Freedom Force vs. The Third Reich Review

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Freedom Force vs. The Third Reich

Review by Old RoosterMarch 2005

Comics for Gramps

The other day, a new visitor to our home noticed the many shelves of games in my den. He was particularly struck by a colorful section including such titles as The Hulk, Spider-Man 2, X-Men: Legends, and Freedom Force. Indeed, sitting on my desk was the latest Force release, which has the superheroes tangling with the Third Reich. “How nice of you to play those comic-based games with your grandson,” said he. “Those aren’t for my grandson,” I replied, “they’re among my best and most favored games—pure escapism, funny and hugely entertaining. Here, let me show you a bit of this wonderful new release from Sierra.”

And so we proceeded to explore the vivid and bold strokes, as well as outstanding gameplay, of one of the finest games this year: Freedom Force vs. The Third Reich. Needless to say, a convert was made.  I should get a commission!

“That’s All Real Nice, Old Timer; Now, Please Tell Us About the Game!”

Three years ago, Irrational Games took our little world of electronic entertainment by storm with the release of Freedom Force—a very original strategy/RPG/adventure. Although looking as if derived from comics of the 1960s, Freedom Force introduced a whole new stable of superhero characters, working to thwart villains in a plot that was outrageous. Except, possibly, for X-Men: Legends, nothing has come close to equaling the vibrancy and gameplay of this outstanding game. Until now, that is.

It’s been one year since the original Freedom Force superhero team has done its job and, for the most part, each member has gone to his or her respective “civilian” locales. But all is not well in Patriot City. The portent of problems begins with the very bad dreams of Alchemiss and intensifies for real when two of the classic baddies, Time Master and Nuclear Winter, escape from prison.  Before we know it, World War II looks like it may move toward a very different outcome—in favor of the Third Reich!

Enter our superheroes. The old team is called back to duty, including such stalwarts as Minute Man, with his trusty patriot staff, and El Diablo, who just loves to give a guy “a light.” Joining the regulars are six new and very different characters:

  • Green Genie—He can transform into anything, and make chaos of a battle;
  • Black Jack—Who loves to play with poison-tipped cards;
  • Quetzalcoatl—A young man able to summon the powers of an ancient god;
  • Sky King—Just loves any excuse to use his rocket pack;
  • Tombstone—A failed electrocution gives him deadly powers;
  • Tricolour—Beautiful, but don’t turn your back on this master of the sword.

“You Fools Understand So Little of Death” —Tombstone

Time Master and Nuclear Winter are not alone in their villainous ways. We also have:

  • Fortissimo—Who can level a city block with his voice;
  • Red Sun—An unparalleled samurai swordsman;
  • Bliltzkrieg—The Nazi genius who can bend the will of men.

The story is not especially logical, has some plot holes, is twisty-turny and won’t keep you awake at night worrying about whether this might really happen. Rather, it’s much in the spirit of a comic and needs to be taken for what it is and with considerable tongue in cheek.  With the developers clearly aiming for some degree of satire and camp, I found it best to just let the story roll, not look for hidden references or puns, immerse myself in it, and have a heck of a good time!

Our tale evolves through a sequence of chapters and missions, taking 15 to 20 hours to complete on a medium difficulty setting. After being given a briefing, you’re tasked with selecting and equipping up to four superheroes. As the game moves along, not only do the available heroes become more numerous, but also the skills required to perform your missions become more demanding. You may not at all need the swordplay of Tricolour, but rather the confusion that can be generated by Green Genie.

“When Fortissimo Sings, Everybody Dies” —Fortissimo

Interestingly, and fascinatingly, there is a fluidity and lack of linearity to mission accomplishment. Your heroes are dynamic in that they have a range and level of skills, as well as “health” that can be diminished by the use of those skills. Further, as you move successfully along, you earn experience and prestige points.  These not only increase powers, but also can be used to solicit new heroes for the cause. Finally, even though it may be obvious you need Green Genie over Tricolour, there is nothing that says this has to be so. You may just make it with a sword instead of chaos, and it’s often a lot of fun to try. This offers tremendous replayability for FFVTR. Additionally, an incredible character creation tool not only allows modification of powers and visible effects, but also gives you the option to change the look of a hero. 

The developers have gone all out to afford not only replay possibilities in the campaign/story mode, but also a selection of multiplay and other options. My dial-up connection imposed limits, but those with cable or DSL will enjoy not only a range of types, including deathmatch, tag, team massacre, and, the most intriguing of all, Story Mode.  With this, you can create custom scenarios, choosing heroes, villains, game mode and map, even a background story and what it will take to win the mission. Finally, those of us who prefer not to play on the Internet weren’t left out by any means. A Rumble Room option is included, allowing you to select a map and heroes against any number of A.I.-controlled bot villains you choose. Great for practice!

“Smite the Wicked” —Minuteman

You control your team in three-quarter view 3D settings, with a good deal of individual micromanagement required. Essentially, FFVTR is a tactical real-time strategy game with strong RPG components.  Indeed, although you can shift from one hero to another quickly, it’s quite necessary to do a good deal of “babysitting” with those not selected. They will defend themselves, but not nearly at the level you would expect, and they do evidence some unpredictability in their actions. Succinctly, this is an A.I. problem that doesn’t spoil the game by any means, but it is a bit of a glitch and may well be rectified by a patch.

