Kinda boring PS2 FPS with little of the series' enviromental destructibility.
For starters, the game was locked at 50 FPS until I enabled Nvidia Low Latency Boost, and even then the night vision would tank the framerate into the 30s. Good thing it's not used much.
As for the gameplay, you go through linear levels, each one split into different sections. If you die, you go back at the start of the section you're currently in.
There are also a couple turret sections and moments were you get to pilot a battle armor with dual gatlings, a rocket launcher and incendiary grenades. The last one is kinda cool.
Levels are also much less destructible compared to its predecessor, which is a massive step back.
To be honest, I got stuck for a bit in one section because I didn't realize I had to shoot a couple of explosive barrels to open an hole in a building in order to proceed. Stupid me for thinking I could blow up something else to go forward, like the other side of the building.
The arsenal is okay, but I think the reload time of every weapon is too slow, which especially hurts low ammo guns like the shotgun.
A quick mention about the health system: you got a life bar and can carry up to 3 medkits. If your life reaches zero, a medikit is automatically used to fully restore it. If you're damaged but don't take damage for a while, health regenerates automatically.
Last, but not least, are the bosses. There are only 4 of them, but they're very spongy and a massive pain to fight:
- The first one stands on a small elevated area and will attack you with her railgun, which can take away either half or one entire lifebar. She's also supported by ground enemies and other snipers with railguns;
- The second one fires 5 grenades with one shot (again, half to all health gone) and will immediately attack you once his cutscene is over, taking away a ton of health if you don't move asap. He runs around the arena and the enviroment makes it hard to find him due to the noise and lighting shooting some areas. This hurts you, by the way.
A terrible slog of a boss;
- The third one is the easiest of the bunch. You fight the first half in a battle armor, while the second half is a much easier version of the previous boss, minus the multiple grenades;
- The last one is the final boss, and boy it's a doozy! He starts in a battle armor and the game leaves you in front of it once the cutscene ends. The arena is a circle with only a wall in the middle that the boss will happily tear down. There's only one medikit, and it's close to the wall along some ammo.
Once you've blown up the armor, the boss fights on foot with a goddamn railgun. Pray the gods you have enough medkits and luck to survive it, because you'll have to fight the armor again otherwise!
Oh, there's also a simple karma system: killing civilians and allies is bad, completing extra objectives (which the game doesn't tell you about until you've done them) is good.
That's it, pretty boring and forgettable. Any other Red Faction game is better than this one, so skip it.