If you derive even the slightest bit of pleasure from blowing stuff up in videogames, you owe it to yourself to check out Red Faction Guerrilla.

Basically, this is a GTA-style sandbox game set on Mars, where some naughty tyrants are exploiting the great unwashed, who in turn are not particularly happy about said exploitation.

Which is all well and good, but what this game really boils down to is an open license to level buildings in any way you see fit, whether that be via sledgehammer, remote charge, rocket launcher, or vaporising laser-gun thingy. And no matter how many buildings you level, it JUST NEVER GETS OLD.

The main campaign storyline has a good mix of missions, including driving, firefights and demolitions, but there's just as much fun to be had cruising around Mars and partaking in the various side missions. Especially those that involve – you guessed it – blowing stuff up.

The main story will probably take you 15 hours or so to finish, but add on the many side missions and the multiplayer component and there's more than enough to keep you occupied for ages.

Overall, Red Faction Guerrilla is a helluva lot of fun. Not the greatest storyline of all time, but it doesn't really matter when the fun factor is this high.

After the oppressive EDF, who control Mars with an iron fist, kill your brother, you join the Red Faction. The Red Faction are a bunch of freedom fighters committed to ending the rule of the EDF and liberating Mars.

To win the game, you must throw the EDF out of the 6 sectors they control. Each sector has a number of ‘missions’ you can complete in any order and by doing so, you gradually reduce the EDFs influence to zero thus forcing them to leave allowing you to move onto the next sector. Missions range from destroying important or strategic buildings, to hi-jacking convoys, delivering captured vehicles to a certain location in a set time and kidnapping EDF officials. I think Red Faction should have been subtitled ‘Demolition’ instead of ‘Guerrilla’ as demolishing structures is such an important and fun part of the game. Not only is it required in order to liberate sectors, damaged or demolished buildings create salvage which is used to buy essential new weapons and upgrades. Completing certain missions also rewards you with salvage.

Positives: Graphically, Red Faction looks great. An expansive world to play around in. The game chugs along at a decent framerate and I didn't have any problems with slowdown even with quite a bit happening on the screen. The nano-rifle is fantastic fun to use. Every vehicle can be driven and they handle quite well and with the lower martian gravity, the driving is actually more fun than it ought to be. Enemy A.I. is quite good although stick soldiers in a vehicle and they can suddenly become quite dumb. Audio is good with some nice pieces of music playing at times, soldiers having conversations with each other, radio reports playing in the background etc.

Negatives: The only real negative I can come up with is that some people MIGHT find the gameplay becomes a little repetitive. There seem to be a stock number of mission types you'll repeat over in each sector. Not enough emphasis was placed on doing truly unique missions in order to propel the story forward. I'm over half way through the game and not bored at all but I thought I should mention it because it is a potential downer for some people.

Overall, I really like Red Faction, nice graphics, good audio, lots of destruction, fun driving bits, interesting missions that can be tackled in various ways and in any order you like. This is simply a really fun title that is well worth owning. Don't rent it, buy it, I don't think you'll be disappointed.

Two thumbs up!

Forget all you know about red factions one and two. Guerilla is just a way of saying… This is an awesome game, just like the previous red factions! The latest technologies are out in the most amazing sandbox map! Whilst playing I found it similar to CrackDown. But with better graphics, gameplay, and far better story line. If I had the money I would buy this game another fifty times to give it away for others to play, contribute to the next red faction funding, and to help it gain awards. Thanks Mighty Ape!