By Brad Cook
Somewhere in the depths of Mars, an uprising is brewing. The corrupt Ultor Corporation controls all mining operations on the red planet, forcing its workers to suffer in miserable conditions. Meanwhile, a mysterious epidemic is ravaging the population, and many disgruntled miners believe that Ultor is the cause. But can they prove it?

That is the situation you will find yourself immersed in when you jump into GraphSim Entertainment’s latest game, Red Faction. Turn on your Mac and prepare to lead the oppressed workers to victory.

Your Mission, Should You Choose to Accept It
You assume the role of a tough miner named Parker, who’s fed up and ready to get to the bottom of the mysteries surrounding the Ultor Corporation. Your goal is to successfully make your way through 20 action-packed levels and stop the company’s mistreatment of its employees. Eventually, your journey will take you beyond Mars’ atmosphere and to the Ultor base orbiting the planet.

Red Faction is an action game described as a first-person shooter (FPS). An FPS is the type of game where you view the action through the character’s eyes (in this case, Parker) as you move through the game and interact with others and the environment. Some of those you will meet, like the rebel leader Eos, are friends, but others, like Ultor executive Gryphon, are foes.

Commandeer vehicles that will
help you destroy Ultor.

There are 15 weapons in the game to use against the enemy, as well as five land, air, and sea vehicles to commandeer and use to achieve your objectives. (Check out the weapons and vehicles of Red Faction!)

“You definitely get to blaze away with a whole host of weaponry,” says GraphSim Entertainment President, Jeff Morgan, “but you’re also required to talk and sneak your way through certain areas of the game.”

Realistic and Challenging
As Morgan explains, Red Faction isn’t just about shooting the enemy and the scenery. In fact, he says “the characters’ artificial intelligence (AI) is the best I’ve ever seen in any FPS. It’s very realistic and challenging.”

Firefight in an Ultor hallway.

You can exploit the game’s enhanced AI in a number of ways. Because the Ultor guards aren’t the kind of mindless drones you’ve encountered in previous FPS games, you can lure them into traps. For example, you can stand outside a room you know is full of bad guys and set off a remote charge, or simply fire a few shots. A few guards will come out to see what’s happening.

The Power of Mac OS X and 3D

Red Faction is compatible with Mac OS 8.6 thru 9 right out of the box. Rest assured though, a patch is available to make it compatible with Mac OS X.

Look everywhere for health packs
and extra ammunition.

Now Introducing Geo Mod
The game also features what developer Volition calls “Geo Mod” technology, a feature of the game that allows you to alter the landscape of the game permanently. You can use weapons to damage objects such as doors and walls, and even destroy structures to flush out the bad guys.

The ability to change the game’s physical environment is a great aid in finding escape routes, ambushing the enemy, and solving puzzles as you move from level to level. The “Geo Mod” feature is unlike anything found in existing similar games on the Mac.

“[Geo Mod technology] changes a lot of fundamental thinking that FPS (first-person shooter) players may be used to,” says James Tsai, assistant producer at Volition. “No longer can your foes hide behind thin wooden doors for cover from rocket launchers — now you can blast away cover [and] carve up the landscape like never before.”

Tsai thinks that “Geo Mod” will also change the way gamers look at the death match and capture the flag contests that are a staple of FPS titles, including Red Faction. The game supports up to 32 players over a local area network (LAN) or the Internet (via the free Mac-only service GameRanger). Tsai says that “the unpredictability [Geo Mod] introduces to multiplayer makes things interesting every time you join a server.”

Martian face-off. Friend or foe?

Red Faction is a cross-platform game, which means that players on the Mac can challenge PC users when they head online to play.

Greatly Anticipated
According to Morgan, “This game has been greatly anticipated since the first previews began appearing. Macworld New York 2001 was the first time anyone had a chance to see the Mac version, and everyone was very excited.”

You can join the revolution now, either at the online Apple Store or at an Apple retail store near you.

Red Faction has been rated “M” for Mature by the Entertainment Software Ratings Board (ESRB), with content suitable for persons ages 18 and older.