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Freedom Fighters a multi platform release developed by IO Interactive (the people that brought you the Hitman series) and published by industry giants Electronic Arts.
Set in an alternative reality after events of World War II the story is thus. The Russians have managed to develop the Hydrogen Bomb first and have swiftly ended the war.In doing so have managed to change the balance of world power where they are the dominant force. Having then gone on to conquer most of Europe and many parts of the Middle East, America remained the last bastion free of Soviet influence. However lacking in resources, American developed technologies become far inferior to their Russian counterparts. A massive Cold War scenario has arisen and slowly but surely Russia have begun closing in on America itself. It is only a matter of time before the Russians would invade America to become the only World super power.
In a typically hot New York summer where temperatures soar and the smell of pollution is rife. Driving along one of the many New York bridges a plumbers van is seen amongst the numerous traffic going about its business. Inside this van are two men engaging in a conversation that quickly turns into a topic that every American is talking about. Cue Chris and his brother Troy. En route to one of the many plumbing jobs, the issue regarding the Russians becomes paramount to their discussion. Troy obviously being more knowledgable of the events of recent times and Chris somewhat in denial. Conspiracy theories aside, the two men reach their destination.
Chris and Troy enter the apartment of a well known political activist Isabella Angelina. Standard territory for these guys as they peruse the appartment checking out what work needs to be done. Blocked drainage, a common problem. Time to get out the wrench and fix this. However before the two men can get to work on this rather mundane task there is a huge crash as the appartment door is kicked open and in seconds burly russian troops enter. Troy being the first point of contact for the troops is punched and then swiftly interrogated regarding the where abouts of Isabella. Chris however remains out of view and untouched in a back room as it transpires that the information Troy relays to the troops leader informs him that Isabella is not at home. With great disgust the officer gives the order to destroy the apartment. Frog marching Troy away Chris is left alone as the troops leave. However he is not alone. Looking through the blinds onto the street below there is pandemonium. It becomes clear that there is a russian Gunship outside, which promptly opens fire on the appartment. Armed only with a wrench and fearing for his life Chris promptly tries to escape in a hail of helicopter gunfire.
Upon entering the landing of the appartment and barely surviving the helicopters rounds, Chris is faced with a group of residents who have been lined up facing an adjacent wall. An armed russian officer is in control here. However with his back to Chris has not noticed him. Without pausing for a second and with great strength Chris lunges at this solitary Guard with his wrench, knocking him unconscious. Somewhat relieved one of the residents turns to Chris and offers him some assistance. The Russians have invaded. Chris's fight for freedom and America's war has begun.
Gameplay:
Freedom Fighters is a third person squad action adventure game. Set in an invaded New York City your job as Chris is to fight the Russians and become the protagonist that ultimately begins a mass rebellion against the invaders. The introduction of the game is a rather neat tutorial which introduces the player to some of the game's features. These include scaling various objects to reach areas. The use of projectiles and fire arms such as molotov cocktails and some more subtle elements such as healing the wounded and the use of some destructable scenery. As the player progresses through the story the game introduces more of the elements that make this title very interesting including more weapons. As I mentioned before this is a squad based game and using a system called charisma (more about that later) represents how many rebels Chris can control. Throughout the game the player is presented with various locales to visit to complete objectives. These can be visited at any time and come complete with an overview which outlines what should be targeted first. An example of this is in an early section of the game where your objectives lie in a police station that has been captured. However you can't just waltz up to the front door and hope to blast your way through. Your path is hampered by some snipers who have set up a vantage point in a nearby gas station. Petrol station for those who live in the UK (sadly the Russians didn't commit suicide over the brain dead attendant that usually resides in these places. One of the UK's best kept secret weapons in the event of invasion. This is America and so things may be different here). First the player must visit another location to gather some C4 explosive, then return to the gas station to blow the snipers out of their elevated position. Once completed the player can then return to the police station to mount an infiiltration, minus the sniper fire from the now dead Russian snipers. Sounds complicated maybe but actually is quite intuative and works well here.The player is given more choices as to how to tackle the situation. Will you opt to rage a 1 man direct assault on the main entrance (at this stage of the game very difficult yet not impossible) or will you try another route via the subway so that you can sneak in avoiding an uneccesary fire fight. The game is full of choices such as these and adds some replay value here.
