FREEDOM FIGHTERS PC GAME
Freedom Fighters 1 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.While
the enemy AI doesn't seem to be quite as smart as your team, the Soviet
troops are good at taking cover and using nearby gun turrets to ensure
that your advance is a difficult one. They'll also use cover and will
take advantage of their superior numbers, making them a consistently
challenging foe. In all, Freedom Fighters' friendly and enemy artificial
intelligence is easily some of the best to date in a shooter. The game
has four difficulty levels, and the increase in challenge from one level
to the next is noticeable. You'll definitely be taking more damaging
fire as you slide up the difficulty scale. Additionally, the game is
good at getting more difficult as you move through the missions. Near
the beginning, you'll be facing basic troops with pistols and other
light weapons. But you'll start to see larger troops with flak jackets
and shotguns and heavily armored machine gunners, and later in the game
you'll even face off against a tank.The only problem with Freedom Fighters is that there simply isn't enough of it.The
only real problem with Freedom Fighters is that there simply isn't
enough of it. While the game does a good job of making you think you're
nearly finished, only to toss another set of missions at you, veteran
action gamers should be able to get through the game on the second or
third difficulty setting in eight to 12 hours. However, unlike other
action games of similar length--Max Payne, for example--the game doesn't
really give you much reason to go back through and play a second time.
Rather than giving you access to special features or alternate modes,
completing the game simply gives you the ability to go back and play any
mission at will, though with the entire squad you've amassed.Freedom
Fighters is simultaneously appearing on the PC and all three major
consoles. While each version of the game is about as equally impressive
on its respective platform, there are definitely some differences in
control. The PC version of the game makes great use of the same
mouse-and-keyboard control you'd expect from most first- or third-person
action games. It also offers more-precise aiming control. The console
versions understandably rely on auto-aim to make up for a gamepad's
relative lack of precision, though you can still aim manually in the
console versions of the game, which is required for doing things like
blowing up explosive barrels to take out a cluster of troops at once.The
console versions of the game all contain a four-player multiplayer
mode. Though it isn't really a main focus of the game, the multiplayer
mode is basically a version of king of the hill, where one team must
hoist their flag and hold the position until a time limit has been
reached. The PC version doesn't have this mode, but it isn't strong
enough to really be missed. The ability to play the game's outstanding
single-player campaign cooperatively, online or off, would have been a
much more meaningful multiplayer addition.Graphics
is another area that varies from platform to platform, but again, each
version looks pretty fantastic when compared to other similar titles on
each system. The models look and move well, the game keeps a pretty
solid frame rate throughout, and the environments are realistically
urban, giving the game a nice New York City feel. Weapon fire, lighting,
and most other effects look appropriately dramatic. As you'd expect,
the PC version offers the greatest graphical performance, especially
when running at 1600x1200 or higher with the draw distance set as far as
it will go. By comparison, the console versions aren't quite as sharp,
though the Xbox version's visuals outpace the GameCube and PS2
equivalents. The GameCube version also occasionally shows seams between
its polygons, which makes it look slightly worse than the others, though
still great in its own right. The graphics do have a bit of an impact
on gameplay--it's more difficult to see troops at a distance on the
console versions than it is on the PC. When you're trying to gun down an
entire squad from a machine gun turret, you can't do any zooming in, so
it's easier to miss a target or two.The Russian soldiers sound appropriately menacing and speak in their native language.The
sound in Freedom Fighters is really terrific. With only a couple of
exceptions, the voice work is well done. The Russian soldiers sound
appropriately menacing and communicate with each other in their native
language. The sounds of combat, especially when you're working with a
large squad, are of particular note, as they really make you feel like
you're on a battlefield. The game's music, filled with choral vocals
reminiscent of the Soviet national anthem, is also a stellar high point,
and it adds a perfect level of drama to the proceedings.While
the game could have been lengthier, Freedom Fighters is still just an
outstanding blend of pure action and tactical squad combat. The squad
control works incredibly well, making it easy even if you haven't had
much experience with squad-based games in the past. Anyone looking for
thrilling action with refined control and a great premise need look no
further than Freedom Fighters.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.At
the outset, Freedom Fighters plays like a rock-solid third-person
shooter, with smooth and responsive controls. You can shoot from the hip
or raise your weapon for precision firing, which causes the camera to
zoom in slightly for a cool over-the-shoulder view. You have an
inventory of items and the ability to carry a pistol and one primary
weapon, such as a shotgun, an assault rifle, a sniper rifle, a machine
gun, a rocket launcher, or a submachine gun. You'll also be able to
carry grenades, Molotov cocktails, high explosives, binoculars, and
health packs that restore your health when used, though they can also be
used to heal wounded civilians or other freedom fighters.Once
you've operated on your own for a little while and have gotten used to
the control, thanks to some well-placed training messages, the game
gives you the ability to command up to two other squad mates. By
increasing your charisma rating--which goes up as you complete missions
and can also be given optional boosts if you rescue prisoners or heal
civilians--you can eventually control up to 12 soldiers simultaneously.
Running with a crowd definitely makes Freedom Fighters feel like a much
larger game, and the late-game firefights that erupt when you have a
larger squad are extremely impressive and, more importantly, a lot of
fun.
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