By Elias Dounis on October 9th, 2003

Genre: Action
Developer: Io-Interactive
Publisher: Electronic Arts
# of Players: 1-4
Memory: 4 blocks
ERSB: Teen
Released On: October 1st, 2003
Supports: Dolby Pro Logic II
MSRP: $49.99
Also On: PlayStation 2, Xbox, PC
Website: http://www.freedomfighters.ea.com

Imagine a world where the outcome of World War II put the power of the Atomic Bomb into the hands of the Soviet Union; where the Arms Race between the world’s two Super Powers resulted with the U.S. being militarily and technologically inferior to the Soviets; where Communism had control of Europe, the Middle East, and even Mexico; where the mighty U.S. of A., for the time being, stands as the last free nation on the planet. This is the world of Io-Interactive’s Freedom Fighters.

In Freedom Fighters you play as the zero turned hero Christopher Stone, a New York plumber whose world gets turned upside down in just a matter of minutes. Soon finding himself as a key figure (a leader) of the rebel American militia named “Freedom Phantom”, Chris leads his band of men into battle against the Reds (The Soviets) on the streets of New York, through locales such as Brooklyn, Manhattan, and Governor’s Island. Stationed underground in the sewers of New York, “Freedom Phantom” plans their attacks on key Soviet strongholds in order to strategically take apart Communist control.

Presentation

From the very moment Freedom Fighters begins, the game’s atmosphere just consumes you, catching your interest immediately. This is done by way of an interesting introductory Full Motion Video (FMV) sequence, where you witness Soviet subs making their way to New York City, as the Statue of Liberty stands tall. Other FMVs featured in the game, such as those following each chapter, are Splinter Cell-like News Reports hosted by Tatiana Kempinski, a loyal Communist who is attempting to charm the U.S. population into believing that the present Communist takeover is for their best interests. These news reports do an excellent job of furthering the game’s story; developing its characters very well, such as General Tatarin, the game’s villain, and our “ Real American Hero” Christopher Stone, a man who gives new meaning to the term “patriot”.

From a more technical side, while not as clear as the PlayStation 2, Xbox, or PC versions of Freedom Fighters, the quality of the FMV is some of better you’ll witness on Nintendo’s GameCube… The game’s menus are typical EA; easy to navigate and nothing too flashy. However, one can complain that being restricted to the GameCube’s D-Pad (in order to navigate the game’s menus) is a bit of pain. And finally, load times are quick. A nice treat, especially when you take into consideration the massive size of each of the game’s levels.

Control

Freedom Fighters features a dual analog control scheme similar to the modern day console First Person Shooter. However, instead of playing through the first person perspective, the game is played in third with a user controlled free roaming camera. Targeting enemies is a made simple with the use of an auto-aim feature. When zooming in manually with the L trigger, you are put in an over-the-shoulder view similar to Ubi Soft’s Splinter Cell.

The rest of the button commands are as follows…

The R trigger fires your weapon of choice, but it’s best just to tap the trigger (not pulling all the way down) for some accurate and rapid gunfire. B jumps and climbs ledges. The A, X, and Y buttons command your teammates, while A also performs scenario specific actions (Swap Weapons, Place C4, etc…). The D-Pad is used for various functions – Pressing Down causes your character to crouch, Up views the Field Map, and the Left & Right directions zooms in and out when the Sniper Rifle is equipped. Finally, the Z trigger allows the player to select specific items from the inventory, such as grenades, Molotov Cocktails, or to switch from a light to heavy weapon (Handgun to, let’s say -- a Rocket Launcher).

While the controls function well for the game, one could argue that playing Freedom Fighters in the first person perspective would have been more appropriate.