The interface is extremely efficient and uncluttered. Facial portraits of your squad members are shown, together with indicators of health, energy, power and other critical gameplay factors. Movement of the selected hero is controlled through either arrow keys or the mouse.  Indeed, use of the mouse is critical in FFVTR for securing information. A right-click pauses the game, allowing orders to be given. A left-click on a target will bring up a menu showing the default power you may use and a range of other possibilities. There are eight mouse indicators showing the kinds of attacks and other interactive options available. Not only can the game be paused, but you can save anywhere. Indeed, in case you forget due to being so caught up in the story and fun, the game saves automatically after every mission and also even at the point where you exit for any reason. However, there is no minimap. This is the only disappointment I had with FFVTR. Although directional arrows show the way, your team can sometimes get a bit lost, and it would be helpful to spot them on a minimap. This isn’t a play-killer, by any means, but it would have been a useful inclusion.

“If I Can’t Reignite My Flame, All of Freedom Force Will Be on Ice” —El Diablo

The aforementioned fluidity in the environment is also demonstrated by virtually all buildings, structures, items you can see and touch, shoot, punch, burn, toss about. Some of the comic outrageousness in the game comes about with extreme actions in which you can engage, which may or may not be required in order to advance your goals.  Innocent citizens and even other superheroes need to beware when Tombstone starts shooting his electrical bolts! Picking up a street lamp to use as a weapon is something we’ve always wanted to do. 

As evidenced by the pics I’ve taken on my tour of duty, the settings are not only richly colorful, but highly detailed and interesting.  The maps can be zoomed and rotated. Even on my puny system, with many details lowered or turned off, you can see how good FFVTR looks. You can even elect to move the camera right next to a hero, getting down and dirty with the action.

Your travels will take you from crowded city streets to a military base, underground labs and bunkers, even back to the heart of the Third Reich in WWII. The storyline becomes a bit convoluted, but it never loses its sense of style and fun. There’s a lot more I’d like to tell you about it, but I don’t want to spoil your discovery.  Trust me, you’ll like it.

Fortunately, voice acting, sound effects and musical themes are as well-crafted as the graphics. You can get away with “over the top” with a comic-based adventure, and the actors clearly have a lot of fun voicing the likes of Fortissimo, Minute Man and El Diablo. Their work is undergirded by a tight, very professional, funny and creative script. Not only is the story itself involving, but there are sufficient one-liners to leave you laughing. “Did somebody order Mexican?” El Diablo says of himself upon arriving.  This is but a sample of a script filled with this kind of comic-style dialogue.

“For Freedom!” —The Force Battle Cry

Freedom Force vs. The Third Reich is most highly recommended as an essential purchase for your game library. It may not have the strategy depth of a Ghost Recon or the RPG nuances of Neverwinter Nights. What it does have is a style all its own, clearly making it not only one of the most creative and original games of this year, but also one of the best. From involving story to eye-popping graphics, very funny script, incredible characters, great voice acting, ultra-smooth gameplay, and an unusual range of extended play options, FFVTR brings it all together better than any PC game I’ve played in the past year. Get out there! Join the superheroes! Don’t let the Nazis take out Washington!

What I Liked Most About FFVTR

  • The story, characters and graphics grab you right from the outset;
  • Control and interface are superb;
  • There’s a huge range of colorful heroes and villains;
  • The range of play and replay options will keep this on your hard disk for a long time;
  • The general outrageousness will make you smile and is great escapism;
  • Will run on lower-end systems.

Minor Problems I Experienced

  • An interface minimap would be helpful;
  • Nonselected-hero A.I. can sometimes be problematic. The End

The Verdict

The Lowdown

Developer: Irrational Games Publisher: Vivendi Universal Release Date: March 8, 2005

Available for: Windows

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Screenshots

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System Requirements

Windows 98/ME/2000/XP Pentium III 733 GHz (P4 1.8 GHz recommended) 128 MB RAM (256 MB recommended) 32 MB 3D GeForce 2 video card (256 MB recommended) DirectX 9.0 compatible sound card 700 MB free hard disk space

Where to Find It

Links provided for informational purposes only.  FFC makes no warranty with regard to any transaction entered into by any party(ies).

      Copyright © Electric Eye Productions.  All rights reserved.  No reproduction in whole or in part without express written permission.

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14 Responses to Fear Factor

  • Fear Factor | Tap-Repeatedly.com | Reality Topics Blog

    […] nobody@flickr.com (graftedno1) wrote a very interesting post today.   Here’s a quick excerpt:My greatest fear is to be trapped alone in a confined space with a blind human, in total darkness. They have a heightened sense of smell and hearing, and. […]

  • Matt "Steerpike" Sakey

    Lewis, you made me think of the scariest moments I’ve experienced in gaming, and we’re very similar people.

    Bioshock had two moments – the dentist and the flooded room filled with mannequins.

