[360] Red Faction: Guerrilla Impressions

[jztemple2]

Ok, so I don't have impressions yet, but I did want to alert the GT community who may have pre-ordered through Gamestop that in spite of receiving no automated "your game will be arriving tomorrow" call, my pre-order did arrive and I'm on my way to pick it up.

Since Fuel did not arrive today, I guess I'll be jumping right into RFG and I'll try to have impressions later this afternoon.

[Razgon]

Please, try out the MP as well, it seems very fun!! Looking forward to hearing more about this :-)

[jztemple2]

MP will have to wait, I prefer to spend time in the SP campaign first.

OK, after an hour, I'm hooked  . Great controls (once I get used to them being a bit different than the game I played yesterday) both on foot and driving. I played through the first activities which are essentially tutorials and bring you into the story. Actually kind of an interesting situation. Yes you can run around smashing things, but this just brings down the locale Federales on your ass. And they will kill you. Right now it's just simple hit and run.

Oh yes, you can pretty much smash anything you can see. However, only certain things provide you any value. And smashing those brings down the fuzz. It's fundamental to the concept of the game. You need to destroy the EDF property to lower their control of the region. And you need to *not* accidentally kill civilians which will lower their morale. It's a pretty clever mechanism to allow you as the character to run around doing things, yet putting constraints on yourself, rather than being forced to play missions on a rail.

The graphics are fine. Maybe they could be prettier, but this is grungy Mars, not Tahiti. I haven't explored much of the world some I can't tell you whether it feels confined or ok or very open. More to come on that.

[Fuzzballx]

brings down the fuzz.

You called?

I bought it on lunch break but have to wait another 2 hrs before i can start playing.  I'll be doing lots of single player before trying out multi.  I was unimpressed with the multiplayer demo, but loved the single player.

[jztemple2]

Well, if blowing stuff up isn't fun enough, I just finished several guerrilla actions. Basically either you're called upon to help defend a miner housing location from EDF attack or asked to go rescue some captured hostages. These are the only types I'm sure, just the ones I've come across. My jaw dropped when, while I was shooting at an EDF soldier, he did a drop and roll to get behind some cover; it would have made a Far Cry gunman proud. Didn't expect that!

Finally, I was taking out some EDF towers and whatnot. EDF troops showed up and I had a firefight on my hands. Then some of my guerrilla buddies showed up to join the fight. Then some baddies rolled up in one of their Hummer equivalents. I moved around, got into it and started trying to run them down. They moved out of the way if they could, but sometimes they just became EDF jelly  . Then I backed over a couple of my guerrilla buddies. Oops!!  .

Lots and lots of fun. And very free form; you can go after what targets you want, when you want. And sometimes escaping after some sabotage requires a bit of imagination. You can blow holes in fences, sure, but one time I found it expedient to run up onto a big pipe, slam down with the sledgehammer and open the top a bit, then hopped into the pipe to run away  .

The world is pretty open. The initial area, Parker, would take a good ten or fifteen minutes to run across, if you could avoid cul de sacs and dead ends. Now there isn't stuff to smash or visit everywhere in Parker, it's confined to certain locations, but you do find new things as you explore.

So far, two thumbs way up 

[MonkeyFinger]

Is the difficulty adjustable? I had an odd problem with the SP demo, not sure if it was just not spending the time needed to get the controls down, but all I managed to do was die, die, die, die, die. Sometimes rather quickly. Never did really get all that far into the demo mission. 

[jztemple2]

Is the difficulty adjustable? I had an odd problem with the SP demo, not sure if it was just not spending the time needed to get the controls down, but all I managed to do was die, die, die, die, die. Sometimes rather quickly. Never did really get all that far into the demo mission. 

Yes, from Casual to Insane and it can be adjusted at any time.

[EngineNo9]

Great impressions so far, Mr Cow.  I picked this up at lunch today but have to wait until I get home to try it out.  Can't wait!

