Red Faction

Red Faction is a video game in the action genre developed by Volition, Inc. and published by THQ Inc. originally released in 2001. It is currently playable on Windows.

The Mars Ultor corporation succeeds thanks to the mineral wealth of that planet. It employs several miners and scientists to extract the Noachite minerals underground. The miners are constantly pressured by the guards to work harder and faster, while being forced to share their scarce resources. While the mines themselves are dangerous, so is the mysterious plague that has broken out among the ranks of the miners, killing many. In the face of this low morale situation, propaganda against Ultor has begun to appear, signed only by 'Eos'. These pamphlets and posters urge the miners to rise up against their oppressors and take sides, also recruiting members into their secret 'Red Faction'. As a result of Eos' efforts, tensions rise between the Ultor corporation and its workers, any small incident could ignite. . .

Red Faction is a first-person shooter game. Players take the role of Parker, a miner working underground for the Ultor Corporation. Equipped with an environmental suit, Parker is protected from various dangers and can breathe in the depths of mines and in airless places. At times, Parker also has to travel incognito in a less protective disguise. Parker defends himself with a variety of weapons, most of which have a primary and a secondary firing mode. Weapons are divided into: handheld weapons such as riot shields and flamethrowers, light weapons including pistols and shotguns, heavy weapons with rocket launchers and submachine guns, and finally throwing or placed weapons such as grenades and explosives. The game features a variety of vehicles to drive in first person, such as jeeps, drills, flying boats and submarines. To survive, Parker must link up with and assist his fellow miners, receiving directions and objectives through com-link messages.

Red Faction features a game engine called Geo-Mod. It allows drilling on all types of terrain, including floors, walls and ceilings. Although limited to certain surfaces, such as rock, ice and concrete, it results in a more destructible environment where deviation from level design is encouraged. Players can, at various points, create their own paths, tunneling past obstacles and into new environments. Only heavy explosives, such as missiles, torpedoes, grenades and plastics, allow the terrain to be destroyed.

Red Faction is available at a reduced price on the following websites and is no longer abandonware.