One of the more pleasant surprises of this generation was Red Faction Guerilla, an open world shooter set on Mars that allowed to to destroy nearly any building with a variety of interesting tools. Competing with your friends to see who could cause the most destruction was easily one of the best enjoyable parts of the game. When we got to check out Red Faction Armageddon's new multiplayer modes, we were left wanting more and eagerly waiting to get our hands on the game for its release at the end of May.

The first mode we were made privy to was Infestation mode, a certainly fun mode that owes more than a little bit to games like Left 4 Dead and Gears of War's Horde mode. In Infestation, you can select one of 4 characters with ties to the main single player story line, and a series of challenging waves of enemies. The enemies in the game move really fast, jump effortlessly from wall to wall and can easily overwhelm you when you're on your own. Team work and sticking together is essential.

The mode is hectic with tons of explosions, bullets, and energy flying back and forth. It could actually get overwhelming at times. Part of the mode's hook is that each character has access to a Nanoforge ability that can be strategically combined for excellent offensive and defensive benefits. Depending on how you play, you can use a reflective bubble shield, a force push forward, or an electric field that stuns your enemies and keeps them floating around the levels.

Loads of weapons are available as well, including a sweet magnet gun that allows you to attach to anything heavy in the game world, and launch it to another point. The gun even allows you to fling aliens around easily without wasting ammo. Other futuristic weapons like plasma cannons and beams are joined by classic staples like pistols, assault rifles, shotguns, and the like. A balanced loadout is obviously key to survival.

As you play your way through waves, you'll unlock more and more abilities and weapons, trying to get to that magic 30th wave.

The other mode we got to try out was Ruin Mode, which is only a natural inclusion based on the game's brilliant destruction engine. The basic gist of the mode is to cause as much destruction as humanly possible in a short span of time. Scoring is based not only on bringing down the largest towers, but by chaining your destruction into a non-stop orgy of destructive carnage. The mode is addictive, and leaderboards will have you constantly trying to beat your score. Pro-Tip: When you get your hands on the game, use the plasma cannon to cause the ultimate amount of damage.

The multiplayer components of Red Faction Armageddon are certainly a nice addition to the meaty single player campaign, which we will be previewing for you next week. Be sure to check back to GamingExcellence.com for the latest on THQ's great looking shooter.