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The other glory of this game is the Nano Forge. This trusty device allows you to create waves of impact or repair destroyed structures at will giving tactical, technical and strategic advantages over the hordes of enemies you face. Your forge abilities are purchasable and upgradeable throughout your adventures by trading in salvage which you find. This side feature has led to many an hour going astray in search of salvage to better Darius and his equipment, adding a layer of RPG versatility to the game.

Another advantage to these upgrades is they are useable in both the single player story mode and online battlegrounds which is a refreshing enough reason to play through the single player campaign even if that isn’t your kettle of fish. The Nano forge has some incredibly useful abilities, from its destructive impact ability which gives you the ability to destroy structures and send enemies flying to a protective shell which can protect you.

The most useful ability is undoubtedly the repair which is such a breath of fresh air in a shooter that it merits a little more page time. With repair you can rebuild any destructible structure whether you destroyed it or it was broken to start. This allows for many interesting and varied game mechanics; you can rebuild walls to hide behind, structure to throw at the enemy using your magnet gun, surfaces and stairs to walk across, I think you see the point here this feature is awesome.

The world looks great and the cut scenes are very well integrated and keep the story flowing nicely. The one complaint against its visuals is that the levels of the world all seem to look very similar- but on a weather and war ravaged red planet how much variety can one hope for?

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The online infestation mode is a lot of fun, taking a group between 1 and 4 online players through either a matchmaking system or LAN game to clear out wave after wave of enemies. You have the option to host games or simply be match-made at random. Matchmaking takes about an average of 1 minute so is not a problem to wait through at all. Your second online option is Ruin mode which pits you against the environment, literally seeing how much destruction you can cause and be scored for, these scores get posted on a leader board to determine your ranking within the gaming community. While these modes aren’t in-depth enough to seriously take up much time as a multiplayer game, they are welcome and fun additions to the game itself.

As I had alluded to (quite blatantly) early on in the review I loved RFA, it was a game that had me coming back for more constantly and with a smile on my face. It is a little short but at the same time just long enough to give a really enjoyable experience and it has certainly broadened my options for game genres. Plus, it’s the last one you’ll get to play.

Scoring:

Gameplay: 8/10

Simple controls and gameplay mechanics, RFA uses a very organic controller system and is a joy to play aside from a sticky sprint mechanic.

Design and Presentation: 8/10

The Game looks and sounds great. You feel the world you live in and the people you interact with are believable and compelling characters.

Value: 7/10

The game has a relatively short run through and sticks a bit in the middle but soon picks up really nicely and is compelling enough to commit to at least a full play through. The online and bonus modes of ruin and infestation could provide a few hours of fun and guilty pleasure.

Overall: 8/10

This is an awesome game that should be played by all shooter and RPG fans alike. It’s low on time commitment, high on fun and a pleasure to play. It probably is not genre defining and may not be the most memorable game but it’s certainly worth a look.

Last Updated: August 1, 2011

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Red Faction Armageddon
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