This is the first Red Faction game I've played, and I really enjoy it. Killing aliens and defeating baddies in an underground base on Mars. What's not to like?
The fully destructible environment is a key point of this game. Just about anything can be smashed up. And, uniquely, after you smashed it up, you can "fix" it using the nanoforge tool.
In fact, this game has loads of cool weapons but you can only carry four at any one time. I think this limitation is too restrictive and it loses 1 star for that.
Weapons and upgrades can be purchased using rewards picked up during the game. This offers an extra bit of depth to the game.
The magnet gun is awesome - exploiting the destructible environment to the max, you can use it to pull down scenery upon enemies, or throw the enemy across the room. Plasma gun is enjoyably destructive too. And the shotgun has its moments.
This game is atmospheric and creepy. The path through the game is fairly linear and it helps you out by telling you where to go all the time. Not great if you want a wide-open adventure, but lots of fun nonetheless.
This game uses Steam, which is far better than "Games For Windows Live". A swift and easy install, straight off the disk, but here's a tip: Before installing the game, make sure you've installed the very latest up-to-date drivers for your graphics card. I had to update mine for my ATI Radeon 5850 before the game would work.