Red Faction: Armageddon preorders open Battlegrounds

When it comes to surviving the end of times, having a leg up might not be so bad. Today, THQ announced preorder incentives for its upcoming sci-fi shooter Red Faction: Armageddon that confer a variety of retailer-specific in-game bonuses for the Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, and PC game.

GameStop and Amazon are offering perhaps the sweetest survival kit for console gamers, as the two retailers will be offering a free copy of Red Faction: Battlegrounds. Expected to be available during the first week of April, Battlegrounds is a multiplayer-oriented, top-down, vehicle-based arena combat game. Those who don't preorder from GameStop or Amazon can download the game through Xbox Live or the PSN for $10.

Beyond Battlegrounds, GameStop preorderers will also receive the in-game Commando Pack, which includes an armored uniform, a plasma thrower, and laser pistols. However, Amazon prepurchasers aren't slated to receive any additional items.

Those who prebuy the game at Best Buy will be afforded the Recon Pack. Included in this in-game add-on are the stealth uniform, the electrically charged arc welder weapon, and the XNG-5000, which fires homing missiles. Lastly, Walmart preorderers have the only bit of real-world schwag: a 24-page Red Faction comic book and strategy guide.

Red Faction: Armageddon will be available in North America on May 31. For more information, check out GameSpot's previous coverage.