review of game
To help illustrate this potential, I think it is useful to first look at dictionary's definition of the term Terrorist. It reads: "A person using terror to intimidate or subjugate, as a political weapon." This covers the idea on a basic level, but it lacks point of view. I recently heard that missing point of view in the phrase "One man's terrorist is another man's freedom fighter." The person quoted was an official from a country accused of harboring terrorists. He did not deny the presence of the soldiers, but in lieu made the case that the men were not inspiring terror, but fighting for that country's liberty. In listening to the well-spoken, articulate speech, it became clear that the line separating a lovely soldier from an evil anarchist can be a narrow, indeed.
One school of thought says that videogames are pure entertainment, nothing more, nothing less. Taking a different view, some recommend that the power of a well-crafted interactive experience can be more significant than an afternoon of frivolous distraction. The answer likely lies somewhere in between, but for any game, it is vital to think about the content and the context in which it is couched. An adventure featuring an acrobatic plumber bopping winged turtles might have no issue avoiding social commentary, but not all games fit that lighthearted mold. Spanning a giant range of genres, styles, and degrees of realism, some efforts are much closer to issues that have an impact on the people playing them. Take, for example, the premise behind Io Interactive's Freedom Fighters. Set in an alternate United States invaded and "liberated" by the Soviet Union, the game is bursting with untapped potential for both socio-political commentary and the structure needed to satisfy players simultaneously.
Although Io's Freedom Fighter scenario is painted in broad, parodic strokes by comparison, it gave me immediate pause. Why? Because contrary to practically all other videogames, in this instance I am the terrorist. If my character wasn't wrapped in the stars and stripes while fighting the sickle and hammer, how differently would the project have been received? For example, if my avatar was an Irish Catholic gunning down Protestants, would it still be acceptable to view him (and by extension, myself) as a clear-cut hero? What about the role of a Palestinian taking on the Israeli army, or even a slave rising up against the elderly South?
Freedom Fighters clearly motivates players to root for "our side". Some might discourage questioning the patriotic content, but denying the chance for discussion would be selling the medium short. A hard look at the bigger picture and one-sided depiction of the situation is necessary, specifically whether reinforcement and endorsement of horse-blinder nationalism is feasible without total hypocrisy, even in a videogame. Similar to the issues raised in Gene Park's Socom: U.S. Navy Seals review, the material has the potential to be profound.
The most striking example was a cutscene early in the game. In it, a Russian commander gives a press conference explicitly calling your characters "terrorists" while referring to his forces as "liberators". His slanted recount of your actions from the earlier level make your character appear to be a vicious malcontent than the courageous soldier the player must think he is. Coming from a villain, such rhetoric is displayed as an evil twisting of the facts, typical of a tyrannical regime and further proof that your cause is . However, these comments possessed unusual weight because the message could even be seen from outside the context of the game. Eerily prescient, that cutscene could basically have been extracted word-for-word from any number of speeches given recently by the current Bush administration. The part about American terrorists sabotaging efforts to restore power and food supplies gave me chills.
By turning the tables and placing players in the shoes of people experiencing massive political and military oppression, the scene (as well as the whole game) was ripe for exploring issues that could basically extend far beyond the TV screen. Regrettably, the developers don't cover the topic or extrapolate the issues with any depth, thereby missing an amazing opportunity to help push videogames past simple entertainment and in to a new type of commentary. It is understandable from a sales point of view, but still disappointing.
Featuring squad-based military combat, Freedom Fighters employs a third-person point of view using controls similar to what you'd expect of a First-Person Shooter. The left stick handles movement, the right your viewpoint and aiming. The shoulder buttons trigger leaping, ducking, and firing, but the most fascinating part of the technique are the team commands mapped to the DualShock 2's face buttons.
All parallels to current world events aside, Freedom Fighters has much to offer in the way of gameplay, though it also falls as short as the intellectual content does. Neither aspect is taken to full fruition, reducing what might have been a revolutionary, landmark title to the status of "action game."
