Metacritic Games

Red Faction II (Xbox)

Earth. Twenty-second century. Five years after the rebellion on Mars. For 15 years, Chancellor Victor Sopot has oppressed the people of the Commonwealth. His corrupt rule and a relentless war of unification with the United Republic has left the Commonwealth bloodied and impoverished. As distant battles rage, sewage taints Sopot City's rivers, pollution smudges the sky, and wretched citizens huddle in crumbling ruins. Condemned to death by Chancellor Sopot, six super-soldiers unite to save their country, vowing to overthrow Sopot using the unique powers that nano-technology has given them. Join the squad as Alias, a demolitions expert. Fight side-by-side with Molov, Repta, Shrike, Tangier, and Quill--each possessing unique attributes and specialties. Battle through diverse environments using vehicles, an arsenal of specialized weapons, and explosives in a mission to overthrow the government. Defeat Sopot and restore the honor of the Commonwealth! [THQ]

THQ
First-Person Shooter, Action
Players: 4
M (Mature)
Developer: Outrage Games
Released April 1, 2003

Overall Metascore

This is a weighted, normalized average of all individual scores given by critics, on a scale of 0 (worst) to 100 (best).

74 / 100

Critic Reviews

89 Game Chronicles
A great game with surprisingly good controls for an FPS game that you play with a gamepad.
85 GameZone
The game’s single player mode is short . . . really short. As good as the story is and the action heavy and hot, you’ll find that the game can be beaten fairly quickly.
84 TeamXbox
The single player mission is a walk in the park, but it’s worth playing a second time on the hardest difficulty, forget the length. If the single player mode is a breeze then multiplayer would feel like a tornado.
83 Official Xbox Magazine
A very good game, but unfortunately it lacks that certain "magic" to take it to the next level. [May 2003, p.77]
83 IGN
Fun, certainly, but the single-player is a bit too linear for my tastes and the game ends well before my bedtime.
83 Game Informer
If you've never played this game before, the thrills it delivers are of the highest level, and the unique Geo-Mod technology creates a number of interesting gameplay strategies. [Apr 2003, p.93]
80 Adrenaline Vault
A tight control scheme, some exceptional gameplay thanks to the Geo-Mod engine and a solid split-screen multiplayer component make Red Faction II a safe purchase for any action fan looking for more than a mindless shooter.
80 G4 TV
Delivers a fluid and challenging (if thinly plotted) single-player experience and shell-shock multiplayer that makes this new Xbox recruit easily worth the war debt of the game's price tag.
80 Play Magazine
What is here is handled extremely well, from the just-right control and intensely staged action to the cool weapons and nicely drawn world. [Apr 2003, p.62]
80 GamePro
Improves on the first "Red Faction" on almost every level. The graphics are superb, the action is relentless, and the Geo-Mod aspects play a more integral role in the game.
80 Gamezilla!
Plays like most typical first-person shooters with a less than interesting plot, generic characters and fair voice acting.
77 XGP Gaming
The sequel to the original Red Faction, it is one that will satisfy the offline FPS fan.
75 Electronic Gaming Monthly
A rocket ride with airtight controls and quicksilver pacing that's rarely interrupted by aimless wandering. [May 2003, p.132]
74 GameSpot
It's not long on looks, but it's got no shortage of action.
70 XboxAddict
I really can't put my finger on it with this one, It just seemed...eh, Vanilla.
70 TotalGames.net
The artificial feel of the game hampers its campaign to become one of the best shooters of its kind, and (as we’ve seen time and time again) the main gimmick has sold the rest of the experience short.
70 Village Voice
Fans of the original will notice the drastically reduced "geo-mod" function—no more digging tunnels or indiscriminate destruction.
58 Gaming Age
Slight edge might be given to the Xbox because of its superior dual analog sticks, but the GCN yellow c-stick isn’t too troublesome.
50 Cheat Code Central
It's what I call an "equal sequel" which means the sequel is nearly identical to the original in every respect. I've already played the original so why do I want to play it over again?
40 Xbox Nation Magazine
With little here to massage the mind or engage the heart, Red Faction II becomes nothing more than a linear on-rails twitch-fest. [June-July 2003, p.92]

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