Since I preordered I got the handbook thing as well, and it came with the code to unlock 4 more of the multiplayer maps.  The code is

Spoiler for Hiden:

MAPMAYHEM

if anybody wants to use it.  I'm pretty sure that it isn't a unique name printed in the book and can be used by anyone.

[Destructor]

So, anybody here read the whole EDF name and start chanting "EDF! EDF!" as in the Earth Defense Force 360 title?

[USMC Kato]

So far so good. Multiplayer is already damn fantastic.  Lots of interesting ways to play, even standard deathmatch is now fresh again because of the destructible environment and the use of backpacks; 

[MonkeyFinger]

Is the difficulty adjustable? I had an odd problem with the SP demo, not sure if it was just not spending the time needed to get the controls down, but all I managed to do was die, die, die, die, die. Sometimes rather quickly. Never did really get all that far into the demo mission. 

Yes, from Casual to Insane and it can be adjusted at any time.

Great, thanks for that. Mr Cow. 

[Caine]

gamefly has been nice to me and is sending this my way.  now i'm waiting on the usps to get into this.  perfect amount of free form destruction and so damn satisfying to watch buildings fall apart the way they do here.

i loved watching debris from explosions cause damage to walls in subtle ways, pushing each block out just a bit from the others instead of just being in one of three states like in most destruction games. 

i do miss the true geo mod though.  something fun about making your own cave in a cliff side with dynamite to snipe from.

[EngineNo9]

I played the single player for a couple hours tonight and have to echo Mr Cow's comments   It's kind of neat how you take down EDF control and build up Faction morale. 

I really thought that the Guerrilla in the name was just because you were the underdog facing the big bad EDF, but they really do encourage guerrilla strikes to take down buildings and then take off before the enemies come swarming in.  Convincing myself not to stick around and get shot up is probably my biggest problem so far, since I'm always trying to collect the scrap and blow up everything there is.

I tried a Wrecking Crew match against myself and I can see that being a lot of fun.  It's a pass-the-controller multiplayer destruction mode that is a bit like Burnout's Crash mode with a bunch of options to set it up how you want. 

[Lockdown]

Is there any type of cover mechanic (like Rainbow 6, Gears of War, or even Uncharted)?  Or is it more like the Call of Duty straight up shooting?

[jztemple2]

Is there any type of cover mechanic (like Rainbow 6, Gears of War, or even Uncharted)?  Or is it more like the Call of Duty straight up shooting?

There is a cover option. If you are up behind a low wall and press the left shoulder button you will duck down behind the wall. This will block fire from reaching you but you can still see over the wall. You can't pop up and shoot by just pressing the fire button, at least I couldn't make it happen. You have to "un-duck" which allows you to shoot but also exposes you to fire. Honestly I didn't use the tactic anytime after it was first introduced to me, I prefer to run and gun.

By the way, have to say that RFG does an excellent job of introducing new concepts, weapons, gear, etc. The first time you reach a point where you could use a tactic or object or the like, the game pauses and you get a pop-up window which gives you some info. Many of these also become entries in your guerrilla handbook, an in-game help system. The handbook is fairly sparsely populated at first, but as you uncover these new bits of info they become new items in one of several sections of the book. Additionally they are labeled as "new" until you read them for the first time.

Also btw, I mentioned that I had come across two types of guerrilla actions. According to the manual (such as it is) there are about ten types. Makes for a nice change from the standard "blow something up".

Finally there are tech challenges, though I think the game calls them something different. Basically these are mini-games that once selected suspend all the rest of the game activities while you complete the challenge. One challenge is to destroy a housing tower using only a pistol and a limited amount of ammo, a small number of charges, and a bunch of hydrogen containers. The challenges are timed limited with a max allowable time, but also shorter time limits if you wish to get more salvage points from the challenge. They teach game concepts while also being entertaining and rewarding. A very nice touch.

