, which add a humorous twist to gameplay. Overall, while some moments of humor shine through, the consistency and quality of the comedic elements vary significantly, leaving some players entertained and others disappointed.

    • “Other strengths of Armageddon are its well-directed cutscenes, likable characters who deliver some quite funny dialogue and humor that Red Faction desperately needed after the overly serious predecessors, and its solid gunplay.”
    • “For a third-person shooter, it has a script that is surprisingly good and much funnier than I expected, like one time when a character says 'Watch your ass out there in the storm' to which the protagonist replies, 'Hah, I can't even see my ass in this storm.'”
    • “The story is actually so bad that it had me laughing all the way through.”
    • “And how boring, generic, and unfunny do you want your main character to be?”
    • “From unfunny jokes to constant complaining, chances are you won't end up liking any of the characters.”
    • “It's boring, it's repetitive, it's unfunny, it's dull, it's... pretty much everything the game should not be.”
  • music
    43 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The music in the game receives mixed reviews, with some praising its energetic and memorable tracks that enhance the gameplay experience, while others find it repetitive or dull, failing to create a strong sense of immersion. The soundtrack is noted for its variety, blending elements from previous entries in the franchise, but some players feel it can be overshadowed by the game's sound design and chaotic audio environment. Overall, while the music has its highlights, it often struggles to leave a lasting impression.

    • “Oh, and weapons are amazing while Dan Wentz made a timeless soundtrack with some very memorable tracks.”
    • “The audio is also improved, being much sharper and clearer. The soundtrack is a crazy mix of Red Faction 1-2-Guerilla's combined with new stuff in it.”
    • “A special place holds the music in my mind; it's not only a new style for the franchise, but a very well-made artistic move that revolves around a more claustrophobic environment - like the first Red Faction and second Red Faction games to a degree.”
    • “The sound design is lackluster, with forgettable music and unimpressive sound effects that fail to create any sense of immersion.”
    • “Music is dull and washed out, drowned in the incessant sounds of aliens, your own weapons, and the general cacophony of overwhelming sound design.”
    • “From the very bad port programming to the boring background music and dull character design, this game does not deserve a single penny.”
  • replayability
    41 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The game's replayability is primarily enhanced by the inclusion of a New Game Plus mode, which allows players to carry over upgrades and unlock additional weapons and cheats. While some players find the linear gameplay limits replay value, others appreciate the opportunity to explore different strategies and unlock achievements. Overall, opinions vary, with some noting decent replayability through various modes and upgrades, while others feel it lacks significant long-term engagement.

    • “It also has new game+ and buyable cheats (unlocked after beating the story), much like the ones found in Uncharted 4 on the PlayStation, which give it added replayability.”
    • “Good replay value; you get a new game+ on finishing the story where you keep your upgrades and get extra weapons, cheats, and the possibility to buy more extra stuff with in-game currency.”
    • “Once you complete the amazingly fun and action-packed story, not only is there additional DLC, but this game's campaign has such awesome replayability that you don't get bored!”
    • “Other than that, this game has no replay value...”
    • “Zero replay value.”
    • “It will not have any replay value whatsoever.”
  • atmosphere
    40 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The atmosphere of the game is a mixed bag, with many players praising its impressive lighting effects and horror elements that evoke a sense of dread reminiscent of titles like Dead Space. However, some critiques highlight a lack of depth in the environmental design, describing it as bland and uninteresting at times. Overall, the game's setting effectively contributes to its narrative of chaos and survival on a destabilized Mars, though opinions vary on its execution and impact.

    • “The game also features some impressive lighting effects that add to the overall atmosphere of the game.”
    • “Great atmosphere that reminds me of Dead Space.”
    • “The atmosphere is supposed to be creepy, with scary ambient noises coupled with moments of dead silence that build the 'what the heck is going to happen to me next' mindset.”
    • “Physically dark, bland atmosphere, not evocative of Mars.”
    • “The atmosphere is supposed to be creepy; there are scary ambient noises, coupled with moments of dead silence that are meant to build the 'what the hell is going to happen to me next' mindset.”
    • “A mysterious cult destroys the terraformer, thus destabilizing Mars' atmosphere and driving most inhabitants on the planet underground.”
  • grinding
    38 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    Overall, players find the grinding aspect of the game to be tedious and repetitive, often describing combat encounters as monotonous and lacking challenge. Many reviews highlight the frustration of facing the same enemies repeatedly, with some noting that the game's linear design and poor level structure contribute to a sense of boredom. While there are enjoyable moments, the grinding for upgrades and achievements detracts from the overall experience, leading to a consensus that the game may not be worth its full price.

