Red Faction Armageddon doesn't really excel at anything, but it can still provide simple fun.
Cons: Repetitive encounters; Bland story; Constant crashing on PC
I want video games to move forward as a medium. I want innovative new titles to push the boundaries of what is possible with interactive stories and arts. And even if we're doing the same basic thing over and over, I want design innovations to refine tried and true concepts to perfection. This does not mean I am above simple fun every now and then. Sometimes I need a game like Red Faction Armageddon to remind me of that.
Now, Red Faction Armageddon is in reality a fairly middling game. It's a standard third person shooter set in a kind of generic sci-fi universe with a generic, bland plot (you've been framed, now kill a bunch of aliens to set things right and stop the apocalypse), and it's rife with glitches. The worst of the bunch being the crashes that seem to occur every half hour on the PC version (a real-time estimate from my experience). Red Faction Armageddon may hit all the bullet points of a modern shooter, with functionality (largely) intact, but it doesn't excel at any of them.
However, the developers seem to be aware that nothing is truly standout in their game, so they focus instead of making things simply fun. Destruction is the name of the game, and toppling buildings is one of those simple joys that never seems to get old. The developers give you several opportunities to destroy almost everything in the environment, and you are absolutely encouraged to demolish whatever gets in your way.
They also give you a bloody brilliant tool with the magnet gun. It works as follows: shoot a magnet onto an enemy or building, and then shoot another magnet anywhere else. Now, watch as the first magnet flies towards the second, smashing anything in its path. It's not the most efficient weapon (shooting enemies straight is still far more to-the-point), but it's such stupid fun that you'll often end up using it anyway.
It's a good thing destruction is so fun, too, because you'll be doing a lot of it. Objectives tend to fall into one of three categories: get from point A to point B, destroy something, or repair something. All are accomplished through copious amounts of alien and environment carnage. Understandably, things start getting repetitive midway through the game, and the overly straightforward and uninspired level design doesn't help.
But somehow, despite all of its routine faults Red Faction Armageddon remains enjoyable. I'm hardly going to sing its praises, or recommend it to friends, or even really remember most of the events of the game. But, I know that I still somehow had fun.