[Big Jake]

I cleared Parker last night and entered Dust. Best moment: I was destroying the high value building in Parker, and I managed to blow out most of three supporting walls before I was swarmed by EDF and had to flee.  Suddenly, I hear a massive roar and get the notifcation that that building collapsed!  It's not just that you can blow things up, it's that the GEO-mod follws mostly undertandable laws of physics in doing so. 

Right now, my best kill streak is five, and my max damage was ~$17 million while wiping out all the windmills in Dust on one run.  Just like GTA and SR, my most deadly weapon in this game is going to be the vehicle I'm in.   As floaty as the vehicles are, there has to be some kinda of racing mini-game somewhere.  Preferably *through* some buildings. 

[jztemple2]

I like the feel of the vehicles. OK, not maybe as heavy as you would like, but it *is* Mars after all 

Also got my Gamestop bonus faction handbook. Must have cost someone a pretty penny to make, all color, nice paper, nicely bound. Not really a lot of content, but the picture are gorgeous!

[Eduardo X]

My favorite part of this game so far was when I first realized I could drive through walls if I was going fast enough. I need to try to take down some entire buildings this way.

Hooray for open world, blow shit up games!

[Razgon]

Damn...I may need to have this now as well...sigh, going to be an expensive month...

[Chaz]

Must hold out for Prototype...must hold out for Prototype...

[Razgon]

Must hold out for Prototype...must hold out for Prototype...

you just HAD to remind me,didnt you? 

[Chaz]

I was all set to get either/both of Fuel and RFG this week, and then I remembered that Prototype is next week, and should hopefully fulfill my need to wantonly destroy everything in sight, with the side benefit of letting my slash people in half with giant claws.

[EngineNo9]

I was all set to get either/both of Fuel and RFG this week, and then I remembered that Prototype is next week, and should hopefully fulfill my need to wantonly destroy everything in sight, with the side benefit of letting my slash people in half with giant claws.

Yes, but can you attach sticky bombs to your car, crash it half-way through an enemy base, dive out and blow the whole thing to the ground in either of those game?  I think not!  

(having said that, I'm totally pumped for Prototype as well)

[Chaz]

I was all set to get either/both of Fuel and RFG this week, and then I remembered that Prototype is next week, and should hopefully fulfill my need to wantonly destroy everything in sight, with the side benefit of letting my slash people in half with giant claws.

Yes, but can you attach sticky bombs to your car, crash it half-way through an enemy base, dive out and blow the whole thing to the ground in either of those game?  I think not!  

(having said that, I'm totally pumped for Prototype as well)

I'm not sure.  In RFG, can you grow your hand into a massive claw, leap from the street onto the side of a building, run up it, jump to a helicopter, rip the pilot out of it, and then jump back to the ground, landing on and smashing a tank?   

[Fuzzballx]

I was all set to get either/both of Fuel and RFG this week, and then I remembered that Prototype is next week, and should hopefully fulfill my need to wantonly destroy everything in sight, with the side benefit of letting my slash people in half with giant claws.

Yes, but can you attach sticky bombs to your car, crash it half-way through an enemy base, dive out and blow the whole thing to the ground in either of those game?  I think not!  

(having said that, I'm totally pumped for Prototype as well)

I'm not sure.  In RFG, can you grow your hand into a massive claw, leap from the street onto the side of a building, run up it, jump to a helicopter, rip the pilot out of it, and then jump back to the ground, landing on and smashing a tank?   

No, but you can whip some demolition charges or a sledgehammer, smack a couple steel beams, topple a towner onto the enemy and crushing them to death, use your jetpack to jump over the wreckage while whipping out a rocket launcher and firing missiles into the wreckage to finish off any lucky survivors.

Or better yet, potentially USE a tank to bring down the structures they are using for cover on top of them.

You also don't have to wait till in the enemy base to dive out of the vehicle.  Rather attach 6+ sticky demo charges to a bugger, get up to speed, bail out and let it roll into the enemy base (THROUGH THE GUARD POST at the gate) and detonate in the middle of the bad guys, without even entering lethal range:)  Follow up with some very heavy area bombardment type attacks:)

edit: I'm feel all excited again now, i must leave work early and go blow up more of Mars.  The gurillas just cotacted me and have a couple of innocent prisoners that need rescuing most ricky tick.

