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THQ: No more Red Faction games

Published on 28th July 2011 by Joe Martin

THQ has confirmed that it doesn't plan to continue with the Red Faction series in any meaningful way.

THQ has said that it doesn't plan to continue developing further entries in the Red Faction franchise after Red Faction: Armageddon, the latest in the series, failed to meet expectations.

The comment came in a THQ investor call, where CEO Brian Farrell said that 'we do not intend to carry forward with that franchise in any meaningful way.'

The Red Faction development team at Volition Studios has been moved on to a new project - Guillermo del Toro's inSane survival horror game.

The Red Faction series kicked off in 2001 and spawned a sequel a year later. A third entry in the series, Red Faction: Guerrilla, appeared in 2009 and Red Faction: Armageddon launched earlier this year. The signature of the series has been the destructability of large structures and environments.

While it didn't sell well, we still quite liked Red Faction: Armageddon in our review, with it's arcade Ruin mode getting particular praise.

Check out the trailer below and let us know your thoughts in the forums.

19 Comments

Discuss in the forums Reply

Apocalypso 28th July 2011, 11:01

Unsurprising it sold poorly considering they turned an excellent sandbox game in to a generic corridor shooter.

NuTech 28th July 2011, 11:06

They totally turned me off Armageddon as soon as they announced it wasn't open world.

The fun of destruction is completely ruined if you can't go past old areas and see your handiwork.

Mentai 28th July 2011, 11:53

I don't really care about the Red Faction franchise as such, but I hope they put the destructible environments from Guerilla in other games, it was pretty awesome.

EdwardTeach 28th July 2011, 12:20

It was poorly marketed compared to the much worse homefront. Seems like they just kind of gave up on the series.

snootyjim 28th July 2011, 12:21

The stupid thing is, RF2 didn't have particularly destructible environments. The later games took that aspect and turned it to 11, to the detriment of every other aspect.

I'm not surprised they didn't do well. Should've just started with a completely new concept to be honest, it didn't have much to do with the original RF series.

Parge 28th July 2011, 12:32

Phew.

Now Volition can focus on making Freespace 3!

Kiytan 28th July 2011, 14:16

woah, woah, woah Guillermo Del toro is helping with inSane? HELL YES, he has a serious knack for making some truly terrifying stuff.

wuyanxu 28th July 2011, 14:19

as soon as they turn to third person with a crappy control feel, they've lost it.

Red Faction 1 was classic. i played it before HL1, and felt it's better than HL1!

LatinSpirit 28th July 2011, 14:43

As soon as I saw they were adding aliens into it, I knew they were going to ruin it. What a shame, I loved the RF series. Rest In (Destructable) Pieces....

azrael- 28th July 2011, 15:48

Quote:

Originally Posted by wuyanxu
as soon as they turn to third person with a crappy control feel, they've lost it.

'Tis sadly the truth.

Quote:

Red Faction 1 was classic. i played it before HL1, and felt it's better than HL1!

However... Go wash your mouth with soap right this instant! :p

Redd13 28th July 2011, 16:46

Yet another company doesnt understand what people enjoyed about their games, ruin their concept with a poorly related sequel and then blame poor sales on the franchise demise.

OCJunkie 28th July 2011, 17:49

Oh good seems they finally got the point. That's what they get for ruining a good semi-sandbox FPS franchise into a third-person corridor dumbass simulator. THQ's been making junk.

sear 28th July 2011, 18:15

Quote:

Originally Posted by Apoca1yps0
Unsurprising it sold poorly considering they turned an excellent sandbox game in to a generic corridor shooter.

I always like it when developers pay for publishers' mistakes.

karx11erx 28th July 2011, 19:03

sear,

I have been talking with a Volition rep in their forums. It was Volition's decision to make this game the way it was, and particularly to only offer a 3rd person view. I found the reasons for this decision (those they chose to reveal to me) questionable, but it was their project after all ...

RedFlames 28th July 2011, 19:05

Quote:

Originally Posted by Parge
Now Volition can focus on making Freespace 3!

i hope not... they'll [thq more than volition] only mess it up...

Eiffie 28th July 2011, 19:55

Yea, the 4th game of the series did take a turn for the crappy. Became more about rock hammering your way through mobs of aliens than rock hammering your way through rocks, buildings, PEOPLE!

sear 29th July 2011, 00:38

Quote:

Originally Posted by karx11erx
sear,

I have been talking with a Volition rep in their forums. It was Volition's decision to make this game the way it was, and particularly to only offer a 3rd person view. I found the reasons for this decision (those they chose to reveal to me) questionable, but it was their project after all ...

Really?

I take my word back then. It's a shame it didn't work out for them, but I can't say the decision wasn't ill-advised.

ccxo 29th July 2011, 13:02

If THQ wants to make money with red faction go back to the forumula of the first game, add massive amounts of destruction and it will sell, people want a large destructable sandbox.

Dwarfer 29th July 2011, 13:12

They lost the plot converting it from a very popular FPS to a boring 3rd FPS with endless boring antics