Then came Red Faction II, the obvious sequel for the PS2, and suddenly gamers were let down. For unknown reasons, the geo-mod engine didn't seem to be as good as in the original, and many players returned to the original Red Faction to get their fix of destructive environments.

Recently, THQ introduced Red Faction II for the Xbox, and I am happy to say, the geo-mod is back, and is in full effect with this version of the game. Get ready to create your own sniping positions by blasting though walls, dropping columns and punching holes in ceilings!

In Red Faction II, you play the part of Alias, a demolitions expert who is part of an elite commando team on a quest to take out the ruthless dictator Sopot. The first level of the game serves as an introduction to the storyline, with you (as Alias) stealing the very nanotechnology that will be used to enhance your combat abilities. Flash forward a few years, Alias and his team of commandos have become super soldiers thanks to Sopot using the nanotechnology to enhance them, however, Sopot now fears his creations and attempts to exterminate them all. Now it's time to for you, as Alias, to hunt down Sopot and make him pay for his treachery.

Once you've waded through the betrayal storyline, you'll fine Red Faction II follows the same format as every other FPS titles. You're given a mission and sent on your way to fight through hoards of opposition while staying on task. Missions vary from finding escape routes to contacting allies to assassinating petty tyrants. They're all pretty much standard fare, though in Red Faction II, THQ managed to add enough unique bits to many levels to make the game more interesting than those found in other titles in the genre. For example, while you may be fighting on foot as Alias in some levels, you also play the part as hovercraft tail-gunner, or a tank-gunner in many others. The addition of vehicular combat really helps keep the gameplay fresh.

Outside of the special vehicular elements, Red Faction II sports the revolutionary (and for FPS's, I might say "evolutionary") geo-mod engine Geo-mod is a simple concept, but it introduces a great new level of strategy to the game. Basically, the geo-mod engine lets you demolish parts of the environment, which in turn unlocks hidden rooms, and creates custom sniping locations for you to take up. It's especially fun in multiplayer, as you can use the environment to create not only offensive positions, but also create escape routes on-the-fly when your enemies are getting a little too close for comfort. Not everything in Red Faction II can be damaged, but after you play for a bit, you'll quickly learn to spot destructible areas, which you can target with your heavy weaponry.

Speaking of weaponry, Red Faction II sports a wide variety of death-dealing tools. Simple weapons, such as pistols, are always around, and in later levels you'll stumble across such heavy hitters as the assault rifle, rocket launcher and the devastating railgun. Most weapons feature a secondary fire option, which increases their damage. Some weapons, such as the nanotech grenade launcher, fire small charges in normal mode, yet function as a full-on grenade launcher in secondary mode. The railgun, a personal favorite, can operate as a sort of x-ray sight in secondary mode, allowing you to see through walls and detect hidden opposition. A really nice weapon option is "two-fisting", which allows you to carry a machine pistol or submachine gun in each hand, which is a heck of a lot of fun when you want to run around with guns blazing. When you "two fist" it, you'll still have to track individual ammo for each weapon, but it's easy to quick load magazines, even in this mode. While the two handed approach to sidearms is nothing new (it first appeared several years ago in Rise of the Triad for PC), it's still nice to see in a new title.

RF II's controls are a pretty close copy of Halo's, with the analog sticks handling sighting and movement, and the triggers doing the weapon firing. The right trigger handles the primary fire function for your weapon, and the left is your secondary function. The face buttons control grenade throwing and weapon selection, while the black button reloads. A really nice control feature is the "quick spin" that is assigned to the white button. Quick spin, as the name implies, causes Alias to make a quick 180-degree turn, instantly facing whomever may be sneaking up on him.

THQ really tried to script a strong storyline for Red Faction II, but it's really too shallow for you to care about. While Halo for the Xbox had a storyline that rivaled that of most major motion pictures, this story just isn't deep enough to feel the least bit immersive in RF II. While it doesn't take away from the game in any way, it's too bad they couldn't have worked a little harder on the story, it would have been a refreshing change from the standard "kill him, he's bad" storylines.

While the geo-mod engine is pretty revolutionary for FPS titles, the graphics in Red Faction II are not. They are somewhat more polished than they were for the PlayStation 2, but they're nothing to write home about. Colors and textures are bland and lifeless, while environmental effects, especially water, are not up to snuff for an Xbox title. Explosions and deaths, as sick as this might sound, look great. The death rattle of a dying enemy soldier is impressively detailed, and the explosions are a bright point in this game. The frame rate in Red Faction II is fantastic, running at a consistently smooth 60fps.

Are the graphics bad? Heck no, they're actually good; they're just not up to Xbox standards.

Not much to say here, quite honestly as Red Faction II has nothing going for it as far as sound. Actually, let me clarify that statement so you don't think the game is terrible in this department. The game's soundtrack is an acceptable mix techno-beats reminiscent of your classic B-grade sci-fi film, but it is lacking any "wow" factor. The sound effects are passable, plenty of gunfire and explosions to ensure that you know you're playing an FPS, but these sounds are generic and, well, gutless. There's no real visceral power behind any of the sound effects, and the voice acting is about as plain as it comes, with generally irritating commentary coming from your teammates and opponents alike.

The single-player campaign is a bit too quick and easy, giving Red Faction II a limited life span as a single player game, but the multiplayer mode really cranks up the replay value. You can play against up to five AI-controlled bots, or grab three buddies and jump into an all-out fragfest. As far as the bots go, the AI is pretty solid, though it could use some tuning when facing better-armed opposition. There's nothing stupider than bots trying to bum rush you when you're packing the nanotech grenade launcher, which will turn them into flaming chunks of liver with one shot. The multiplayer maps, of which there are plenty (and plenty more unlockable), are well designed and a lot of fun to play, and the variety of multiplayer modes is rich enough to keep you coming back for more.

Red Faction II is a definite improvement over most FPS titles for the Xbox (I prefer it to Time Splitters 2 or Turok: Evolution), but it's still not in the class of Halo. The transparent storyline makes for an all too-short (and shallow) single player experience, though the multiplayer game is a lot of fun with a group of buddies. It's unfortunate that THQ passed on System Link and Xbox Live support, which would've boosted this game in innumerable ways. In the end, I'd suggest you rent it if you're only going single-player, and buy it if you're got a steady group of gaming buddies you can summon for some multiplayer sessions. While the sound is only so-so, and the graphics are nothing new, Red Faction II is still a lot of fun.