4/5 ★ – drifferx's review of Red Faction.

I first played this game in 2025, and I regret every day not having done so sooner. It's not your typical FPS, mainly because of its immersion. The level design is brilliant. The way you interact with the environment reminds me of Half-Life. For example, if you need to press a button to open a door, you won't always find that button next to the door. You'll have to find a room, a passageway, or talk to someone to unlock it, through logic and exploration. Also, some areas were created purely for realism. For instance, I found a tunnel that only security guards use to move between two rooms, but you don't need to use it and there's nothing to do there. Or a door leading to a room with panels to open and close cells that you don't need to interact with. The guards use it for... something I can't say to avoid spoilers. What I mean is that there are many optional areas, the purpose of which is to enhance the game's narrative. Think Dead Space or, as I said before, Half-Life. The game engine impresses with its environmental destruction, a hallmark of Red Faction. I had to break through a gate, but it wouldn't open. I simply used a rocket launcher to destroy the surrounding wall and reach the other side. It's hard to find that realism in games from that era, and even on the next generations. Unfortunately, environmental destruction is not used as much as I would like. As for gameplay and gunplay, it's fun. It's not frantic, but it's not boring either. I think it's just right and you can use auto-aim (PS2 controls for FPS games were not that great, so it can be helpful). However, it gets a bit repetitive toward the end, and the difficulty spikes in the later chapters, which can be frustrating. The atmosphere is unique. I have to say I'm not a fan of the music, but it's very charismatic. The only negative I can say is that the story could have been much better. I feel like it's wasted; it doesn't explore the concepts it offers enough. It feels like it's about to... but it isn't. The same goes for the characters. Also, some enemy designs are amazing, but others not so much, especially in terms of variety. Overall, a beast of a game. I just finished it and am playing it again. Highly recommended, considering it's usually available on the PS Store at a reasonable price and it's not a long game, you can easily finish it in 2-3 hours on easy mode.