Once the player has reclaimed a particular area the job of raising an American flag to replace the Russian one ends the level and thus gains Chris those well needed charisma points (represented by an on screen bar). There are other ways to gain charisma but this is the more common method. Once this bar is full Chris has the option to recruit rebels to join him in his endevours. It is here that the game shows its true potential and becomes rather interesting. As more tasks are completed the more charisma is accumilated and thus more rebels will join Chris. A total of 12 rebels will fight along side Chris in the later stages of the game.
So you have gained enough charisma to start building your small group of rebels, now the interesting part. There are two ways to play this game and mostly this depends on the difficulty you select at the begining. You may either do all of the assault work yourself with the rebels in tow who will open fire on anyone who comes close as you move around the vast city. Or you can adopt some very fine tactics and act as a commander of the rebels. The player has some simple commands that can be issued at the press of a button to either a single rebel or the entire unit. These are Defend,attack, recon and regroup to Chris's location. This approach opens up a realm of tactical posibilities which are easy to perform and very rewarding. For example there could be a group of dug in Russians ahead. A simple order to launch a head on assault could be given to some of the unit while Chris and/or a smaller unit provides covering fire or finds an alternative route to flank the enemy. These possibilities are frequent and the map layout has been well designed to accomodate this. Once the player has got to grips with this feature the game really does shine. Rebel A.I is of a reasonable standard as your men and women will take cover behind objects and use the many mounted guns available. Chris will often have to heal the fallen with medi packs and adds a sense of togetherness. I cant really fault this aspect of the game although at times your men will engage a nearby enemy even though you have given the order to regroup. This is rectified by pressing the corresponding button more than once. Also worth noting is the fact that these guys will follow you regardless of where you travel. If the player decides to climb some venting to reach an elevated position then the unit will follow. This is actually very impressive as many games could learn some lessons from this.
Graphics:
Graphically freedom fighters is pretty detailed. Although being a multi format game remains the same on all systems with maybe Xbox and Gamecube having a slight edge over the PS2 counterpart. Again this highlights the problems with multi format releases where Xbox suffers the most as none of its unique abilities are utilised.
Sound:
The sound on offer here is of a reasonably high standard as the mostly orchestral soundtrack (composed and directed by Jesper Kyd)is sparse yet moody enough to compliment the setting. Some of the themes are reminicent of IO's previous Hitman games with a choir being used frequently. It works well here but is never intrusive to become repetitve or distracting. As with many games the music will change depending on the situation you are in. Playing softly at times whilst there is a lull in the action then becoming more intense as the action hots up. Sound effects are sparse yet effective with the usual explosions, gunfire sounds, ambience effects all being present and what you might expect.
The voice acting is pretty good although not really a key feature of the game.
Longevity:
Freedom fighters offers a reasonable size game depending on what difficulty you play it on. There are four levels of difficulty with the easiest being very easy, enabling you to complete the game very quickly. However on the harder settings will take much longer as the tactics I described have to be used. As mentioned before there are various ways in which to complete goals and thus warrants playing through the game more than once.
Also included are a few multiplayer maps offering a domination type game however this pales in comparison to the single player game. Although it does remain fun, more maps could have been included. Sadly there is no Xbox live support for this game which would have made an excellent addition to the Live roster of games.
Round Up:
Overall Freedom Fighters is a worthy game of praise and a refreshing take on the third person action adventure. The squad mechanics if understood and utilized properly are rather good and offer some great gaming moments. I would say if you are wary of these features then perhaps rent the game first. Those that do get into the game and take it seriously will find an enjoyable game here and wont be disapointed. I recommend playing on the harder difficulties if you want to get the most out of it. A good solid title , not for everyone but highly recomended all the same.
