Geo Mod 2.0

This is the heart and soul of RFG, the Geo Mod 2.0 Engine. I can say truthfully that this is next generation true physics based destruction and nothing, not even Digital Molecular Matter comes close to replicating the system that took 5 years to build from scratch. Using a bewildering amount of calculations the developers have managed to build a non-scripted destruction engine that delivers high end destruction with no cheap tricks or swapping in a broken bit of rubble. Everything that you destroy in RFG comes apart as it might in the real world if you applied the amount of force that Alec Mason likes to often use.

When you light up a building with a demo charge it will not come down the same way every time, everything has a structural weak point (or numerous), obeying the laws of physics and coming under torsion, stress, strain and so on. You might need to place a few more charges to bring the whole thing down, ram it with a large object or just hit it repeatedly with the powered hammer that Alec uses on Mars as a miner’s tool and weapon. It’s up to you how you approach the destruction in the game, since RFG does all the hard work for you under the hud.

Do you slam your hammer into a few joists, place a couple of charges and then litter some hydrogen (explosive) barrels around to minimise your ammo use. Or do you place as many demo charges as your upgrades allow and then move to safety as you press the detonator and watch the whole thing blow apart differently every time.

Once debris are loose, they’re ‘live’ which means if they collide with you, they’ll inflict damage or sometimes they’ll outright kill an opponent. With this in mind you can begin to see the huge opportunity for creative warfare. Why use a hundred rounds of ammo to kill an EDF patrol when you can mine a bridge, hide and then drop them into a valley of remote detonated charges and trust that any debris that don’t kill them from the drop will be turned into random missiles from the charges. This includes bridge parts, bits of EDF vehicles and so on.

There has been nothing like Geo Mod 2.0 ever in any game, PhysX doesn’t come close, Havok doesn’t come close, you need to check out the game just based on Geo Mod 2.0 alone. Destroying things has never been so much fun!

Graphics

RFG is a great looking game with some truly spectacular vistas to explore on Mars, every sector has a unique theme and design with a lavish attention to detail across the surface, even the Badlands looks gorgeous under the lighting engine. The game has a dynamic day and night cycle that delivers some gorgeous transitions and combined with the usual tricks of the trade, specular lighting, particles, a little bloom and various smoke effects it really is a solid graphics engine. There are numerous little touches as well such as the tiny dust devils that sweep across the surface and the change in the martial sky.

It’s not just the surface of mars that looks great either, the attention to detail on Alec Mason is superb; the attention to detail on the EDF, the Red Faction and even the miners is all top notch. It’s a great looking game in the character, vehicle, structure and design departments as well, highly polished texturing combined with some truly nice character designs.

Animations

Along with the solid graphics engine, Volition has a superb animation quality. There are a lot of tiny details in the game, the flow of Alec’s coat and the way that everything moves from the vehicles to the NPCs in combat. It’s all very slick and taking cover behind objects and walls looks and feels natural. Alec runs naturally as well and not a single animation in the game looks forced. In the expansive cut-scenes there’s a solid level of detail, facial animation and control, nothing looks stiff or stilted. It’s a world beyond Saints Row 2 and even GTA IV in that respect, even though GTA IV has an incredible animation system known as Euphoria.

Physics

Personal physics in RFG are good as well. Volition have remembered to include the fact that we’re on Mars, thus, the gravity is different and the whole game reflects this from the jumps you can do as Alec to the distance enemies will fly back when shot or blown into the air. It’s all solid and the ragdolls work without any problems whatsoever. Collisions with vehicles and so forth knock you back a fair way and you can be knocked over, crushed or flattened by the right amount of force. Vehicle physics are all different with the Walkers stealing the show with the Light Walker and its DFA (Death From Above) jump-jets, yes; I am a Battletech/Mechwarrior fan.