[Chaz]

I think I'll have to try this out for myself.  Please mail me your copy, posthaste.

[Eduardo X]

Getting into a EDF base with a building of high importance, destroying it, and getting out is a fucking thrill. This game is blowing me away every minute.

[Caine]

got into dust the other day and found those wind turbines.  easy targets, right?  so i thought anyways, but for whatever reason, i couldn't bring one down with the mining charges.  i did get lucky with the rocket launcher, but then i as i ran from a post guerrilla mission, i got on the path to one with one of those edf armored cars.  hehe,  i rammed one of the legs, thinking i might have to do a 2nd pass.  nope.  the loss of the leg and the damage it did as it fell was enough to bring the whole thing down.  same with the others i found.  huge grin as i got to use their vehicles against them.

on one of the rebel missions, where you have to join up and smash an edf building, i loaded up the friendly in one of those monstrous dump trucks, then drove into the building and completely took it down without losing any rebels in the process.

taking 'vehicular homicide' to the next level:  awesome. 

i do need to be better prepared to outrun the high value targets after i destroy them.  twice now i have died after whatever explosive tank buried underneath (seems like it as i haven't been able to use it to knock the building down) goes off before i can get away.  tbh, i wasn't expecting a huge explosion from them and was behind light cover.  strong enough for a bullet, not anywhere close to whatever it was that blew up.  sucks too, as i lose the salvage chance and a bunch of morale. 

[EngineNo9]

I'm having a hard time convincing myself to do the guerrilla hit and run tactics.  Far too often I continue to try and take down EDF buildings and collect the scrap until sooner or later I'm pretty much surrounded by soldiers and vehicles leading to an inevitable death. 

I really wish I had a health meter, because sometimes I can take a ton of hits and recover after my screen is nearly black and white, and then other times it seems I take two hits and just die.

Also, it's really annoying when I'm placing charges on a building and then one or more of the guerrilla fighters decides that next to said building is a good place to stand.  Just an idea, but maybe they could run away from the armed explosives that I'm going to use to turn that building into rubble.  Stupid faction morale going down because guerrilla area always dying... 

[Razgon]

Just got this game myself today, and will be online later tonight to play it - let me know if anyone is up for playing some MP

[CeeKay]

I was going to skip this one and wait for the PC until I read this thread.  Now I can't wait.

dammit, I hate you all.

[Dreamshadow]

Despite the games style and look, I'm about to return this title.  I'm getting mixed signals.  If I take things cautiously, some guard notices me and the swarm of guards begin.  The only answer, if I'm not at least halfway through my objective at this point, is to run away until I go 'Green Light' again.   

If I charge in, I get overwhelmed and killed quickly.  There doesn't seem to be a consistant point where I can look at my objective and say 'Oh my, too much for me to handle at this time.' or 'Okay, four guards.  I can get them, in and out before reinforcements show.'  The frequency and randomness of the guard spawns once Yellow/Red alert is hit has caused me to frustratedly walk away from my xbox at least three times, and I'm only in Dust sector.

I like the game world, it gives me some serious Total Recall vibe that is ringing true with me, but the mechanics of completing any job aside from the demolitions challenges is quickly souring me on this title.  The only thing I'm enjoying is Wrecking Crew right now (haven't played MP yet).

[jztemple2]

I played some RFG this morning and have to say that I'm agreeing a bit with you on these points. I assaulted a high priority target several times and no matter how I planned or prepared it alway turned into me versus a universe full of guards. I guess I should have held off trying this target until I have more sophisticated weapons. However, there are a number of features I do like, so I'll keep at it, just give myself some time to figure things out a bit more.

[Simon]

I really wish I had a health meter, because sometimes I can take a ton of hits and recover after my screen is nearly black and white, and then other times it seems I take two hits and just die.

