THQ has confirmed that it will return to Mars in 2011, offering us our first glimpse of Red Faction: Armageddon.

It seems that fifty years after Alec Mason and the Red Faction defeated the nefarious Ultor Corporation, the planet has been poisoned by doomsday cultists. The desperate remnants of humanity have been forced to shelter deep underground and, as Mason’s grandson, you’re well placed to lead the survivors during this challenging period. Instead, you stumble across (and accidently awaken) an ancient evil. Have you ever had one of those days?

While the original Red Faction was presented in the first person, the forthcoming release will be a third person shooter in the style of its immediate predecessor, Red Faction: Guerrilla. If the trailer is any guide, the new game may place less emphasis on open world mayhem. Instead of traversing the broad and dusty plains of the surface world, you’ll have to negotiate dark and claustrophobic tunnels.

Environmental manipulation has been a core feature of the Red Faction series from the very beginning and Red Faction: Armageddon will be no exception. Developer Volition Games is set to introduce the Nano Forge, a versatile tool that, among other things, enables you to reconstruct shattered objects. Given recent events, it may be wise to start with your reputation. Fortunately, the game will also feature cooperative multiplayer, so you’ll at least have the opportunity to share the blame with others.

Red Faction: Armageddon is due for release on Xbox 360, PlayStation 3 and PC in March 2011.