Set in an alternative reality after events of World War II the story is thus. The Russians have managed to develop the Hydrogen Bomb first and have swiftly ended the war.In doing so have managed to change the balance of world power where they are the dominant force. Having then gone on to conquer most of Europe and many parts of the Middle East, America remained the last bastion free of Soviet influence. However lacking in resources, American developed technologies become far inferior to their Russian counterparts. A massive Cold War scenario has arisen and slowly but surely Russia have begun closing in on America itself. It is only a matter of time before the Russians would invade America to become the only World super power.
In a typically hot New York summer where temperatures soar and the smell of pollution is rife. Driving along one of the many New York bridges a plumbers van is seen amongst the numerous traffic going about its business. Inside this van are two men engaging in a conversation that quickly turns into a topic that every American is talking about. Cue Chris and his brother Troy. En route to one of the many plumbing jobs, the issue regarding the Russians becomes paramount to their discussion. Troy obviously being more knowledgable of the events of recent times and Chris somewhat in denial. Conspiracy theories aside, the two men reach their destination.
Chris and Troy enter the apartment of a well known political activist Isabella Angelina. Standard territory for these guys as they peruse the appartment checking out what work needs to be done. Blocked drainage, a common problem. Time to get out the wrench and fix this. However before the two men can get to work on this rather mundane task there is a huge crash as the appartment door is kicked open and in seconds burly russian troops enter. Troy being the first point of contact for the troops is punched and then swiftly interrogated regarding the where abouts of Isabella. Chris however remains out of view and untouched in a back room as it transpires that the information Troy relays to the troops leader informs him that Isabella is not at home. With great disgust the officer gives the order to destroy the apartment. Frog marching Troy away Chris is left alone as the troops leave. However he is not alone. Looking through the blinds onto the street below there is pandemonium. It becomes clear that there is a russian Gunship outside, which promptly opens fire on the appartment. Armed only with a wrench and fearing for his life Chris promptly tries to escape in a hail of helicopter gunfire.
Upon entering the landing of the appartment and barely surviving the helicopters rounds, Chris is faced with a group of residents who have been lined up facing an adjacent wall. An armed russian officer is in control here. However with his back to Chris has not noticed him. Without pausing for a second and with great strength Chris lunges at this solitary Guard with his wrench, knocking him unconscious. Somewhat relieved one of the residents turns to Chris and offers him some assistance. The Russians have invaded. Chris's fight for freedom and America's war has begun.
Gameplay:
Freedom Fighters is a third person squad action adventure game. Set in an invaded New York City your job as Chris is to fight the Russians and become the protagonist that ultimately begins a mass rebellion against the invaders. The introduction of the game is a rather neat tutorial which introduces the player to some of the game's features. These include scaling various objects to reach areas. The use of projectiles and fire arms such as molotov cocktails and some more subtle elements such as healing the wounded and the use of some destructable scenery. As the player progresses through the story the game introduces more of the elements that make this title very interesting including more weapons. As I mentioned before this is a squad based game and using a system called charisma (more about that later) represents how many rebels Chris can control. Throughout the game the player is presented with various locales to visit to complete objectives. These can be visited at any time and come complete with an overview which outlines what should be targeted first. An example of this is in an early section of the game where your objectives lie in a police station that has been captured. However you can't just waltz up to the front door and hope to blast your way through. Your path is hampered by some snipers who have set up a vantage point in a nearby gas station. Petrol station for those who live in the UK (sadly the Russians didn't commit suicide over the brain dead attendant that usually resides in these places. One of the UK's best kept secret weapons in the event of invasion. This is America and so things may be different here). First the player must visit another location to gather some C4 explosive, then return to the gas station to blow the snipers out of their elevated position. Once completed the player can then return to the police station to mount an infiiltration, minus the sniper fire from the now dead Russian snipers. Sounds complicated maybe but actually is quite intuative and works well here.The player is given more choices as to how to tackle the situation. Will you opt to rage a 1 man direct assault on the main entrance (at this stage of the game very difficult yet not impossible) or will you try another route via the subway so that you can sneak in avoiding an uneccesary fire fight. The game is full of choices such as these and adds some replay value here.
