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Beware

1 Rating: 1, Useful: 0 / 4
Date: October 12, 2003
Author: Amazon User

Yes, I started off enjoying this game.

Unfortunately, there is no save game option except on manhole covers, so unless after an hour of play you run around back and forth to save on a manhole cover, you have to start again.

Graphics, smooth and beautiful except for the occasional hiccup which stays on your screen and pushing esc is a temp fix.

But after a while this game just gets mundane, I think to myself what is the point of this game?

If you like jumping over barrels then you will really like this game, if you want a little bit more then buy something else.

Doesn't work with Windows XP Service pack 2!

1 Rating: 1, Useful: 3 / 16
Date: December 28, 2004
Author: Amazon User

Do not buy this game if you have XP service pack 2 installed, It will not run, and the developer has no plans to fix it.

Not very good & Target ripped me off

2 Rating: 2, Useful: 0 / 4
Date: March 16, 2004
Author: Amazon User

I paid $19.99 at Target and saw it here at Target the next day for $14.99. The game is only fair. I do not like third person shooters, I prefer first person shooters.

The inability to save in the middle of a game also sucks. I got through a hard sequence and got killed. To start over and go thgrough it again takes about 10 to 20 minutes just to get killed again.

After playing it once or twice it is probably shelfware. Not bad if you pay $6.99 and like having your time wasted.

A Good Game, Practically Free

3 Rating: 3, Useful: 4 / 4
Date: July 11, 2004
Author: Amazon User

I rate this game at 3.5 stars, but since I don't have the option of saying 3.5, I'll use 3 stars. At ten bucks, it's worth trying this game out to see if you like it. That was my thought going in. I found the game to be a lot better than I expected.

The game has many innovative or semi-innovative gameplay features, that help to separate it out from the masses. The ability to recruit fighters, move from one area to another and back via the sewers, the ability to affect the enemies maneuverability, the number of possible ways to approach an objective, and others, all combine to make the game seem fresh by comparison.

The graphics are great, with the exception for character animations during gameplay (the cutscene animations are ok). During gameplay, I initially got a feeling of shooting in an arcade. But I got used to that quickly and it didn't significantly detract from the game.

The gameplay itself is great, if short. I was dissappointed when this game was over, which is an indicator of both the fun-factor and the short length of the game. Some other games, you can't wait to get through, some seem to end at just the right time.

My only real complaint about the game is in the save model. This had a big impact on the enjoyability of the game and dropped it down about half a star in my estimation (I would have given it 4 stars, rather than 3.5). Every time you move from one map to another, your game is automatically saved, but the map you just left is also repopulated with enemy. You don't have the option of saving to different files for later retrieval; you have one game, with its savepoint that you can restart from. This lack of control is unacceptible in a PC game. Twice I had bad experiences with the save model. The first time, I got part way through a map, left it to go to another map to get some explosives, and came back only to find that all the progress I had made had been lost because of the repopulation. Worse, was later in the game where I completely cleared out a level (I thought). My objective was not complete, but I couldn't figure out why, because I seemed to have done everything. After wandering around and finding nothing else to do, I went back to the rebel base and lost all my progress. I realized what I had missed, and had to repeat the entire map from scratch. During a map, you have a handful of locations you can go to and do a "quick save" and you can recall those save points, but only until you do a true save by moving between map locations. Then your quick save is lost. The simple ability to do a regular save at these points, rather than a quick save, would have made most of the save issues go away. The game limits your ability to save every 5 seconds, which I like as I think it makes for more exciting action, but the save model in this game was poorly thought out.

All in all though, I thought the game was very fun and well worth the bargain bin price. Pick up the game, figure out the save model, never leave a map unless you understand the implications of doing so, and you'll have fun.

A short, somewhat interesting game

3 Rating: 3, Useful: 3 / 4
Date: November 16, 2003
Author: Amazon User

I finished this today. The game has some rough edges. However, after the first few missions I started to get into the game and worked around the faults. Once I got into it, the game was over quickly. It is worth $15, but not $40. This is a play once game; the storyline is scripted enough that replay would be the same thing again. There is no multi-player.

If you like shooter games, especially on game consoles, this game is for you. The squad aspect is a good part especially when you get 6+ members; saves you getting shot up as much. They are helpful but require some babysitting.

The storyline is simple with some interesting twists. The weapon choices are realistic and you can only carry 1 long gun and 1 handgun at a time. You can pick up dropped weapons. This game is designed for closer range action so medium and long range accuraccy is poor except for the sniper rifle. Choosing which long gun to carry can be a challenge depending on the mission.

