Freedom Fighters - PC

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Freedom Fighters (PC)
Also for: PS2, Xbox, GameCube
Viewed: 3D Third-person, over the shoulder Genre:
Adventure
Shoot 'Em Up
Media: CD Arcade origin:No
Developer: Io-Interactive Soft. Co.: Io-Interactive
Publishers: Electronic Arts (GB)
Released: 26 Sept 2003 (GB)
Ratings: PEGI 16+
Accessories: Control Pad

Summary

Released for home consoles across the board, this latest adventure from EA is also out for PC. As usual, it benefits from the hardware-dependant graphical prowess and the 'either you like it or you don't' keyboard and mouse-orientated control mechanic. As the title more than suggests, fighting for freedom is the task at hand, mainly due to the fact that, in the fictional world in which the game is set, the Soviets have won the Cold War and a fierce conflict is unfolding in the streets of America. You take on the role of Christopher Stone, an average Joe who recruits and leads an army of freedom fighters against the nefarious Red Army.

At first glance, it would appear that Freedom Fighters is merely a third-person shoot-em-up, but a deeper experience can be found, as this is also fused with strong squad-based tactical elements. As such, you're in charge of your band of less-than-merry men and the game can be affected by the choices you make both in tactical decisions and with team selection. As they say, 'With leadership comes great responsibility'. Therefore, a key component in the game is an intuitive recruiting command system that allows you to give orders to your fellow soldiers and execute critical missions at the touch of a button.

Via an old-school scoring system, you're awarded points based on your performance within each mission. Poor performance is punished with heavy penalties, while achieving such objectives as rescuing prisoners and capturing installations really racks the score up. For this reason a tactical strategy needs to be drawn up in order to get the job done right - simply going at it with all guns blazing will not necessarily prove successful in Freedom Fighters.

One point of particular interest in the game is its reactive gameworld. Fully interactive and constantly evolving, the environments change over time and, as such, produce real-time weather effects, seasonal variations and deteriorating landscapes. If you've got the relevant 3D rendering power, this all looks pretty stunning on the PC and makes for a convincing atmosphere throughout.

Artwork

Freedom Fighters - PC Artwork

Freedom Fighters - PC Artwork

Freedom Fighters - PC Artwork