Once the player has reclaimed a particular area the job of raising an American flag to replace the Russian one ends the level and thus gains Chris those well needed charisma points (represented by an on screen bar). There are other ways to gain charisma but this is the more common method. Once this bar is full Chris has the option to recruit rebels to join him in his endevours. It is here that the game shows its true potential and becomes rather interesting. As more tasks are completed the more charisma is accumilated and thus more rebels will join Chris. A total of 12 rebels will fight along side Chris in the later stages of the game.
So you have gained enough charisma to start building your small group of rebels, now the interesting part. There are two ways to play this game and mostly this depends on the difficulty you select at the begining. You may either do all of the assault work yourself with the rebels in tow who will open fire on anyone who comes close as you move around the vast city. Or you can adopt some very fine tactics and act as a commander of the rebels. The player has some simple commands that can be issued at the press of a button to either a single rebel or the entire unit. These are Defend,attack, recon and regroup to Chris's location. This approach opens up a realm of tactical posibilities which are easy to perform and very rewarding. For example there could be a group of dug in Russians ahead. A simple order to launch a head on assault could be given to some of the unit while Chris and/or a smaller unit provides covering fire or finds an alternative route to flank the enemy. These possibilities are frequent and the map layout has been well designed to accomodate this. Once the player has got to grips with this feature the game really does shine. Rebel A.I is of a reasonable standard as your men and women will take cover behind objects and use the many mounted guns available. Chris will often have to heal the fallen with medi packs and adds a sense of togetherness. I cant really fault this aspect of the game although at times your men will engage a nearby enemy even though you have given the order to regroup. This is rectified by pressing the corresponding button more than once. Also worth noting is the fact that these guys will follow you regardless of where you travel. If the player decides to climb some venting to reach an elevated position then the unit will follow. This is actually very impressive as many games could learn some lessons from this.
Graphics:
Graphically freedom fighters is pretty detailed. Although being a multi format game remains the same on all systems with maybe Xbox and Gamecube having a slight edge over the PS2 counterpart. Again this highlights the problems with multi format releases where Xbox suffers the most as none of its unique abilities are utilised.
Sound:
The sound on offer here is of a reasonably high standard as the mostly orchestral soundtrack (composed and directed by Jesper Kyd)is sparse yet moody enough to compliment the setting. Some of the themes are reminicent of IO's previous Hitman games with a choir being used frequently. It works well here but is never intrusive to become repetitve or distracting. As with many games the music will change depending on the situation you are in. Playing softly at times whilst there is a lull in the action then becoming more intense as the action hots up. Sound effects are sparse yet effective with the usual explosions, gunfire sounds, ambience effects all being present and what you might expect.
The voice acting is pretty good although not really a key feature of the game.
Longevity:
Freedom fighters offers a reasonable size game depending on what difficulty you play it on. There are four levels of difficulty with the easiest being very easy, enabling you to complete the game very quickly. However on the harder settings will take much longer as the tactics I described have to be used. As mentioned before there are various ways in which to complete goals and thus warrants playing through the game more than once.
Also included are a few multiplayer maps offering a domination type game however this pales in comparison to the single player game. Although it does remain fun, more maps could have been included. Sadly there is no Xbox live support for this game which would have made an excellent addition to the Live roster of games.
Round Up:
Overall Freedom Fighters is a worthy game of praise and a refreshing take on the third person action adventure. The squad mechanics if understood and utilized properly are rather good and offer some great gaming moments. I would say if you are wary of these features then perhaps rent the game first. Those that do get into the game and take it seriously will find an enjoyable game here and wont be disapointed. I recommend playing on the harder difficulties if you want to get the most out of it. A good solid title , not for everyone but highly recomended all the same.
Why would you coppy?
Because your word count is not enough to become a regular, so you though if you do this then your word count will go up and you will become a regular.
Heh, SR might delete it, well both of them, then that would of been a big waste of time eh.
Because your word count is not enough to become a regular, so you though if you do this then your word count will go up and you will become a regular.
Heh, SR might delete it, well both of them, then that would of been a big waste of time eh.