Saving before completing a mission is difficult and frustrating when you're used to saving anytime like most shooter games. This game is a third-person shooter. Some people like that format; I prefer a first person view. It was an interesting game, it just felt like playing on a game console instead of a PC; that is why 3 stars instead of 4.

Done...already?!

3 Rating: 3, Useful: 2 / 2
Date: October 28, 2003
Author: Amazon User

Got this game yesterday...finished it yesterday. Took all of 8 hours to get from beginning to end in medium difficulty. The lack of multiplayer seriously hinders replayability score.

But it's fun. I wouldn't sit around playing a game for 8 straight hours if it wasn't enjoyable. The enemy AI is really tough, but I find the friendly AI to be less then helpful. Don't get me wrong, sending in 6 or so of them against an enemy held position can do wonders for your health. And the casualty is minimal and usually none as long as you take out any enemy machine gunner or heavy infantry or tanks or anything besides regular enemy. Yeah...baby sit them a bit, if you will.

The game touts that what you do in one area effects your other misson. True to a point. You see, the game is divided into 7 different 'chapters'. Each chapter has around 3 missions. What you do in one mission only effects what the other mission in each chapter. New chapter has nothing to do with the last or the next one other then to carry the story along.

My biggest gripe, in this review full of it, is the total lack of recoil control for your shots. You line up your shots and pray that the bullets hit the target. Shots go towards the general direction of where you aim...NOT a good thing for a game so shooting oriented.

A decent value. Solid, if lackluster.

3 Rating: 3, Useful: 2 / 2
Date: May 03, 2004
Author: Amazon User

(7.3 out of 10).

Not the best, not the worst.

Don't get me wrong, Freedom Fighters is a playable, somewhat enjoyable game. But ranking it with the likes of Mafia and Grand Theft Auto is misguided.

GAMEPLAY: 7

Not having played a squad-action based game before, I have not experienced the frustration of squad based AI in the past. Having squad AI that acts as it should isn't grounds for a great review, and it isn't as flawless as one may thing. The squad AI frequently gets bogged down in firefights when it should continue following the lead character to a better coverage situation. There are parts of levels that require you to move QUICKLY and having your squadmates stop and engage enemies every few moments quickly becomes frustrating.

That being said, the AI does work pretty well most of the time. You can plant some of your squad at strategic locations to support your efforts in scouting or in sniper removal. Having reliable AI partners that will do as they're told for the most part allows you to make thoughtful tactical decisions that help complete the game's challenging levels. Your AI comrades take appropriate cover, as do the enemies, but all too often you can take down an enemy without other opposing forces even noticing.

The save system is the game's weakest aspect. While I believe that a game that allows you to save every five seconds doesn't pose much of a challenge, this game goes too far in the other direction. You can only save your game progress one you complete a sub-level's objectives. You can quick-save at any manhole, but the quick-saves are lost if you have to quit the game. With the levels being as challenging and long as they are, this requires possible hours of gameplay before reaching a true save point. Limiting the number of saves per level, as in the Hitman series, is a much better system.

The in-game maps are completely useless. They are confusing at best; don't help you determine where you precisely are or where you need to go; and don't contribute to the gameplay whatsoever. The character briefings in the rebel base are equally useless. What little information you do get is impossible to decode on the EGA-quality maps supplied.

The controls are responsive and intuitive. Commanding your other team members is easy and well thought out. Using fixed-position weaponry is likewise as easy.

GRAPHICS: 6

The graphics are the weakest part of the game. The textures are pretty bland and repetitive. Every building looks washed out. The supposed snazzy-looking level of neon signs looks more like a reject from Smash TV. The character models all pretty much look the same. The enemies you face are cookie-cutter repeats of all the other cannon fodder you'll face in the game. The ridiculously large crosshair is distracting and cannot be changed. The game looks like it was directly ported from a console and does not take advantage of the PC's graphic superiority. Gunfire resembles laserbeams and the introduction looks like it's from games several years old.

There is no real reason why this game requires polygonal character models since sprites would have worked fine for the level of detail, animation, and realism offered in Freedom Fighters.

SOUND: 8

The music is appropriate and the sound effects pretty good. The game doesn't seem to take advantage of EAX capabilities as other shooters do. No matter what direction you face, the sound comes from directly in front of you.

Although the voice acting is laughable and all the weapons pretty much sound the same, other sounds are well done and not out of place. The enemies you face shout at you in Russian, and the soundtrack changes to match the action you're experiencing.

VALUE: 9

The best part of Freedom Fighters is that it is a solid--if lackluster-game that can currently be found for $20. If you are a fan of shooters and are looking for a bargain, you could do a lot worse than Freedom Fighters.