Gameplay

Freedom Fighters is a bit similar to you’re run-of-the-mill team based shooter. As the leader of a small army, the player commands his men (and women) into battle through the use of simple button commands (Follow, Attack, and Guard). At first, your Strike Team is small in numbers. In order to gain more soldiers, you’ll have to prove your leadership abilities by earning more “Charisma Points”, which are earned by completing key tasks during the game’s missions, such as destroying Soviet Supply Bridges, rescuing POWs, and even assassinating significant Soviet military officials. Each time you earn one-hundred of these Charisma Points, your character will have the ability to recruit another soldier to his cause, which can be anywhere from two to twelve. With the more and more soldiers joining you in battle, the hordes of Soviet armed forces you’ll encounter will be less of a threat than they would be otherwise, making everything less of a hassle. However, Freedom Fighters can be a difficult game, especially if you’re not approaching each one of the game’s missions with the proper battle tactics. Just like actual War, you’ll have to strategically target specific locations. Going to one location before another may eliminate a key target, making things for your next task much easier. For example, in one of the earlier chapters, a Soviet Chopper (Helicopter) was keeping an eye on the current operation, defending Soviet territory. No matter what I attempted to do, this Chopper would annihilate me and every other Freedom Fighter on my side. Soon I realized that I would have travel to Another Location and destroy the nearby Helipad with some C4 explosives. When returning to the last area, the airborne threat was gone, victory was mine, and I raised the U.S. Flag (the main goal of each mission), reclaiming American territory from the Soviets. Also, adding to the game’s difficulty is the enemy AI. Enemies are intelligent. -- There isn’t a single moment that you’ll ever catch a patter amongst them. They act independently no matter the situation. During shoot-outs enemies will hide behind debris, waiting for the right moment of attack. Or let’s say you’re sniping a group of Soviets from a roof top -- one of them may even make its way up to you with the intention of taking you out. Likewise, your fellow Freedom Fighters are just as sharp in battle. So, expect some pretty intense situations.

With massive levels, a gripping storyline, and enjoyable action elements one can’t find much to complain about with Io- Interactive’s Freedom Fighters. However, that does not mean that the game is flawless. Every mission has one main objective and that is to reclaim U.S. territory from the Soviets. This is done by simply eliminating the Soviet occupation in a highlighted structure and raising the U.S. flag. So, you can imagine that things may get a bit repetitive from time to time.

Appeal

Freedom Fighters is something that I like to call the ideal rental. While few may see it worthy of a purchase, the game just isn’t long enough. Without a doubt, you’ll enjoy the good eight or so hours the game provides. However, you cannot help but demand for much, much more. Why? -- Upon completion of the game you’re left with a cliffhanger, wanting more with no way to receive it. This was obviously done to set up the much needed and already anticipated sequel.

Graphics

Using Io-Interactive’s “Glacier” graphics engine, Freedom Fighters is one of the better looking multi-platform games you’ll ever see this console generation. While character models and textures are a bit unimposing, the game features great visual effects such as real-time lighting, rain, snow, smoke, and explosions. But, what will really impress is the sheer size and geometry of the levels. There seems to be a near never ending skyline of towering, fully polygonal buildings; truly a sight to behold. However, the game’s framerate doesn’t boast any kind of similar accomplishments. Throughout most of Freedom Fighters the framerate would hold up extremely well, but in the latter half of the game, where dozens of soldiers, explosions, snow, gun fire, and smoke consume the screen, it takes a dive, stammering like a nervous geek on the verge of asking his “dream girl” to the Senior Prom.

Sound

The music in Freedom Fighters is a cross between Classical Russian music and a little bit of Rocky IV. It sets the pace and mood of the gameplay action flawlessly, causing your adrenaline to pump, as does the shouting and barking of commands during battle. The voice acting is equally impressive. Russian accents are excellently well done, becoming somewhat humorous at times and in general, the game’s voice acting is filled with emotion.

Final Thoughts

Io-Interactive’s Freedom Fighters grabbed me by the throat and just dragged me into an amazing gaming experience that I never thought would be. Its gameplay is addicting, intense, and simply enthralling. While short in length and a bit flawed, Freedom Fighters is worth some attention. Give it a rental at least.