Red Faction Armageddon Pre Order Bonuses

The Mars-based franchise Red Faction, will be seeing its latest iteration, Red Faction: Armageddon release in May. THQ has released the official pre-order bonuses being offered through various retailers. The stores in question - GameStop, Best Buy, Amazon, and Wal-Mart - will all be offering different incentives to draw in fans of the series. Pre-order bonuses aren't the most evil thing in the world, and while they may not be absolutely necessary, some of the add-ons may be just what fans of Red Faction: Armageddon are after.

If our hands-on preview of Armageddon didn't convince you that there might be some interesting twists on classic science fiction to be found in the game, then the advanced and physics-bending weaponry being offered to those who pick up the game early might do the trick.

There may be some out there who feel that offering unique weapons or skins depending on what retailer you purchased your game from is a bit ridiculous. With each year, it seems that pre-order bonuses or store-specific DLC is creeping closer to affecting a player's gaming experience - a potentially massive issue - but Armageddon's perks don't seem to be there just yet.

That's our take on the subject, but have a look for yourself at the various individual retailers and their particular offers. Trust us, it may not be an easy choice:

GameStop

  • Free downloadable copy of Red Faction: Battlegrounds for Xbox 360 or PlayStation 3.
  • Commando Pack - Armored Commando Uniform, Plasma Thrower weapon, and dual Laser Pistol weapons.

Red Faction Armageddon Pre-Order Bonuses

Best Buy

  • Recon Pack - Clandestine Recon uniform for Snipers and Spies, Arc Welder weapon, and XNG-5000 weapon.
Red Faction Armageddon Pre Order Bonuses

Amazon

  • Free downloadable copy of Red Faction: Battlegrounds for Xbox 360 or PlayStation 3.

Wal-Mart

  • Limited Edition Red Faction comic book with protagonist Darius Mason. Comic story will take place just before the events of Armageddon. Included within the comic book is a mini strategy guide from Prima Games.

Players who pre-order from GameStop or Amazon and receive the copy of Battlegrounds can rank up within the game to unlock yet another weapon in Armageddon. The Battlegrounds screens and details show that the title will serve as a more-than-competent companion game for Armageddon.

Will these unlocks give you any kind of edge in battle or are they merely going to be superfluous inclusions? What's your take on the DLC issue? Would you prefer every retailer to offer the same items, since you can only buy one copy?

Red Faction: Armageddon releases on May 31, 2011 for the Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, and PC.