No one can do a review this in-depth the day after the get the game! Its gotta be copied from somewhere, my guess gamespot, like his True Crime review which is also in general chat.
You do know that there is a whole section of this site dedicated to reviews.
http://ukreviews.com
Yours is too long and copied though
http://ukreviews.com
Yours is too long and copied though
Freedom Fighters a multi platform release developed by IO Interactive (the people that brought you the Hitman series) and published by industry giants Electronic Arts.
Set in an alternative reality after events of World War II the story is thus. The Russians have managed to develop the Hydrogen Bomb first and have swiftly ended the war.In doing so have managed to change the balance of world power where they are the dominant force. Having then gone on to conquer most of Europe and many parts of the Middle East, America remained the last bastion free of Soviet influence. However lacking in resources, American developed technologies become far inferior to their Russian counterparts. A massive Cold War scenario has arisen and slowly but surely Russia have begun closing in on America itself. It is only a matter of time before the Russians would invade America to become the only World super power.
In a typically hot New York summer where temperatures soar and the smell of pollution is rife. Driving along one of the many New York bridges a plumbers van is seen amongst the numerous traffic going about its business. Inside this van are two men engaging in a conversation that quickly turns into a topic that every American is talking about. Cue Chris and his brother Troy. En route to one of the many plumbing jobs, the issue regarding the Russians becomes paramount to their discussion. Troy obviously being more knowledgable of the events of recent times and Chris somewhat in denial. Conspiracy theories aside, the two men reach their destination.
Chris and Troy enter the apartment of a well known political activist Isabella Angelina. Standard territory for these guys as they peruse the appartment checking out what work needs to be done. Blocked drainage, a common problem. Time to get out the wrench and fix this. However before the two men can get to work on this rather mundane task there is a huge crash as the appartment door is kicked open and in seconds burly russian troops enter. Troy being the first point of contact for the troops is punched and then swiftly interrogated regarding the where abouts of Isabella. Chris however remains out of view and untouched in a back room as it transpires that the information Troy relays to the troops leader informs him that Isabella is not at home. With great disgust the officer gives the order to destroy the apartment. Frog marching Troy away Chris is left alone as the troops leave. However he is not alone. Looking through the blinds onto the street below there is pandemonium. It becomes clear that there is a russian Gunship outside, which promptly opens fire on the appartment. Armed only with a wrench and fearing for his life Chris promptly tries to escape in a hail of helicopter gunfire.
Upon entering the landing of the appartment and barely surviving the helicopters rounds, Chris is faced with a group of residents who have been lined up facing an adjacent wall. An armed russian officer is in control here. However with his back to Chris has not noticed him. Without pausing for a second and with great strength Chris lunges at this solitary Guard with his wrench, knocking him unconscious. Somewhat relieved one of the residents turns to Chris and offers him some assistance. The Russians have invaded. Chris's fight for freedom and America's war has begun.
Gameplay:
Freedom Fighters is a third person squad action adventure game. Set in an invaded New York City your job as Chris is to fight the Russians and become the protagonist that ultimately begins a mass rebellion against the invaders. The introduction of the game is a rather neat tutorial which introduces the player to some of the game's features. These include scaling various objects to reach areas. The use of projectiles and fire arms such as molotov cocktails and some more subtle elements such as healing the wounded and the use of some destructable scenery. As the player progresses through the story the game introduces more of the elements that make this title very interesting including more weapons. As I mentioned before this is a squad based game and using a system called charisma (more about that later) represents how many rebels Chris can control. Throughout the game the player is presented with various locales to visit to complete objectives. These can be visited at any time and come complete with an overview which outlines what should be targeted first. An example of this is in an early section of the game where your objectives lie in a police station that has been captured. However you can't just waltz up to the front door and hope to blast your way through. Your path is hampered by some snipers who have set up a vantage point in a nearby gas station. Petrol station for those who live in the UK (sadly the Russians didn't commit suicide over the brain dead attendant that usually resides in these places. One of the UK's best kept secret weapons in the event of invasion. This is America and so things may be different here). First the player must visit another location to gather some C4 explosive, then return to the gas station to blow the snipers out of their elevated position. Once completed the player can then return to the police station to mount an infiiltration, minus the sniper fire from the now dead Russian snipers. Sounds complicated maybe but actually is quite intuative and works well here.The player is given more choices as to how to tackle the situation. Will you opt to rage a 1 man direct assault on the main entrance (at this stage of the game very difficult yet not impossible) or will you try another route via the subway so that you can sneak in avoiding an uneccesary fire fight. The game is full of choices such as these and adds some replay value here.
