Revolution comes to the PC
The Xbox 360 review can be found here
Set 50 years after the climactic events of the original Red Faction, Red Faction: Guerrilla allows players to take the role of an insurgent fighter with the newly re-established Red Faction movement as they battle for liberation from the oppressive Earth Defense Force. Red Faction: Guerrilla re-defines the limits of destruction-based game-play with a huge open-world, fast-paced guerrilla-style combat, and true physics-based destruction.
I was surprised when I first played Red Faction Guerrilla, the amount of destruction and detail was outstanding and overall it was just a fun game to play. It’s several months later and the PC version emerges with DirectX 10 support, Games for Windows – Live support and being able to play it in the best resolution possible. So the game has had a nice visual upgrade, but is it enough?
Well, it all depends on your own personal circumstances. If you have not played the game yet, then the PC version is the right one to pick up as it feels more refined and looks better than the console versions. The problem though is that it supports G4WL which is a double-edged sword, sure it’s great because it offers achievements and Xbox 360 players can link up their accounts and get both sets of achievements, but from personal experience I have noticed that the online community for these games tend to dry out quickly.
Take Gears of War for example, a great PC port and now it’s almost impossible to find a single match online. Will the same be said of Red Faction Guerrilla in 6-12 months time? It’s possible, but ultimately that’s a problem that needs addressing. Why are games so hard to find on G4WL? Maybe because the platform isn’t advertised enough? Maybe it’s confusing for consumers? Whatever the answer, it needs to be thought of quickly.
You can play the game with a wired 360 controller or the keyboard/mouse layout. While the latter has better accuracy and precision, it can be awkward trying to swap items like your wrench and explosives. On the plus side, the PC version does include the Demons of the Badlands prequel and bonus multiplayer maps and modes that came out as DLC with the console versions. I did find it easier to control the game with the controller, but PC purists will find the traditional layout easy to get to grips with.
The Verdict
This is more of a comparision review than a re-review, nothing has changed in terms of gameplay or features. The only thing that has changed is purely cosmetic, but definitely needed doing to help it stand out on the PC. It has some incredible visuals, the physics engine is even better on the PC. The framerate is solid and the DX10 support is damn good. At the end of the day, Red Faction is back and no matter what the version, you are guaranteed pure enjoyment from start to finish.
