THROW out everything you ever knew about Red Faction.
Unlike the first-person shooters of its predecessors, Red Faction Guerrilla is a new third-person action shooter game, in the open-ended style of Grand Theft Auto (GTA).
So, rather than linear gameplay, there is a sandbox, or open-ended, approach: players get to pick the missions of their choice, steal vehicles, drive about and, yes, cause havoc by blowing things up.
Set on the planet Mars, which has been colonised, lead character Alec Mason is about to start a new life when he gets embroiled in a civil war between the dominant controlling evil Earth Defense Force (EDF) and the Red Faction resistance army.
The resistance must slowly liberate the Red Planet, which is split into six zones, each with its own missions and characteristics. Each zone has an EDF control rating and each time Alec destroys a base, rescues hostages or succeeds in some form of espionage or attack, the rating dips.
The environment is well-crafted and Alec's actions have an effect on gameplay. By raising the morale of the zone - either by heroic deeds or by not accidentally killing the innocent - soldiers will come to his aid when he is in a tight spot.
If Alec is surrounded, he can always bash his way through structures with his trusty hammer and escape on foot. Given the alien terrain, there is more space to navigate in this game than the tight street corners and traffic lights of GTA.
There is also the art of salvaging, where after causing wanton destruction by tossing explosives, laying mines or wrecking structures with vehicles, Alec can pick up pieces from the wreckage and use them as currency to upgrade weapons and tools - from electric hammers to better armour.
This sequel is a great addition to the franchise as it builds on the concept of the series, which used to be a straight first-person shooter.
There is a well-balanced infrastructure - with maps, directional cues and game icons - granting players the freedom to do anything without much difficulty.
These include taking on more missions or just driving around and seeking smaller missions that yield more salvage.
Speaking of side missions, one fun example is when Alec has to destroy a structure within a time limit, using well-placed explosives and his hand gun.
I had to figure out where to place the charges for maximum damage, like in a puzzle game. This can be very addictive for those with destructive tendencies and love to see how a high-rise building crumbles by their doing.
When it comes to graphics, the imagery does get monotonous after a while, especially as the background is all red.
After driving about zones with red sand, surrounded by reddish structures built on red hills, there really is not much to rave about in terms of aesthetics.
The controls, while simple and accurate enough for Alec to make precision shots or drive armoured vehicles, can be rather sluggish. This is especially so during chase scenes when you need the vehicle to turn sharply or jump across gaps to escape.
Cheat sheet
Great escape
The Earth Defense Force can bear down on you in great numbers each time you succeed in destroying something. To avoid them, run back to base.
The moment you step inside your hidden base, the forces will stop chasing - even if they are right behind you.
Salvage
Leftover junk is really valuable. Remember to pick them all up each time you wreck something. Completing side missions add to your salvage count and completing both main and side missions will earn you more salvage.
Destructive barrels
Littered across Mars are explosive barrels so if you ever want to destroy anything, do not waste ammunition or effort by trying to lay explosive charges. Shooting the barrels will cause the buildings near it to crumble and even take out a few enemies as well.