Once the player has reclaimed a particular area the job of raising an American flag to replace the Russian one ends the level and thus gains Chris those well needed charisma points (represented by an on screen bar). There are other ways to gain charisma but this is the more common method. Once this bar is full Chris has the option to recruit rebels to join him in his endevours. It is here that the game shows its true potential and becomes rather interesting. As more tasks are completed the more charisma is accumilated and thus more rebels will join Chris. A total of 12 rebels will fight along side Chris in the later stages of the game.
So you have gained enough charisma to start building your small group of rebels, now the interesting part. There are two ways to play this game and mostly this depends on the difficulty you select at the begining. You may either do all of the assault work yourself with the rebels in tow who will open fire on anyone who comes close as you move around the vast city. Or you can adopt some very fine tactics and act as a commander of the rebels. The player has some simple commands that can be issued at the press of a button to either a single rebel or the entire unit. These are Defend,attack, recon and regroup to Chris's location. This approach opens up a realm of tactical posibilities which are easy to perform and very rewarding. For example there could be a group of dug in Russians ahead. A simple order to launch a head on assault could be given to some of the unit while Chris and/or a smaller unit provides covering fire or finds an alternative route to flank the enemy. These possibilities are frequent and the map layout has been well designed to accomodate this. Once the player has got to grips with this feature the game really does shine. Rebel A.I is of a reasonable standard as your men and women will take cover behind objects and use the many mounted guns available. Chris will often have to heal the fallen with medi packs and adds a sense of togetherness. I cant really fault this aspect of the game although at times your men will engage a nearby enemy even though you have given the order to regroup. This is rectified by pressing the corresponding button more than once. Also worth noting is the fact that these guys will follow you regardless of where you travel. If the player decides to climb some venting to reach an elevated position then the unit will follow. This is actually very impressive as many games could learn some lessons from this.
Graphics:
Graphically freedom fighters is pretty detailed. Although being a multi format game remains the same on all systems with maybe Xbox and Gamecube having a slight edge over the PS2 counterpart. Again this highlights the problems with multi format releases where Xbox suffers the most as none of its unique abilities are utilised.
Sound:
The sound on offer here is of a reasonably high standard as the mostly orchestral soundtrack (composed and directed by Jesper Kyd)is sparse yet moody enough to compliment the setting. Some of the themes are reminicent of IO's previous Hitman games with a choir being used frequently. It works well here but is never intrusive to become repetitve or distracting. As with many games the music will change depending on the situation you are in. Playing softly at times whilst there is a lull in the action then becoming more intense as the action hots up. Sound effects are sparse yet effective with the usual explosions, gunfire sounds, ambience effects all being present and what you might expect.
The voice acting is pretty good although not really a key feature of the game.
Longevity:
Freedom fighters offers a reasonable size game depending on what difficulty you play it on. There are four levels of difficulty with the easiest being very easy, enabling you to complete the game very quickly. However on the harder settings will take much longer as the tactics I described have to be used. As mentioned before there are various ways in which to complete goals and thus warrants playing through the game more than once.
Also included are a few multiplayer maps offering a domination type game however this pales in comparison to the single player game. Although it does remain fun, more maps could have been included. Sadly there is no Xbox live support for this game which would have made an excellent addition to the Live roster of games.
