"The most pure fun RTS/RPG this year."

Do some quick research into the history of PC gaming and you will realise that the existence of any comic book games are next to zero (Spider-Man doesn't count, it's a console port =P). Its no wonder that Freedom Force was so highly anticipated, and thankfully, it doesn't disappoint one bit.

GAMEPLAY
On the surface, FF is a tactical strategy game similar to X-COM. You get to command a squad of up to 4 superheroes (and superheroines), taking up missions to defend your hometown Patriot City from aliens, dinosaurs, giant robots and a bizarre array of twisted supervillians. There are traditional RPG elements tossed in as well. Every character on your team gains XP after each mission, with those who actually perform the missions getting more. As you level up, your characters receive character points which can be used to purchase special abilities or to upgrade and buy new powers. As most of your heroes will level up almost every mission, you'll constantly be asking yourself questions like ''Do I upgrade Man O' War's ranged attacks or should I save points for later to get Flying?'' Prestige points earned from completing mission objectives allow you to recruit more team members, including those heroes you create yourself.

The RPG element offers a much deeper and more complex level of strategy into the game. Every hero has their own strengths and weaknesses, and you will have to frequently make changes to your squad to respond to the demands of the missions ahead. Minuteman's brute force in the early game may help you succeed, but you'll need Mentor's awesome mental powers to defeat Nuclear Winter and his goons later. You'll need Bullet's super speed when you infiltrate the secret robot labs of Mr Mechanical, you'll need El Diablo's powerful ranged attacks in the late game to defeat Pan's evil sylphs (one of the toughest foes in the game), and you'll need Alchemiss' mystical attacks in the showdown against the Timemaster. Thankfully, the interface allows you to pause or slow down the game to issue orders, giving you plenty of time to strategize and make good use of your characters' abilities in order to win. This is not a frenzied click-fest like Diablo II, but it still manages to stay fun without being too overwhelming.

GRAPHICS
The visuals are excellent, and succeed in bringing the cartoony atmosphere of a comic world to life. The attention to detail is meticulous. Launch a destructive fireball and the flames will continue to burn after impact, leaving a huge smoldering crater. Damage a building and parts of it will begin to tumble off, before collapsing and spreading debris. Everything and anything can be destroyed (though you should try to control yourself, as doing so results in a prestige penalty). You can even grab on to boulders and streetlights and wield them as weapons or toss a car at your enemies. Cut-scenes rendered with the game engine are well done and do a good job of propelling the story forward.

SOUNDS
Voiceovers are also top-notch and match each character's personality, from the monosyllabic Microwave to the emphatic Eve. Sound effects balloons and captions are also present (and how can you ever leave them out in a comic book game). Music accompanying each level is dead-on, setting the tone for the task ahead.

REPLAYABILITY
Mission design is open enough that you'll want to replay with different characters just to see what might happen. But the true core of FF's long-term replayability is the ability to create your own custom superheroes. Want the web-slinging Spidey in your game? Just download a new skin (or make one yourself), give him the appropiate powers and abilities (there are a ton to choose from, and all of them are fully customizable right down to the animation effects), and voila, you can use him in single or multiplayer play. As of patch 1.1, a skirmish mode has been added by the developers. Custom levels and mods are already in the works thanks to the release of the Freedom Force Editor (you can grab these and other goodies at www.myfreedomforce.com). Make no mistake, this is one game that is gonna stay on your hard drive for a very long time.

OVERALL
Freedom Force not only excels as a game, but also in recreating the classic struggles and atmosphere of your fave comic books. You will laugh, you will cry, you will love and hate the heroes and villians just like in the comics. Whether you are a comic fanatic or not, this is one of the definitive, must-buy and can't-go-wrong titles of the year.

Reviewer's Score: 10/10, Originally Posted: 08/29/02, Updated 08/29/02