    • “The game is a complete disservice to the Red Faction series, and instead of being a fun shooter, it has become a linear third-person shooter where you fight aliens. These enemies have so much health or appear in such high numbers that they make this game a tedious grind. The plotline is terrible, and even though the gameplay is well polished, it is also monotonous and not worth your time for this price tag.”
    • “The linear, poorly written generic story and tedious gameplay, coupled with the poor multiplayer experience and community, make this a game I wouldn't be in a hurry to play again.”
    • “The enemies are interesting enough, but dispatching them becomes tedious more often than I'd like.”
  • stability
    34 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The stability of the game has been widely criticized, with users reporting frequent crashes, glitches, and freezes that significantly hinder gameplay. Many players experienced issues such as black screens, unresponsive objectives, and persistent bugs that make the game nearly unplayable at times. While some users managed to troubleshoot and find temporary solutions, the overall consensus is that the game suffers from severe stability problems, particularly on PC.

    • “All the Red Faction games are the same, well done, no glitches and a hell of a lot of fun blowing things up.”
    • “It's linear, not very buggy, and pretty solidly entertaining all the way through.”
    • “Runs great and scales to hardware.”
    • “It's a broken, buggy mess.”
    • “Great game when you can play it, but it is buggy as hell, and crashes to desktop regularly.”
    • “Still with lots of glitches (dying instantly for no reason), bugs (frequent game crash) and just the fact that my chapter 5 constantly loads with me instantly dying means that I cannot even finish it.”
  • optimization
    20 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    Overall, the game's optimization is generally praised, with many users reporting smooth performance at high settings, including 60 fps and 4K resolution on capable hardware. However, some players experienced stability issues, particularly on the Steam Deck, where crashes during auto-saving were noted, and there were complaints about inconsistent mouse sensitivity and controller responsiveness. While the graphics and gameplay are well-optimized for most systems, a few users pointed out that certain aspects, like the geo-mod feature, could still benefit from further refinement.

    • “As far as performance goes, the game runs at the gold standard of 60 fps with all settings maxed.”
    • “Good optimization, got 30+ fps all the time on Intel HD iGPU.”
    • “It doesn't hurt that the game is absolutely gorgeous and superbly optimized.”
    • “Really, I can write only a few negative things about it at the moment: too many cutscenes and the mouse sensitivity is highly different in aiming mode, optimized for console and controller.”
    • “Also, the game is crash-prone and it made me disconnect my gamepad to get it to work without stuttering.”
    • “There's nothing wrong with it save for some optimization issues.”
  • emotional
    12 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The emotional aspect of the game has been largely criticized, with many reviewers describing the story and characters as boring and lacking depth. While there are moments where the protagonist's emotional range is highlighted, overall, the narrative fails to engage players, resulting in a linear experience with uninspiring character development and minimal emotional impact.

    • “Happily, this allows Darius Mason to portray the entire scope of his emotional range, resulting in what is the emotional highlight of the entire game. The voice actor really gets to flex his acting muscles too, showing just how much pain and anguish her death causes poor Darius.”
    • “It might not touch your heartstrings as much as, say, Gears of War (because we all know how much of an emotional roller coaster that game was), but it's got everything you need in a story, and that's an incentive to play the game.”
    • “The NPCs have the most... well, unemotional faces I've seen in this era of games.”
    • “Boring story and characters.”
    • “Not as good as the first one; it's repetitive with a boring story.”
    • “Linear, with a boring story, and very average gameplay.”
  • monetization
    4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The monetization of Red Faction 2 has been criticized as a blatant cash grab, with many reviewers feeling that it lacks originality and depth compared to its predecessor. Players express disappointment over the game's perceived low value for its price, describing it as boring and generic, suggesting that the developers prioritized profit over quality.

    • “This game was a cash grab, shameless, boring, and generic.”
    • “Seems like it's a classic tacked on cash grab.”
    • “Red Faction 2 - far worse story, too many enemies, feels arcady, worse weapons, overall 'meh' cash grab on the wings of RF1 success.”
  • character development
    2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    Character development in this game is criticized for being lackluster, with reviewers noting an unremarkable storyline and uninspired character design. Additionally, technical issues detract from the overall experience, further diminishing any potential for engaging character growth.

    • “Don't expect an extraordinary storyline or character development.”
    • “From the very bad port programming (you can't even run the game unless you check the forums for various fixes) to the boring background music and dull character design, this game does not deserve a single penny.”

Buy Red Faction: Armageddon

9h Median play time
11h Average play time
8h Main story
20h Completionist
6-20h Spent by most gamers
*Based on 19 analyzed playthroughs

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