Round Up:
Overall Freedom Fighters is a worthy game of praise and a refreshing take on the third person action adventure. The squad mechanics if understood and utilized properly are rather good and offer some great gaming moments. I would say if you are wary of these features then perhaps rent the game first. Those that do get into the game and take it seriously will find an enjoyable game here and wont be disapointed. I recommend playing on the harder difficulties if you want to get the most out of it. A good solid title , not for everyone but highly recomended all the same.
Set in an alternative reality after events of World War II the story is thus. The Russians have managed to develop the Hydrogen Bomb first and have swiftly ended the war.In doing so have managed to change the balance of world power where they are the dominant force. Having then gone on to conquer most of Europe and many parts of the Middle East, America remained the last bastion free of Soviet influence. However lacking in resources, American developed technologies become far inferior to their Russian counterparts. A massive Cold War scenario has arisen and slowly but surely Russia have begun closing in on America itself. It is only a matter of time before the Russians would invade America to become the only World super power.
In a typically hot New York summer where temperatures soar and the smell of pollution is rife. Driving along one of the many New York bridges a plumbers van is seen amongst the numerous traffic going about its business. Inside this van are two men engaging in a conversation that quickly turns into a topic that every American is talking about. Cue Chris and his brother Troy. En route to one of the many plumbing jobs, the issue regarding the Russians becomes paramount to their discussion. Troy obviously being more knowledgable of the events of recent times and Chris somewhat in denial. Conspiracy theories aside, the two men reach their destination.
Chris and Troy enter the apartment of a well known political activist Isabella Angelina. Standard territory for these guys as they peruse the appartment checking out what work needs to be done. Blocked drainage, a common problem. Time to get out the wrench and fix this. However before the two men can get to work on this rather mundane task there is a huge crash as the appartment door is kicked open and in seconds burly russian troops enter. Troy being the first point of contact for the troops is punched and then swiftly interrogated regarding the where abouts of Isabella. Chris however remains out of view and untouched in a back room as it transpires that the information Troy relays to the troops leader informs him that Isabella is not at home. With great disgust the officer gives the order to destroy the apartment. Frog marching Troy away Chris is left alone as the troops leave. However he is not alone. Looking through the blinds onto the street below there is pandemonium. It becomes clear that there is a russian Gunship outside, which promptly opens fire on the appartment. Armed only with a wrench and fearing for his life Chris promptly tries to escape in a hail of helicopter gunfire.
Upon entering the landing of the appartment and barely surviving the helicopters rounds, Chris is faced with a group of residents who have been lined up facing an adjacent wall. An armed russian officer is in control here. However with his back to Chris has not noticed him. Without pausing for a second and with great strength Chris lunges at this solitary Guard with his wrench, knocking him unconscious. Somewhat relieved one of the residents turns to Chris and offers him some assistance. The Russians have invaded. Chris's fight for freedom and America's war has begun.
Gameplay:
Freedom Fighters is a third person squad action adventure game. Set in an invaded New York City your job as Chris is to fight the Russians and become the protagonist that ultimately begins a mass rebellion against the invaders. The introduction of the game is a rather neat tutorial which introduces the player to some of the game's features. These include scaling various objects to reach areas. The use of projectiles and fire arms such as molotov cocktails and some more subtle elements such as healing the wounded and the use of some destructable scenery. As the player progresses through the story the game introduces more of the elements that make this title very interesting including more weapons. As I mentioned before this is a squad based game and using a system called charisma (more about that later) represents how many rebels Chris can control. Throughout the game the player is presented with various locales to visit to complete objectives. These can be visited at any time and come complete with an overview which outlines what should be targeted first. An example of this is in an early section of the game where your objectives lie in a police station that has been captured. However you can't just waltz up to the front door and hope to blast your way through. Your path is hampered by some snipers who have set up a vantage point in a nearby gas station. Petrol station for those who live in the UK (sadly the Russians didn't commit suicide over the brain dead attendant that usually resides in these places. One of the UK's best kept secret weapons in the event of invasion. This is America and so things may be different here). First the player must visit another location to gather some C4 explosive, then return to the gas station to blow the snipers out of their elevated position. Once completed the player can then return to the police station to mount an infiiltration, minus the sniper fire from the now dead Russian snipers. Sounds complicated maybe but actually is quite intuative and works well here.The player is given more choices as to how to tackle the situation. Will you opt to rage a 1 man direct assault on the main entrance (at this stage of the game very difficult yet not impossible) or will you try another route via the subway so that you can sneak in avoiding an uneccesary fire fight. The game is full of choices such as these and adds some replay value here.
