"Leave your comics, grab your mice!"

All the fans of comics and superheroes were always one of the most disappointed in computer games because everything showed that we would never see a game with superheroes on our computer screens but only in comics and in TV. But no! Everything changes! Freedom Force by irrational games is here.
This strange mix of action and role-playing that we were waiting for a long time, comes like a masked hero and saves the situation! Without being a particularly deep game, it remains funny, amusing and it has precisely the atmosphere, the style and the sense of a real comic.
From one opinion, Freedom Force looks more like a tactical strategy game such as X-com. With simple words, you take a team of four superheroes, kill the bad guys and some times encounter a boss. The combat style is more ''alive'' than the one in X-Com and reminds you more the one in Baldur's Gate.The system is based in turns though, you see the action in real time. You can pause the game to give different orders to each member team; this is not of course something you can do but something you must do because if you don't you will have difficulties in winning the battles. Since I made a paralleling with Baldur's Gate I must say that the game doesn't freeze automatically in the end of every round, but you would have to pause by yourselves; it's only a small detail but if it was possible it would be more easier. Each hero can attack with a different way such as melee, ranged attacks that cover big areas etc. Each attack has it's own kind; fire, ice, magic, mind attacks... and the list goes on. Also each hero has he's own resistances and weaknesses to attacks (e.g the human torch would smile if the opponent attacked him with fireballs, but he would melt if you threw him an iceberg). One of the best things in this game is that in battles there aren't only you and the bad guys... but also the people around you. The environment of the game is incredibly ''alive''. Grab a traffic light and hit your opponent, then grab him and throw him on a car... Of course don't overdo it because you are the good guys and you shouldn't destroy the whole city. Also the more achievements you do the more prestige points you get...
What are prestige points? Do you believe that a game about superheroes would be amusing if the superheroes had the some abilities and could not have more. I'm sure you would be bored. Irrational Games thought about this so they made a very good system to advance your heroes. By spending some prestige points you can ''buy'' some abilities for your heroes or ''upgrade'' some they already have.
This system of advancing with points and level are not the only things that Freedom Force has ''borrowed'' from the RPG category. Many times in a map you'll talk to someone, who'll give you a small mission. These small mission can be solved in the same map and the are not very difficult to accomplish. What kind of heroes are you if you don't help people.
For the graphics and the sound we haven't spoken yet because there aren't many things to say. Even if you have read some comics you surely can imagine how the perfect computer game for superheroes should be. The graphics are vivid, colorful and very beautiful. The setting up of the game ( with the comic fonts and the ''dramantic'' voice of the narrator and the excellent sound effects) will make you smile. The best thing is that you can make your own superheroes and I am not meaning only the graphics and the skins but also his own skills and characteristics with this great editor. You can also download all the famous heroes from the internet: so if you want you can play with batman or even make your own potato man (just an example).
The only thing that disappointed me is that in some spots I couldn't continue because for example some characters I needed to question were on a roof I couldn't approach so I had to restart or someone with some useful information fainted and I had to restart again. Well it's not so annoying as I write but it would be better if it could be prevented.
Our list with disadvantages continues with two more things. Firstly the game does not include a mini-map(it's really annoying because you won't be able sometimes to see some opponents or some important spots with a quick look). Secondly and more important is that the multiplayer section of the game is not so good because it doesn't have many options and maps for multiplayer game. This can be fixed with a patch.
Stop thinking it: wear a mask, a cloak, an armor and run to buy Freedom Force, ignoring the people you'll see laughing at you in the street(you're going to enjoy a very impressive and ''special game not they).

Reviewer's Score: 9/10, Originally Posted: 09/10/03