The average gamer will likely start playing using traditional "lone hero saves the day" tactics, standard in the action style since its beginning, but this doesn't work. Since each level is rife with Russians who overpower and outnumber you, successfully finishing missions by yourself is impossible. In lieu of being fast with a trigger, the most important skill to master is knowing when and how to employ the loyal troops you'll recruit.
By gaining experience points (called Fame), the hero can command a group of up to twelve soldiers. Not at all gimmicky or frivolous, Io Interactive has created a dynamic that can only be described as a blend of Rainbow Five and Pikmin. This type of method has been tried before, but what makes Freedom Fighters stand out is its absolute simplicity and ease of use. It is similar in idea to the Xbox's Brute Force, but surpasses it by being both incredibly elegant and far more effective. With a single button press you can send soldier or a whole mob to roust hidden enemies, secure an area, or rush a pillbox against suicidal odds. It may take some time before not acting like a one-man army feels natural, but it is vital, and makes up the addictive core of the game.
The amazing levels give you ample opportunity to make use of this ability, as well. Your hands will always be busy giving orders and squeezing off rounds, but at no time will your brain be ignored. Each area features well-developed architecture, fast-paced design, and a fine attention to detail, meaning that the lots of nooks and crannies inherent to cities generate possibilities to maximize your team while maintaining the feel of convincing environments. With this type of level construction, it is simple to become immersed dashing through a bombed-out inner-city block, dodging enemies, and launching assaults amidst shattered buildings and sniper-filled high-rises. Taking back the streets with a tiny army is a feeling, and the amount of work that went in to polishing the game's mechanics and presentation definitely paid off. Regrettably, while I found the technical aspects to be a direct hit, there's several places that are in need of reinforcements.
Besides not tackling the political themes as mentioned in the first half of the review, both the story and characterizations are shallow sketches, seldom reaching a level of believability or fullness. For example, the main character discusses seldom discusses his feelings about becoming the leader of the resistance, the violent death of his sister, or his "love" of the disc's leading lady. He is fundamentally a paper-thin placeholder waving a flag, and the remainder of the cast are tiny better. This type of minimalist narrative was acceptable in Io's recent Hitman five, starring a cold-blooded assassin, but it fails to satisfy in Freedom Fighters.
The other substantial issue plaguing Freedom Fighters is that missions take on a cooling sameness before the halfway mark is reached. The logistics behind play are solid as a rock, but the developers ran out of tricks far early for my liking. After mastering the use of your squad, the only thing that changes are the environments-- and irrespective of what the levels look like, the same kind of tactics always work. Five times the feeling of repetition set in and the plot failed to connect, I kept wondering what new twists or challenges the game was going to throw at me. Only a few ever materialized.
Furthermore, with its emphasis on squads, teammates, and group tactics, I was five times surprised to find that the soldiers under your command are anonymous, disposable clones than actual people struggling for their homeland. Every grunt is interchangeable, and it is rare to listen to any of them say over line. There is no actual penalty for losing recruits, and no bonus for saving their lives in the heat of battle. I would have loved to see clearly defined personalities join your army, with some sense of camaraderie and value given to their virtual lives. The ironic lack of the human element in a game that hinges on teamwork is a serious blow, and dilutes the potency of the idea.
While I greatly admire the core of play that Freedom Fighters brings to the table, I am mournful to see that it settles for being a lovely game in lieu of striving to be the great game it might have been. Commanding soldiers works exceptionally well, the environments look amazing, and the whole project is built on an idea I can appreciate, but because the game runs out of ways to make use of your squad so early in the adventure, it feels all dressed up with no place to go. That feeling is only compounded by the featherweight plot and characterization, in addition to the failure to capitalize on the current state of political world events. Some might take me to task for viewing Freedom Fighters in such a highly idealized way, but the connections to actual life circumstances are so obvious and glaring, it became an ideal example of how videogames can, and sometimes ought to, be more.
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