The game doesn't benefit of a complex and well developed story, but the narration is still cohesive enough to preserve the interest intact throughout the entire 20 hours of gameplay. The action unfolds on Mars, where Alec Mason is looking for work, but finds himself mixed up in the high stakes game of corporate intrigue. Recruited by the Red Faction after his brother is murdered, Alec commits himself on freeing the planet of the oppressing EDF who rules the mining colonies with an iron hand.

Without any previous training in the military but with an iron hand of his own, Mason wields a mighty sledgehammer that quickly shifts from a trusty mining tool into a deadly weapon. It will remain your best friend throughout the game and even after completing several missions that grant access to more sophisticated fire guns, the hammer remains the most potent tool in your arsenal, when it comes to destroying things.

The cornerstone of the whole game in fact is this extraordinary ability to bring down any structure and reduce to rubbles virtually everything. Volition extracted an astonishing amount from this scrap, crafting an exciting video game that will keep players wired, despite the shallow story and the somehow repetitive nature of the missions. Speaking of scraps, it's important to note down that every destruction derby produces leftovers, that can be collected and then turned in for better weapons and upgrades.

Since most of the buildings representing key objectives and side quests alike will eventually collapse, leaving behind plenty of collectable debris, it pays off to make a small detour to explore every possibility. By completing primary and secondary objectives you'll cause the EDF control of the sector to lower, bringing more and more rebels on your side and ultimately allowing you to free the zone of the oppressors.