Red Faction
Red Faction is a 2001 first-person shooter developed by Volition, set on a Mars torn apart by a miners' uprising against the tyrannical Ultor Corporation. Players take the role of Parker, a disgruntled worker swept up in the rebellion, fighting through mines, tunnels, installations and eventually the surface of the red planet.
The game's signature feature was its "Geo-Mod" technology, which let players blast destructible holes in walls and terrain with rockets and explosives to create their own routes rather than following fixed corridors. Beyond the campaign it offered vehicle sections in rovers, submarines and other craft, plus a range of weapons and a multiplayer mode. This tactile destruction, unusual for its era, gave the shooting a physical, improvisational feel that set the game apart from more scripted contemporaries.
Red Faction spawned a long-running series that eventually took its destruction concept to full open-world scale in later entries. Today the original is playable through digital storefronts and remains a landmark for interactive, deformable environments.
Play it today
Modern alternatives to Red Faction, with the devices they run on and their price. Ordered editorially by how well each one stands in for the original, with community votes weighted in as they accumulate.
Prices, platform availability and Steam Deck compatibility can change at any time. Always check the store page before buying.
Teardown Indie
€ 29,99An indie sandbox built entirely around voxel destruction.
Teardown runs on PC, PlayStation, Xbox. Not available on Mac, Linux, iPhone, iPad, Android phone, Android tablet, Switch. It is Steam Deck Verified.
Red Faction Guerrilla Re-Mars-tered
€ 29,99A remaster of the fully destructible open-world sequel.
Red Faction Guerrilla Re-Mars-tered runs on PC, PlayStation, Xbox, Switch. Not available on Mac, Linux, iPhone, iPad, Android phone, Android tablet. It is Steam Deck Playable.
Instruments of Destruction Indie
€ 19,99An indie physics game centered on demolishing structures.
Instruments of Destruction runs on PC. Not available on Mac, Linux, iPhone, iPad, Android phone, Android tablet, PlayStation, Xbox, Switch. It is Steam Deck Playable.
Sign in or create an account to add an alternative or vote.