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This thread has been linked to the game 'Freedom Fighters'.
What an absolutely cracking game, a thorough surprise and one I'd recommend without hesitation.
An arcadey squad-based action shooter with some brains and peerless game design. Plot is some rubbish pulled from the mind of John Milius and Red Dawn about dirty commies invading the USA and you lead the resistance.
Whatever, it feels great to uphold democracy etc etc da-da-daaaaaa
The point is, you get to lead a squad of up to 10+ blokes around with you shooting and blowing stuff up.
Squad control is spot-on: 3 commands "Defend" "Follow" "Attack" with 3 buttons.
But what made this stand out for me were the things that usually let down squad based shooty games - team-mate AI.
Usual game: "Go over there" you shout, and your fellows promptly bang into each other, stare at walls and all try to get through a doorway at once managing to ignore the smirking enemy soldier aiming at your face.
"You dumb #&%!" scream you and reload.
Or you command them to follow you, go into a building and discover your men would rather stand outside morris-dancing in the face of bad people and being killed.
Or you climb a ladder and realise that your crack-team of lethal soldier maniacs stare dumbly at you and headbutt the walls.
Not so in Freedom Fighters.
Not once, at any point, did my blokes do anything stupid. They climb ladders, they swim, they don't shoot you, you don't shoot them. They don't block your way anywhere and they dont mindleslly get killed.
Tell them to defend and they'll seek cover, crouch behind things or lean against walls and poke out to shoot.
Tell them to attack and they'll do so. Oh, but not charge in guns blazing and get slaughtered. No, they'll use cover - dash from wall to wall, crouch and use available cover or if enough of them get together, they'll go in hard.
The game is thus:
Start in an area of New York with a map in your base. 3-4 sub-areas with 2-3 objectives in each. Choose one and go.
You don't have to do all the objectives in an area at once, you can go back later.
This allows you to be tactical and really feel the benefits.
Example:
Manhattan. One of the areas has a "destroy troop helicopters" to prevent reinforcements as well as a storm the post office. Another area has an ammo dump, if you take that then they have basic weapons instead of big nasty ones.
Ok then, I'll go take the ammo dump first to limit their effectiveness.
Then I'll go back to the other area and destroy the helicopters to prevent more soldiers arriving.
So now the other 2 areas are limited in arms and no support to kill you.
Genius.
The action is faultless, not a run and gun but you can. Not a stealth but you can be careful.
Just good old fashioned action that's been very very carefully thought out to provide maxium fun with minimum problems associated with team-based games.
And the environments are incredible. Huge massive cities with no loading times, crowds running, tanks blasting, entire buildings to explore, sewer systems.
Oh, and mounted machine guns you can take over. Or order your team to do and they will.
If you like shooty bangbang action games that don't suck (Manhunt) or if you like squad-based fun (Laser Squad) then get it.
9/10
An arcadey squad-based action shooter with some brains and peerless game design. Plot is some rubbish pulled from the mind of John Milius and Red Dawn about dirty commies invading the USA and you lead the resistance.
Whatever, it feels great to uphold democracy etc etc da-da-daaaaaa
The point is, you get to lead a squad of up to 10+ blokes around with you shooting and blowing stuff up.
Squad control is spot-on: 3 commands "Defend" "Follow" "Attack" with 3 buttons.
But what made this stand out for me were the things that usually let down squad based shooty games - team-mate AI.
Usual game: "Go over there" you shout, and your fellows promptly bang into each other, stare at walls and all try to get through a doorway at once managing to ignore the smirking enemy soldier aiming at your face.
"You dumb #&%!" scream you and reload.
Or you command them to follow you, go into a building and discover your men would rather stand outside morris-dancing in the face of bad people and being killed.
Or you climb a ladder and realise that your crack-team of lethal soldier maniacs stare dumbly at you and headbutt the walls.
Not so in Freedom Fighters.
Not once, at any point, did my blokes do anything stupid. They climb ladders, they swim, they don't shoot you, you don't shoot them. They don't block your way anywhere and they dont mindleslly get killed.
Tell them to defend and they'll seek cover, crouch behind things or lean against walls and poke out to shoot.
Tell them to attack and they'll do so. Oh, but not charge in guns blazing and get slaughtered. No, they'll use cover - dash from wall to wall, crouch and use available cover or if enough of them get together, they'll go in hard.
The game is thus:
Start in an area of New York with a map in your base. 3-4 sub-areas with 2-3 objectives in each. Choose one and go.
You don't have to do all the objectives in an area at once, you can go back later.
This allows you to be tactical and really feel the benefits.
Example:
Manhattan. One of the areas has a "destroy troop helicopters" to prevent reinforcements as well as a storm the post office. Another area has an ammo dump, if you take that then they have basic weapons instead of big nasty ones.
Ok then, I'll go take the ammo dump first to limit their effectiveness.
Then I'll go back to the other area and destroy the helicopters to prevent more soldiers arriving.
So now the other 2 areas are limited in arms and no support to kill you.
Genius.
The action is faultless, not a run and gun but you can. Not a stealth but you can be careful.
Just good old fashioned action that's been very very carefully thought out to provide maxium fun with minimum problems associated with team-based games.
And the environments are incredible. Huge massive cities with no loading times, crowds running, tanks blasting, entire buildings to explore, sewer systems.
Oh, and mounted machine guns you can take over. Or order your team to do and they will.
If you like shooty bangbang action games that don't suck (Manhunt) or if you like squad-based fun (Laser Squad) then get it.
9/10
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Speaking of Ebay, Ali/Tilta/anyone got any idea how much to put these up for? (possibly as a bundle) Carve/England Internation Football/MGS2/Midnight Cub 2/Rainbow Six 3/Splinter Cell PT/Soldier of Fortune 2. These are for my second Xbox which I aint getting any use out of so I'll sell that too, got an X800 Pro today Ali along with Hitman contracts (fooking mint game) and just grabbed far cry, looks bloody amazing with everything cranked up.
Same, watch both footie games each day anyway but I will be on around 10ish.
Should be on a bit later this evening, probably around 11pm sort of time I predict.
Although having said that you may get a decent price, this is EBay after all.
By the way, you for some Splinter Cell later on?
By the way, you for some Splinter Cell later on?
Yeah, I'll put it on with Conflict Desert Storm 2 and a few others as a bulk buy.
Wouldn't bother, it's only £9.99 on PLAY.
Oh and you brought Manhunt up, not me.
Oh and you brought Manhunt up, not me.
Bought this game a while ago and have never managed to get into it. I should like it but there's just something missing for me, the shooting just seems so uninvolving and quite dull really. I got to about the 4th level and have never touched it since, infact I think I'll go put it on Ebay while I think of it.
Just buy the game, it's only £15 at most stores now.
5 hours?
it's not that good.
it's not that good.
5 hours to go with the demo.
Woo...hoo...
God bless 56k.
Woo...hoo...
God bless 56k.
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