Freedom Fighters (PS2)

The Red Army is no easy opponent.

Danish developers IO Interactive (IOI) did the impossible when they put Denmark on the world map with their successful game Hitman. The nameless killer, codenamed 47, was an easily recognisable and charismatic game character and he has taken the world by storm.

Since then, IOI have almost become synonymous with the Hitman series, consisting of two games with a third on the way. However, the Danish developers refuse to stick to the beaten path. Instead, they break new ground with their newest project, Freedom Fighters, which is now out for all major consoles and the PC. We’ve taken the PS2 version for a spin.

Show your inner talents

You against a chopper, yesterday.

At the onset of the game, you take the role of a New York plumber, who is on the way to a job with his brother. When they arrive, however, they find nothing but an empty apartment...

Suddenly, a riot breaks out in the street below and some sinister Russian types rush into the building. They take your brother hostage, but you manage to escape. With adrenaline pumping through your veins, and armed with nothing but a wrench, you slowly realise what has taken place. The Soviets have invaded the US. And you are left with the choice of giving up or becoming a freedom fighter. And guess what? You really have a talent for the latter...

This ain't Hitman, Bubba

...and that's what you get for invading the US, and putting up ugly paintings.

At first glance, Freedom Fighters looks like a regular third-person shooter, in the vein of Hitman. But it doesn’t take long before the differences become obvious.

You join the resistance movement and as you sabotage, shoot Soviets, help civilians and liberate prisoners, your charisma level rises. When it raises a level you can recruit one Freedom Fighter, whom you can command, using a very intuitive system. You can have a maximum of twelve soldiers with you simultaneously, but it’ll take some time before your level is high enough for that.

I shall outwit you very cunningly

Note the shield icon, which indicates that your soldier is guarding. You could also order him to attack or retreat.

You really need to use your soldiers strategically, because even though the artificial intelligence is not always that sharp, there are always tons of enemies and what they sometimes lack in intelligence, they sure make up for in large amounts of hot lead. And when the AI does act like it’s supposed to it can get eerily creative. Your choice of weapons is also of paramount importance, seeing as you can only carry two pieces at any given time.

Extreme caution is advised at all times in the world of Freedom Fighters; sometimes just crossing a street can be a fatal, if you set the difficulty setting high, that is. And I really think you should do just that, in order to get the full experience. The charm of this game is to get past seemingly insurmountable odds, using cunning, strategy and courage. However, the high difficulty settings can also result in frustration, as you find yourself getting shot repeatedly by the same sniper or attacking the enemy forces from the wrong angle. But it is never long before your frustration invariably turns into the desire to have just one more crack at it.

A marvel to behold

Stairway to freedom (pun-tastic, isn't it?).

Freedom Fighters also looks great. IOI have done a stellar job and the game is very much in the graphical elite on the PS2, as well as all the other formats. New York is rendered beautifully, the effects are brilliant, and the animation is very good.

Sonically, this is almost as good as it gets. The sound effects are crisp and detailed and the game sports good voice acting. However, the Soviet soldiers sound a bit more primitive and menacing then they should, in my opinion. The soundtrack, however, is pure art.

We likesssss it, yes we do!

Buy this game if you like intense firefights.

Initially, I was sceptical about Freedon Fighters, but the game has so much style and atmosphere, that it blew my concerns away. Only two points of real criticism remain in my mind.

One is that things get somewhat repetitive in the later missions and the other is that the controls are very sub-standard on the PS2. Changing weapons or using your inventory while moving is impossible, and you will die many times while you’re frantically fiddling with your joypad, trying to use that life-saving medikit you so desperately need. Hotkeys, anyone? In addition to this, the game demands that you're quite the magician with your hands, because aiming and moving at the same time requires you to hold down the L3 stick, while using it to move around with simultaneously. Chances are you’ll get used to it, but it’s a rough ride.

Other reviewers have pointed to the fact that the game is somewhat short, but I’ll stick to my aforementioned statement about the difficulty setting. Crank it up, and the challenge and length of the game will seem just fine. The game also has a four-player multiplayer mode (which requires a multitap, of course), which extends the lifetime of the game, although it is somewhat limited.

These minor issues, however, do not detract from the fact that Freedom Fighters is undoubtedly one of the best games of the year and that it deserves to be another hit for IOI.