game Freedom Fighters

[Jhonny/Shinobi]

Freedom Fighters
 

 

Type of game: (FPS, Action, Adventure, MMO, MMORPG, etc.): FPS (First Person Shooter)
Cost: (Average) I payed for it +-$20 two/three years ago on an impulsive shopping spree based on the title only. According to amazon, you can get it for around $15 (used)
 
Short summary of the game: (source: http://www.gamespot.com/reviews/freedom-fighters-review/1900-6075492/)
 
 

"Freedom Fighters takes place in an alternate reality that never saw the dissolution of the Soviet Union. Instead, the Red threat has continued to grow since the end of World War II, taking hold in countries as close to home as Cuba and Mexico. The game opens with the plumbing team of Chris and Troy Stone paying a visit to the clogged sink of Isabella Angelina, who also happens to be a vocal member of a watchdog organization devoted to informing the American public about the evils of the Soviet Union. The duo enters her apartment to find that it has been hastily evacuated, and soon after, Soviet troops bust in to try to find her, only to capture Troy instead. The Soviet invasion of the US has begun.
 
After that brief setup, you're thrust into the role of Chris Stone, and you hook up with Isabella's resistance movement almost immediately. Operating from the sewers beneath New York City, the movement aims to overthrow the invaders and drive the communists out of the country. You'll start as a lowly member of the team, but you grow in popularity and influence as the game goes on, and Chris will slowly transform from an average 32-year-old plumber into a battle-hardened leader.
 
The game isn't terribly long-winded in its storytelling. Most of the game's plot is advanced by a series of humorous Soviet-run newscasts, which cover your actions as terrorist activities. Your missions are laid out in the rebel base, and the briefings are great at explaining the strategic significance of, say, reclaiming a high school building for the red, white, and blue. Though the story is told well and works great in the context of the game, it's pretty short on substance. Aside from a foreshadowed plot twist that you can see coming from a mile away, not a whole lot happens in the game. It must also be said that the game doesn't provide much closure at the end, simultaneously setting up for a sequel while not really leaving you with a tremendous feeling of accomplishment. A more climactic final mission would have gone a long way. These things hardly affect the incredible quality of the game's action, though."

 
 

 
Pros: Great system of ordering an entire team. As the teams get bigger, the fights you engage with your team get better and more difficult.
Nice story line, a bit predictable if you pay to close attention to it, but very enjoyable. The graphics are also nice for the time the game was made (around 2003).
 
Cons:

• No blood showing & damage of environment: Although the graphics are nice, it would have been better if you could do some damage to the area. Except for some barrels and the mission based explosions(by placing charges), one can't damage anything else. There is no blood showing in the game when you shoot the enemy, again for a first person shooter (labelled 16+ ) this would be nice.
• AI: The enemy AI is sometimes predictable or illogical and not as good as the AI of your own team. Climbing on to something and putting the weapons away while you stand right there aiming at him.
• Re-playability: Once you have finished the game, there is nothing else you an do, except replay any mission you want with your maximum squad of 12 persons.And the game can be easily beaten in 12h or less if you play it a second time over again.

 
Out of 10 points what would you give it?
 
6/10

Despite the many cons, the game is really enjoyable. If you find it somewhere for sale for a very low price (like $5), I would recommend it to buy it and to have it played, mainly for the team-leading-squad functions and the battles you encounter with your team. Still play it after some times has passed and things feel a bit unknown again.