Have you ever dreamed of destroying a building in real life? Maybe you thought it would be fun to strategically take down a giant bridge or to blow up a series of smokestacks. Both of these and more are possible in Red Faction: Guerrilla. But when you think of destruction in a video game, you probably think of hitting something, like a wooden crate, only to see a puff of smoke and broken pieces of wood appearing before your eyes. Soon you find another wooden crate nearby, you hit it and you see the familiar animation sequence and-- the same exact pieces of broken wood in the same exact places. The previous example is NOT the case at all with Red Faction: Guerrilla. Continue below to see why.

Also, before I continue, just to give a little story synopsis:
All of the action takes place on Mars, where the Red Faction, a union of miners, is attempting to keep Mars free from Earth Defense Force (EDF) control. The EDF is a large corporation controlled by Earth, and it is hungry for money. As Alec Mason, you help the Red Faction free 6 sectors of Mars, each with a different level of EDF control and a different level of civilization.

Also, please note that I have never played the previous installments in the Red Faction series. I note this because elsewhere on the internet I have read that the transition from the first person of those games to the third person of Guerrilla doesn't "feel right."

-<>-{ THE GOOD }-<>-

In General:
--The gameplay, which is third-person open world, is smooth and refined, and movement feels natural.
--Most weapons are either completely new or creative, futuristic versions of modern weapons. All of them feel good to use.
--The graphics are great, lots of realistic detail.
--The destruction in this game is as real as it comes for a videogame. Any man-made structure is made up of hundreds of individual pieces and will fall apart a different way every time.
--Remote charges are included. DIRECTIONS: Place on structure's vital points, grab some popcorn, and press detonate. Enjoy.
--Music composition is great.

Single Player:
--Plenty of fun missions, all of which include some sort of destruction. There is even a mission type made for destruction only.
--If you are into driving in open world games, this game has plenty of it.
--New weapons are tossed out to you like bread crumbs for a bird, drawing you in, each weapon getting progressively more fun. ... And more destruction ready, of course.
--POSSIBLE SPOILER: A certain, unmentionable gameplay element comes in when you least expect it. It may be a possible transportation substitute for walking.
--Near the end, the story can get pretty good, but not nearly as climactic as the action.
--Once you free a section of Mars from EDF control, you are free to destroy as you please without EDF interference.
--Plenty of collectibles.

Multiplayer:
--6 main modes are included, 3 of which are original, focusing mainly on destruction. Regular old deathmatches are present, as well as capture the flag.
--Not included in the single player story mode, backpacks, which give you certain super-hero-like powers, become a key element here in multiplayer.
--Some customization is included, like choosing your character in certain game modes (remember, this is all in third-person view, so you always see your character), as well as creating a custom emblem, which is always shown on game lobbies and scoreboards.

-<>-{ THE BAD }-<>-

Single Player:
--It can be pretty difficult to complete the later missions, but fortunately, there aren't any achievements or trophies for doing so.
--Driving is smooth, but doesn't seem to be smooth enough to complete some of the "Pro" timed driving missions.
--Unless you are really hooked on the destruction bit, you will probably forget about this game within a few months.
--While the voice acting might be okay for the main characters, the NPC's (computer controlled characters) will randomly shout out something irrelevant and generic in a silly voice. It can become pretty annoying.

Multiplayer:
--Some weapons are overpowered and can discourage some inexperienced players.
--Being only about 7 months since its release, I've found it extremely hard to get into an online multiplayer game. I believe this is because of the drought of players. So good luck getting the achievements/trophies involving the multiplayer at this point in time.

-<>-{ SUMMARY }-<>-

Red Faction: Guerrilla is an enjoyable game that will thrill anyone who has ever had a desire to destroy things in real life (yes, I've always thought it would be cool to smash glass and hit walls...) and even those who never thought of doing such a thing. The single player element is strong, and some additional single player DLC has been released at this point for some extra fun. About the multiplayer, however, unless there is a sudden worldwide interest in this game, you probably won't be able to play online with anyone except friends who have this game also. It is still worth the money, though, especially since you can find it at a great price at GameStop or Amazon.

-<>-{ SCORE }-<>-

Story: 12/20
Gameplay: 25/30
Graphics: 18/20
Sound: 20/20
Re-playability: 7/10

Aggregate Score: 82/100
Independent Score: 82.5/100

^Extra half-point because I like the music for the end credits. It's on YouTube if you are curious. ;)