Red Faction Guerilla beta impressions

As all of you should know by now,THQ and Volition (yes the guys that make the Saints Row series) has started a private online multiplayer beta for their upcoming title Red Faction Guerilla. We here at 360 Evolved were lucky enough to get keys for entry to the invitation only beta,which went to members of the staff here at 3EV. So now I think it is time to hit you with my impressions of the beta,how it plays and how it looks.

Right from the start of the beta you will have access to the quick match option that pretty much randomly selects who you will be playing with and throws you right into the action. However the game lobby is where one of the first problems you will notice shows up. Lets say you are waiting in the lobby for others to join in to get the game started,but you start to notice that every time someone else joins the game,the countdown timer resets back to 40. This will continue until nobody shows up and the countdown timer finally can make it to 0. But this is obviously why we have beta tests folks,and this problem should be fixed up by the game's launch. At least let's hope so.

So after I was finally able to get a game started,I noticed right from the start that the game does look good. It's visuals are sharp and well detailed. The color palette is somewhat dark and red tinted but fits the game's futuristic atmosphere well. The choice of weapons is where the beta shines. You will be started off with a random "futuristic style" gun and get this,a sledgehammer. The sledgehammer is where the most fun lies with RF. This game has a level of destructibility that I have not seen in pretty much any other game. You can use the sledgehammer to bash anything in you way to bits,and I do mean anything. Buildings,bridges,anything can be taken down by your sledgehammer. This makes multiplayer even more enjoyable since if you are getting bored shooting at the other team,you can take out your frustrations on a nearby building.

The game sports an "over the shoulder" almost Gears of War style camera for the action which gives you a great view and does not interfere with your vision of the other on-screen players. The goal to the game mode included in the beta is that there are two teams and each team must defend three points or bases on the map. And it is your goal to attack and destroy the other team's bases. There are two teams of 8 for a maximum total of 16 players on the map.

The beta is starting to lose some popularity just a little bit,at least going by how tough it was to find a game when I wrote this feature. I don't think this is due to the game's quality or how it plays though. I am pretty sure that gamers are just wanting to see more of this title and don't want to yet again play on the one and only map included in this beta. I believe that RF:Guerilla has a bright future ahead of it on the Xbox LIVE charts. The game should be met with positive reviews when the title launches. So if you don't have a key,ask around to a good friend you might know on Xbox LIVE,who knows,they might be able to get you in to enjoy this high quality beta before it closes. This beta is something all Xbox 360 gamers should experience,at least once!