Freedom Fighters

"Best actual war game out there."

This past week I realized I needed to get some new games because I was growing bored with the games I had. I went out to the store and I bought Splinter Cell: Pandora Tomorrow for the XBOX for 50 dollars, Ghost Recon: Jungle Storm on the Playstation 2 for 35 dollars, and I found Freedom Fighters for the Playstation 2 on a discount rack at Target for 15 dollars. It is kind of funny that the discount racked Freedom Fighters is the one that keeps me glued to the couch.

Story:

Am alternate history scenario where the Soviets dropped the bomb on Berlin is put into play. The Soviets emerge as the world superpower and communism spreads all over the planet. The game takes place ''yesterday'' when Soviet planes circle the U.S. and launch an invasion. You control a rebel character in the resistance against the Soviet takeover. You can also recruit up to 12 resistors to form a small army to attack. The story is excellent, and it pulls you in.

Graphics:

The graphics on Freedom Fighters are pretty nice. My philosophy is that as long as the graphics don't make the gaming experience worse, I don't have a problem. However, you can't help but notice the extensive detail that the Soviets put into the propaganda in trying to take over America.

Sound:

I actually get so focused on the gameplay that my brain tunes out the sound. Lots of gunfire is heard, and thats all I need to hear when I am cracking some commy skulls!

Controls:

Possibly the only weakpoint to the game. The controls aren't your conventional controls. Jump is L1 for example. Luckily, the game has a built in controll outline which will pop up during gameplay in the beginning to get you adjusted. Once you get going though, the controls are a piece of cake.

Gameplay:

Absolutely remarkable. I always wanted a game that put you in charge of an army unit and you had to fight a war. I always thought Ghost Recon came the closest, but Freedom Fighters puts it all together. There is nothing more intense than having the difficulty turned upn this game. Unlike most games, if you go gung-ho and try to wipe everyone out on even normal difficulty, you will get slaughtered. You must sometimes dig in behind an object for cover and pick apart your target.

Also, the game has some missions dependant on others. For example, Soviet helicopters are patrolling the firestation. You can either try to bully your way into the firestation, or you can choose to blow up the helicopter base at the harbor to get rid of the patrolling helicopters. It is pure genious!

Overall:

There is nothing like Freedom Fighters on the market, so it scores big for originality. For some reason, this game did not catch on and get popular with the masses. As a result, you can get an incredible game an insulting price for a game of high quality.

Overall price worth: 40-50 dollars.

Reviewer's Score: 10/10, Originally Posted: 03/28/04