Freedom Fighters

"In Soviet Russia, Freedom Fights You!"

Anybody who has gotten through high school history probably knows all about America's checkered past with Russia. Our fear of a communist takeover set off a firestorm of panic and speculation that sent waves of mayhem throughout our country. McCarthyism spread, the US tried to thwart Russia at every turn and the tensions of the Cold War reached their height with the Cuban Missile Crisis. Of course it was all for naught as there was never any direct conflict. However, Freedom Fighters poses an interesting question with its alternative history scenario – What if communism ultimately prevailed and Russia took over most of the free world, closing in on America all the while?

STORY
Freedom Fighters takes place in a world where Soviet Russia never lost power, but rather gained worldwide domination. As the introductory cutscene plays, you'll get a glimpse of this alternate timeline, where Russia dropped the atomic bomb on Berlin, ending World War II. Afterwards, Russia gains control over all of Europe, followed by the Latin American countries. They are also successful in installing mid-range missiles in Cuba, thus setting the stage for a full out assault on America.

When the game starts, you'll be in charge of a New York plumber (of no relation to Mario) named Chris, who finds himself right in the middle of the action when the invasion begins. Like any red-blooded American, Chris takes up arms and begins to fight the hostile Russkies. Along the way he meets up with fellow rebels and eventually becomes the leader of an underground resistance movement, all while trying to drive the invaders back to the Motherland.

GRAPHICS
Anyone who is acquainted with the work of Free Radical (Timesplitters and Second Sight) will instantly notice similarities, even though the two developers have no connections. The character models are sort of cartoonish, and still hold up surprisingly well despite the five years that have passed since the release of this title. Environments are starting to look a bit dated, with some bland texturing and jaggy edges. Overall, the graphics still hold up well enough to make you feel as if you're actually in the middle of a war zone (something that some “next-gen” war games haven't been able to accomplish).

A cool touch is that as the game progresses, you'll see the city change around you. While the invasion takes place in early autumn, you'll notice the seasons begin to change in later missions. Chris and the rebels begin to don more clothing until they're finally running around in parkas in the dead of winter. Snow begins to fall, eventually piling up in the streets. One particularly drastic example of how everything changes occurs in one riverside location. Players will visit this area early in the game and when the rebels return, it's during the dead of winter and they actually enter the area across the frozen river. Not only does this keep the game from getting repetitive in a visual sense, but it also does a great job of giving the narrative a timeline without coming right out and saying “this is how long the war has been going on”.

SOUND
Guns go bang. Soldiers scream. There's nothing especially noteworthy in this department, but it's not actually bad. Just average. Voice work is decent, and the guns sound like they should. The one interesting thing is the music that plays after completing an objective. You'll get a Russian military theme with an amazing choir that is simply amazing to listen to (but impossible to describe, unfortunately).

GAMEPLAY
At the very core of gameplay, you'll be going through set missions to achieve your goals. Most revolve around blowing something up, and the ultimate objective for every level is taking some sort of important location and raising the American flag. What makes it interesting is that you typically have three levels to choose from in one set story “chunk”. The goals for these three levels usually directly affect what you'll encounter on the other levels. For instance, one level might have you blowing up a helicopter refueling station. Accomplish that, and said helicopter won't be around to harass you in another level. While this would appear as if it could lead to some unique situations, it seems like there is only one way to go through a story “chunk”. If I didn't take out the helicopter, it would typically mean it would be flying around somewhere else and I wouldn't be able to get past it. So in the end, while it looks like you have a lot of freedom, there is really only one way to go about doing it. Once you complete a story segment you'll be treated to a Russian newscast detailing your latest exploits, where you'll get a few story tidbits and a lot of laughs.

Luckily, you aren't alone in the quest to retaliate against those dirty, stinking Commies. As you complete objectives you'll gain what are essentially experience points. As you level up, you'll be able to recruit more soldiers to fight by your side, up to a maximum of twelve. Unlike most squad based shooters, your troops actually respond to what you tell them, and for the most part, things are kept simple. There are only three commands, attack, hold and follow. By entering a zoomed aiming mode you can dictate exactly where you want your soldiers to go, so there is rarely any problem getting them where they need to be.

Troops are also quite capable of taking care of themselves, but they seem to be unable to disengage the enemy once they get involved in a firefight. This often leads to one or two soldiers getting wiped out by heavy fire, simply because they were too stupid to duck behind cover. However, it seems to me that enemy soldiers are a hell of a lot tougher than the people you'll be fighting with. To give you a good idea of what I often found myself dealing with, it takes two shotgun blasts at close range to take out the average grunt. After discovering this, I immediately reverted to the tried and true tactic of headshots, but that only seems to work about half the time. When you couple this incredible attribute of bullet resistance with the fact that you'll always be outnumbered and enemy soldiers are fairly smart (these guys are experts at finding cover), things often feel brutally difficult. I often found myself reattempting missions numerous times before I memorizing the locations of enemies as well as the surrounding environment.

THE VERDICT
This is one of those games that is worth the trouble of tracking down. The whole Russian attack on America is a compelling narrative hook, even if it is a bit Tom Clancy-ish, and the story is told well enough that you'll actually care what happens to Chris and company. In addition to that, I've rarely seen tactical shooters with squad controls that are so easy to use, which obviously elevates the game to a higher plane than most others. It may not be the most unique game on the market, but it is a memorable adventure nonetheless. It's starting to get a little rare, but it's definitely worth the time and effort to seek out.

HIGHS
- Intuitive squad controls
- Surprisingly intelligent enemies
- Simplistic, but very interesting narrative

LOWS
- Soldiers seem to be bullet proof
- “Stealth” missions are irritating
- Questionable autosave system

Reviewer's Score: 8/10, Originally Posted: 05/05/08, Updated 12/10/09

Game Release: Freedom Fighters (US, 10/01/03)