Once the player has reclaimed a particular area the job of raising an American flag to replace the Russian one ends the level and thus gains Chris those well needed charisma points (represented by an on screen bar). There are other ways to gain charisma but this is the more common method. Once this bar is full Chris has the option to recruit rebels to join him in his endevours. It is here that the game shows its true potential and becomes rather interesting. As more tasks are completed the more charisma is accumilated and thus more rebels will join Chris. A total of 12 rebels will fight along side Chris in the later stages of the game.
So you have gained enough charisma to start building your small group of rebels, now the interesting part. There are two ways to play this game and mostly this depends on the difficulty you select at the begining. You may either do all of the assault work yourself with the rebels in tow who will open fire on anyone who comes close as you move around the vast city. Or you can adopt some very fine tactics and act as a commander of the rebels. The player has some simple commands that can be issued at the press of a button to either a single rebel or the entire unit. These are Defend,attack, recon and regroup to Chris's location. This approach opens up a realm of tactical posibilities which are easy to perform and very rewarding. For example there could be a group of dug in Russians ahead. A simple order to launch a head on assault could be given to some of the unit while Chris and/or a smaller unit provides covering fire or finds an alternative route to flank the enemy. These possibilities are frequent and the map layout has been well designed to accomodate this. Once the player has got to grips with this feature the game really does shine. Rebel A.I is of a reasonable standard as your men and women will take cover behind objects and use the many mounted guns available. Chris will often have to heal the fallen with medi packs and adds a sense of togetherness. I cant really fault this aspect of the game although at times your men will engage a nearby enemy even though you have given the order to regroup. This is rectified by pressing the corresponding button more than once. Also worth noting is the fact that these guys will follow you regardless of where you travel. If the player decides to climb some venting to reach an elevated position then the unit will follow. This is actually very impressive as many games could learn some lessons from this.
Graphics:
Graphically freedom fighters is pretty detailed. Although being a multi format game remains the same on all systems with maybe Xbox and Gamecube having a slight edge over the PS2 counterpart. Again this highlights the problems with multi format releases where Xbox suffers the most as none of its unique abilities are utilised.
Sound:
The sound on offer here is of a reasonably high standard as the mostly orchestral soundtrack (composed and directed by Jesper Kyd)is sparse yet moody enough to compliment the setting. Some of the themes are reminicent of IO's previous Hitman games with a choir being used frequently. It works well here but is never intrusive to become repetitve or distracting. As with many games the music will change depending on the situation you are in. Playing softly at times whilst there is a lull in the action then becoming more intense as the action hots up. Sound effects are sparse yet effective with the usual explosions, gunfire sounds, ambience effects all being present and what you might expect.
The voice acting is pretty good although not really a key feature of the game.
Longevity:
Freedom fighters offers a reasonable size game depending on what difficulty you play it on. There are four levels of difficulty with the easiest being very easy, enabling you to complete the game very quickly. However on the harder settings will take much longer as the tactics I described have to be used. As mentioned before there are various ways in which to complete goals and thus warrants playing through the game more than once.
Also included are a few multiplayer maps offering a domination type game however this pales in comparison to the single player game. Although it does remain fun, more maps could have been included. Sadly there is no Xbox live support for this game which would have made an excellent addition to the Live roster of games.
Round Up:
Overall Freedom Fighters is a worthy game of praise and a refreshing take on the third person action adventure. The squad mechanics if understood and utilized properly are rather good and offer some great gaming moments. I would say if you are wary of these features then perhaps rent the game first. Those that do get into the game and take it seriously will find an enjoyable game here and wont be disapointed. I recommend playing on the harder difficulties if you want to get the most out of it. A good solid title , not for everyone but highly recomended all the same.