Freedom Fighters

"One of the best gaming experiences ever."

Before I start this review, I just want to point out that I have been a hardcore gamer for the past 16 years, and a very big fan of action shooters. You could definitely say I am a veteran of the genre. In my opinion, this is one amazing game, and I will tell you why.

The storyline in Freedom Fighters is simple. It's an alternate history where the Russians get a hold of the hydrogen bomb before we do. This causes the Soviet Union to start their world domination. The United States knows about the Soviets taking over other countries, and groups begin forming to warn the public that they may come to the U.S.A. The game takes place in New York, but other parts of the country are also getting attacked two (which I am guessing is open for a sequel). You play as a plumber named Chris who gets attacked and ends up in the middle of the Soviet takeover. Chris saves a few lives, and becomes a leader of the rebels trying to overthrow Soviet rule. The game has many plot twists, tragedies, and struggles you must go through. The whole story of the game is excellent, and I have enjoyed every minute of it.

First lets start out with the graphics. The game has sort of a cartoonish look to it, mixed with some realistic looks as well. The player models have very cool looking post apocalyptic style of clothing to them, which consists of ripped up clothing and patches. The length of the hair of the main character Chris also grows with time, which is very cool. It seems like the longer you play the game, the more ratty you look. The faces on the models kind of give off a cartoon style though, which is very welcome. Facial animations look cool and fit well with the dialog.

The game's environments are very well done in Freedom Fighters. Wrecked buildings, cars, things on fire, and rubble everywhere. The rag doll death effects are also a cool little feature in the game. For those of you who has no clue what rag doll effects are, it's simply when the player model moves, the limbs on the character move independently like in real life instead of a stiff body. The style in Freedom Fighters gives one of the best examples of what a post apocalyptic New York would look like. Lighting effects and explosions are all done well too. The menus are pretty plain but effective. Freedom Fighters definitely could look better due to the Xbox's power, but what either way it looks very good. IO Interactive did a great job here.

Next up is the controls, one of the most important aspects of a video game. The Xbox controller works great with Freedom Fighters. The game controls like a first person shooter, and Max Payne, Conflict: Desert Storm, and Brute Force players will feel welcome here. You control Chris with two analog sticks, jump with the L trigger, shoot with the right trigger, and commands are given with the face buttons. The black and white buttons are used for a melee attack and jumping. It may seem like the black and white buttons would be hard to use with the actions given to them, but it's quite simple and not as hard as one would think. Manual aiming is done with the left analog stick's click in feature, and the menu is accessible with the right analog stick's click in feature. The most important question is, do these controls work well in the heat of battle? I am happy to say that yes they are, and the learning curve is very short.

Now, lets go to the sound department. The game's sound effects and dialog are done well. Explosions, gunshots, and other typical sounds are done well in Freedom Fighters. Environmental effects such as helicopters, explosions, and distant gunshots sound excellent and gives you the feeling that you are part of a war. Dialog is used in cutscenes, comments from characters throughout the game, and in mission briefings. Russian accents and yelling from Russian soldiers are all good too. Freedom Fighters does not feature top notch acting, but it's well done and effective. The music is very awesome in Freedom Fighters too, I really enjoyed the score used.

The gameplay is where this game shines. The game is a squad based shooter, so giving commands and thinking of strategies is an important part of Freedom Fighters. You are a commander, so other rebels will follow all of your commands. You can have them hold positions, rush at the enemies, follow you and watch your back, or issue them specific locations to protect. The only problem I see with commanding teammates is the lack of selecting which one you want to move. They all respond to your commands, but when issuing them locations to stand, you cannot select which one you want to go, it's just randomized. This is not too big of a problem since all of the rebels in the game act the same and have the same weaknesses.

The gunplay used here is very fun. Getting into large gun fights is quite addicting and a blast to do. You can only hold two weapons, a pistol and a second more powerful weapon. If you run out of ammo or do not like the current gun in your hand, you can always pick up others from dead soldiers. Grenades and Molotov cocktails are also used in the game, which is fun to see a group of soldiers fly from a grenade blast. The amount of rebels you can have on your team depends on your Charisma level. Whenever you complete important tasks or save people's lives, you earn charisma points that fills up a bar at the top of the screen. When this bar is filled, another person can join your team. You start out with two, and can have up to twelve before the game is completed. Recruiting rebels is an easy task. Many rebels will be standing around in levels, hiding from the Russians. Simply walk up to one that you want to recruit and hit the A button.

Level design in Freedom Fighters is also done well. There are many secret areas and hidden paths you can take simply by keeping an eye open to your surroundings and exploring. Also, manholes are used as quick saving devices, saving captives, and changing areas. Changing areas is a key part of the gameplay here. Usually a level consists of several areas. If you cannot beat one or find it too difficult, it's probably because you need to do something in another area first. For example, if a helicopter is currently in your way and you cannot get past it, just head to the closest manhole and go to the area with helicopter landing pads, and blow that sucker up. Then come back to the previous level and the helicopter will be gone. This aspect of the game is one I find very interesting. Every area usually consists of many mission objectives, but there is always one main objective, to lower the enemy flag and raise the American flag back up on flag poles. This completes the area no matter what other objectives you complete, but completing the other objectives makes life easier for you in other levels, and also gives you Charisma.

The main problem with Freedom Fighters is the lack of levels. The game is pretty short, and can be beaten within 8-10 hours. Although, every second of those hours spent playing is one fantastic gaming experience. What you see, hear, and experience while playing is well worth the price. You will feel what these people are going through and gives you a feeling of being right there with them. I also urge all players to stay away from the lower difficulties. The game is WAY too easy on the two easiest difficulties and you will not get the full intended experience out of Freedom Fighters while playing on these difficulties. Getting the full enjoyment out of the game is playing it on Medium or Hard. Overall the game is one very good experience and a must own title for Xbox.

8/10 (two point deducted for the short length of the game)

Reviewer's Score: 8/10, Originally Posted: 10/22/03