TILT: 7

This is an average game. The squad-level actions by the AI may be the best to date, but this is no real reason to stand up and applaud. The graphics are marginal, the save system stupid, the character models repetitive, and the best part of the game is its low price. That being said, it is a fun diversion if you can overlook the difficulties. This isn't a classic, certainly not in the league of 2002's Mafia, and has been rated way too high by other reviewers. I wouldn't say to avoid it, and I wouldn't recommend it. That's a solid "C" in my book, and worth my final rating of 7.3.

No excuse not to buy at $5.98

3 Rating: 3, Useful: 0 / 1
Date: February 01, 2006
Author: Amazon User

After watching Patrick Swayze and his bad-80s-movie crew in "Red Dawn", I was inspired and launched on an all-night rondo of commie-killing mayhem.

The squad-based commend system is innovative, easy to use, and really makes a difference. The only thing is, it seems a bit inconsistent. There are times when your squad will take out every last bleeping red-hatted invader in sight, leaving you with a cake-walk. Other times, he's toast with a big red cross saying "Help Me! I'm gunned down and I can't get up!" But that's neither here nor there.

There's not a great deal of replayability, since your enemies always appear at the same place, with the same armaments, and spawning points are limited. Though since there are usually four or five ways to tackle a given tactical situation, that does help.

Hours of fun, but not days, weeks or months. Still, a good game.

A good buy INDEED!!!

4 Rating: 4, Useful: 3 / 3
Date: December 12, 2003
Author: Amazon User

This game is going to give you tons of fun for a bargain price.

Freedom Fighters is a great little 3rd person shooter that requires thinking and taking advantage/managing resources available. Maybe your first mission is to blow up a bridge...but you need to start another mission first to get the explosives!!! That is the fun in the game.

Your missions require some planning and thought. Don't be mislead - this game is a GREAT SHOOTER! You just can't go in guns a blazin' every time. You get to climb onto roof tops if you are observant enough to investigate alternate routes to attack the enemy. Yes, this game is versatile and you don't have to follow the scripted routines of games like Call of Duty or Medal of Honor.

The graphics are pretty good, the game play is as fast or as calm as you make it, the sound effects and music are enjoyable too. You are limited in weapons and some may get a bit bored. I liked that. The premise is that you are poor, resource drained street rebels (like the movie Red Dawn). So if that is the case, you WOULD have limited weapons to use.

Enemy AI is a bit lame. (I don't any soldiers that would crawl slowly in a wide open street when snipers are picking them off..lol) At times the AI is very tough and other times the enemies are completely deaf and blind it seems. I was disappointed by this. However, the enjoyment and adventure provided more than make up for this.

This game can be solved in 6 hours or could take you 12 hours depending on your methods and strategies.

Get this game, study the in-game maps and briefing reports, use your noggin', move slowly, use the terrain to hide and then let 'em have it!!

Freedom Won too Soon!

4 Rating: 4, Useful: 3 / 3
Date: February 09, 2004
Author: Amazon User

My favorite games include first-person shooters like Quake II and Unreal, but I have enjoyed third-person action games too. Two of my favorites are Rune and Heretic II. So when I realized Freedom Fighers was this type of game, I gave it a shot. The game's great, but a little blemish or two keeps it from perfection.

One of Freedom Fighter's best assets are its controls. You can customize the control keys in the Options menu to suit your preferences. I felt comfortable with the controls throughout most of the game. The camera angle generally worked well too. Nevertheless, I found the weapon and inventory acess a little awkward because you need to go through your inventory items by moving the mouse wheel. Overall, however, the game feels comfortable.

You also control a squad of fighters, and this group combat is perhaps Freedom Fighter's forte. The AI is good, and your comrades will fight and attack enemy Russians automatically. You can easily call off their attack, however, and some parts of the game it is wise to do so. You can also command them to defend a position or attack a target. It looks great, and all allies and enemies move in a realistic fashion.

As for graphics, Freedom Fighters is a very good looking game. The levels are attractively designed, and the game renders some of the best fire and smoke effects I've seen in any game. The buildings seem almost real, too, and its fun to wonder around and fight inside and outside these structures.

As good as Freedom Fighters is, my only major complaint is the length of the game. It's SHORT! It only took me four days including the day I purchased the game to beat it. So the total time was maybe only eight hours or less.

Freedom Fighters is a top-notch action game, and it does everything right, but it should be longer!

Pros:
Great graphics
Very good level design
Good AI
Best squad combat I've seen

Cons:
Too short!

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