Red Faction: Battlegrounds

Granted, Battleground is intended to be played online, but more often than not the online lobbies are empty. This lack of popularity all-but signs the death warrant for an online-heavy game like Battlegrounds - as a significant portion of the game's longevity is thrown out the window when there is nobody to play it with. In closing, while Red Faction: Battlegrounds is certainly a serviceable spiritual successor to the classic Atari game Combat, it really has little to offer for veteran gamers looking for more than an arena-based blast fest.

If you can snag a copy as a free pre-order bonus for Red Faction: Armageddon, then go ahead and give it a spin, but if you're thinking of spending money on it, give this one a pass. At 800 MSP ($10) for the download, Red Faction: Battlegrounds simply isn't worth the cash.

The main problem is the fact that there's just not much to it. A complete lack of depth means after just an hour or two of play, you'll be done with it. [Issue#72, p.101]

A title technically well made​​, but with obvious limitations, especially concerning multiplayer.

With only sixteen training missions that take only an hour to complete and an Xbox Live multiplayer mode that I can't find anyone online to play with, this game leaves a lot to be desired, even for a $10 game.

Every twin stick shooter game lover could try this new game by THQ. But be warned: single player is merely a tutorial and the multiplayer part is heavily faulted.

Red Faction: Battlegrounds is enjoyable, but ended up being just like the rest of the titles in this genre. Fans will probably enjoy it and there is the nice perk of bonus content for the future Red Faction title. In the end Red Faction: Battlegrounds suffers from being an average game.

Battlegrounds offers fast entertainment, but it could have been much better for solo play with some more levels.

It's not a terribly-made game, there just not anything... exceptional to it. For the money you'd spend picking this title up you'd be better off picking up any of a number of other Arcade games which provide a unique and engaging experience.

Ultimately, this game will only please series' hardcore fans who are eager to play the next Red Faction game and want some freshness within the series universe. Battlegrounds seems to have been quickly conceived and executed and that is noticeable from the first minutes of play.

Repetitive gameplay and such limited-appeal makes of Red Faction: Battlegrounds an easy pass, especially at 800 Microsoft Points.

Battlegrounds works as a distraction and a fun party game for hardcore gamers. However, Red Faction: battlegrounds falls well short of being a fully featured XLA game that demands the attention of gamers.

Even though it doesn't provide a bridge between the Guerilla and Armageddon storylines, Battlegrounds is still an enjoyable, chaotic romp. Gamers looking for gratuitous explosions or some items for the next Red Faction game (you get them at Rank 10 and 20) will have fun with this title.

The camera is unfocused and frustrating; the gameplay too chaotic for its own good; and the lack of a strong storyline make it feel like everything's barely holding together with cheap adhesive.

The vehicles aren't the only thing with a mind of their own. The camera is worse.

Battlegrounds is a competent enough shooter, though it could use more depth and originality. The single-player portion can be completed within an hour, and the multiplayer games lack the depth to sustain long-term play.

I was left wondering what the point of playing Red Faction: Battlegrounds was. Honestly, the game struck me as a vehicular combat game that was halfway done when someone walked in and said, "Hey, we should make this a Red Faction game!"