Is that on the PS3 version? There is a red health bar at the top of the screen for the 360.

[EngineNo9]

I really wish I had a health meter, because sometimes I can take a ton of hits and recover after my screen is nearly black and white, and then other times it seems I take two hits and just die.

Is that on the PS3 version? There is a red health bar at the top of the screen for the 360.

It's the 360.  I've only noticed that thing pop up occasionally, and it never seems to be there when I want it.  Maybe it's just because it is so hard to see that I miss it when I'm under heavy fire and worried about so many other things.  By comparison the yellow one in the cars is easy to see and use.

[Vidiot]

How does this hold up against Merc2?  I loved the idea behind that one, but for whatever reason it couldn't hold my interest.  With Prototype next week I don't *need* another game (my backlog is already immense) but reading this thread has brought my interest from zero to high already.

[Chaz]

I played some RFG this morning and have to say that I'm agreeing a bit with you on these points. I assaulted a high priority target several times and no matter how I planned or prepared it alway turned into me versus a universe full of guards. I guess I should have held off trying this target until I have more sophisticated weapons. However, there are a number of features I do like, so I'll keep at it, just give myself some time to figure things out a bit more.

The Eurogamer review actually says the same thing that you guys are about the early going and getting overwhelmed by reinforcements.  However, they go on to say that after you get out of the second area and into the third, the game opens up in terms of weaponry available, areas, and structures you get to demolish.

[USMC Kato]

I played some RFG this morning and have to say that I'm agreeing a bit with you on these points. I assaulted a high priority target several times and no matter how I planned or prepared it alway turned into me versus a universe full of guards. I guess I should have held off trying this target until I have more sophisticated weapons. However, there are a number of features I do like, so I'll keep at it, just give myself some time to figure things out a bit more.

The Eurogamer review actually says the same thing that you guys are about the early going and getting overwhelmed by reinforcements.  However, they go on to say that after you get out of the second area and into the third, the game opens up in terms of weaponry available, areas, and structures you get to demolish.

Things also get incredibly easier when morale is past 70+ or more, because when that happens you always get truckloads of guerilla reinforcements that come to your aid as you do your missions. 

Also multiplayer was awesome last night with some GT members and Tom Chick and his gang

[EngineNo9]

I played some RFG this morning and have to say that I'm agreeing a bit with you on these points. I assaulted a high priority target several times and no matter how I planned or prepared it alway turned into me versus a universe full of guards. I guess I should have held off trying this target until I have more sophisticated weapons. However, there are a number of features I do like, so I'll keep at it, just give myself some time to figure things out a bit more.

The Eurogamer review actually says the same thing that you guys are about the early going and getting overwhelmed by reinforcements.  However, they go on to say that after you get out of the second area and into the third, the game opens up in terms of weaponry available, areas, and structures you get to demolish.

Things also get incredibly easier when morale is past 70+ or more, because when that happens you always get truckloads of guerilla reinforcements that come to your aid as you do your missions. 

Also multiplayer was awesome last night with some GT members and Tom Chick and his gang

I'm still in Dust and I still frequently get overwhelmed by EDF even when their rating is at 16 and the Faction morale is in the mid 90's.  That just doesn't seem to matter much.  Once I've taken out all of the EDF buildings in an area they still seem to materialize by the dozen and it drives me nuts.

[Vidiot]

I just tried the demo.  The first 5 times I died without stand the chance.  I found my mistake, I was taking it slow and trying to sneak as close as possible and then engage when they saw me, it didn't work at all.  The final time I was about to quit, so I pulled out my sticky bombs and just started sticking them to everything and blowing it up in total chaos.  Somehow I made it to the walker without really much of a problem.  I don't know if it was a fluke or if that is really the best way to get to the objective.

Now I am a bit torn, if the game is always as hard as that I think I will get pretty annoyed pretty quickly.  I consider myself pretty decent at shooters but until I went insane with explosives it just wasn't working.