"Good Gravy!"

Freedom Force is simply an amazing game that many people have made the mistake of overlooking. Not only is it one of my newest all-time favorite games, it is also quite possibly the best Real Time Strategy Game ever made. However, one thing is for certain. Freedom Force is the best Superhero game ever created.

Story: 10/10
The story in Freedom Force is amazing. You'd be surprised at some of the character origins that the boys over at Irrational though up. The game plays out like the first 10 or so issues of the Freedom Force comic book, and there is plenty of variety. I personally love the story.

Gameplay: 10/10
The gameplay in Freedom Force is especially varied for a Real Time Strategy game. Some levels require slow and steady progress, while others require stealth. Others may require unique and specific battle strategies, while others are nothing but free-roaming smackdowns on the hordes of evil fiends swarming Liberty City. Whether you are stopping a robbery, thrashing some prehistoric pests, or engaging a diabolical villain like the frosty Soviet spy Nuclear Winter, you will need to adopt some type of unique strategy.

Freedom Force includes many amazing, creative, and entertaining superheroes to defend justice with. Also, there are many types of super powers and good old knuckle sandwiches to dish out. There are many factors influencing each attack, and they all are unique. If for some crazy reason you don't take a liking to any of the Freedom Fighters, you can create your own in the amazing character editor. Everything is fully customizable, and what isn't already available you can get off the web. Even though this isn't a licensed game, you can get character body meshes and skins off the web to faithfully reproduce anyone you can imagine. I personally enjoy cleaning up the streets of Liberty City with Mr. T. I pity the fool who doesn't. These characters can be reproduces right down to the slightest detail, but remember, the stronger they are, the more they cost to recruit. Custom characters can be implemented into your campaign against eveil, or used on the web.

Graphics: 10/10
Now you may be surprised that I gave the grapics such a high score. They are great, but definately aren't perfect. There are some minor glitches, cuh as the edges of lips on moving mouths, but these aren't important of all.
The graphics really get the high score from the customization ability. This game has many many different things to display at once, and they all look great. Second of all, it is easy to customize character meshes or skins, and even these fan submissions, completely created by amateurs look great. The incredibly crash and glitch free format of this game and all of the customizable graphics options definately deserve a 10/10.

Replayability: 10/10
This game is so cool, and there are plenty of things to do on a second or third run through. You can try to complete all of your secondary objectives, or try to keep all 4 of your party members conscious throughout the entire game. You can veen try to play as a lone vigilante. All the while, you can implement your own characters into the fray. If you wanted to get really in-depth, you could create a totally original campaign.

All in All, Freedom Force is a worthy purchase, not to mention you can get it for $17 (a price it is worth 5 times over) at Sam's Club currently. I just love the original and intriguing characters, as much as I love implementing my own.

Reviewer's Score: 10/10, Originally Posted: 01/01/03, Updated 01/01/03