    Thief had Return to the Cathedral, which was terrifying to me. Thief 3 had Shalebridge Cradle, which is so scary it ought to be fined.

    System Shock 2 kept me on the edge of my seat, but it was more lonely panic than true fear.

    Korsakovia was so scary that I uninstalled it.

    And STALKER. Oh, god, the haunted labs in STALKER. The latter two games don’t have scares like that. Few games do.

    It’s especially rare for a game to have more than mere “moments” – for a game to be scary from beginning to end, that’s a triumph.

    Wonderful article. As if Gregg’s review wasn’t enough to convince me that Penumbra is not something I have the courage to play!

  • DPenn

    I’m with you Lewis … I’m a bit of a puss. I just have a hard time wrapping my head around the idea of dread as entertainment.

    Still, I’m drawn to dark stories when they have something interesting to say, whether it’s a game like Thief or a film like, say, Gaspar Noe’s Irreversible. So I’ll push through, sometimes peering through my fingers.

    The trouble with games, though, is that if you look through your fingers, you’re probably just going to have to play through the scenario again. :~)

  • Mike "Scout" Gust

    I wanted to play this game. I downloaded the demo but the controls were just too wonky for me to get my head around. I liked the atmospheric vibe a lot. I think I’m a bit desensitized from an overdose of horror movies in my youth so I don’t so much get the dread thing from these games as a nice creepy vibration. If only the controls were better…

  • Lewis B

    @ Mike, what’s wrong with the controls bud? As someone who despises poor control schemes, Penumbra’s is just like any other FPS, except to examine things you right click on them.  To use things you left click.  I’m not sure that can be considered difficult 🙂

  • Gregg B

    @Steerpike: Yeah my greatest shit-scared moments were with those games too. A few spoilers below people, so beware.

    Bioshock – Haha, I remember the dentist. I didn’t really find the game that scary overall but the bit where you go into the wine cellar and notice a mannequin facing the wall and after upgrading your weapon it’s stood directly behind you motionless and quiet just for a moment before attacking you. I shat a brick. I also missed that bit originally until Lew told me about it.

    System Shock 2 – same as you really, more unremitting tension all the way through rather than specific terrifying moments. Oh actually, theres a bit where you call a lift and it breaks then you realise a service droid is coming to fix it… I do remember having sleep issues after my first encounter with the cyborg ninjas though.

    Thief: The Dark Project – The Sword and Return to the Cathedral and Down in the Bonehoard and well, loads of them. The Sword made me break out into goosebumps though because there was a bit where you could hear this creepy giggling which seemed like it was following me about then it suddenly changed to this horrible throaty noise. What made matters worse was that the EAX (bless you Creative) made my foot steps sound like somebody else was there with me. That level was incredible, a bit too incredible as it seems I missed great chunks of it because I was so eager to leave.

    Thief II: The Metal Age – Trail of Blood where you end up in that opening with those damn tree beasts. God the first time I saw one of those hurtling towards me I actually died shortly afterward. Do you remember that Mechanist child walking around on one of the levels? That was a little creepy.

    Then there’s Penumbra: Overture – quite a few bits but I’m not mentioning them here.

    Oh and S.T.A.L.K.E.R. – The brain scorcher lab just because it was so damn quiet. My imagination seriously got the better of me there. Those stuffed animals and heads I’d seen in various buildings led me to believe that those creatures were lurking somewhere in the Zone, specifically that lab.

    @Mike: My control setup was perfect after some tweaking (as well as the simple weapon swing fix). If you ever fancy giving it another go, give me a shout and I’ll let you know my setup.

  • Lewis B

    I’m not sure why guys, but one of my starting paragraphs had gone missing, even though I copied it straight from the original source, and It was fine earlier. 

    Incase you missed it due to some technical issue you might want to re-read just after “Well no she wouldn’t in truth, but in Penumbra: Overture you don’t want to move anyway.” at the very start for those who’ve already read the article. Apologies 🙂

  • Mike "Scout" Gust

    Lewis, it was the weapon swing. It had this terrible, unresponsive feel to it, like trying to hit through molasses. I couldn’t stand using it. I tried the .ini fix as mentioned in the review but it didn’t seem to help. Of course this was the demo…but that shouldn’t have made any difference. I might try the second game instead as I guess they did away with the weapons thing.

    I’m see your first paragraph just fine. It’s the dialogue, right?

  • jdeuel

    I like the argument that weapons can remove fear, but even loaded to the teeth with ammo in AVP’99 the Marine missions were frightful because the enemy was anywhere at any time.

    As for Penumbra Overture, if the controls are anything like the original Penumbra they need to hack in some Wii-Remote 3d controls. I did not like using my mouse for 3d movements.

  • Gregg B

    @Mike: I’ve read that many people avoided conflict altogether in Overture which incidentally is something forced upon you in Black Plague. As somebody who has been renovating a house over the last 6 months with no DIY experience I can safely say that swinging a hammer is significantly easier in real life than it is in Overture without the fix. The fix balanced that for me.

    I’d highly recommend completing the first Penumbra because it’s one big build up to Black Plague which spoils the ending to Overture in the intro. And it’s a great ending too. Just so you know!

  • Lewis B

    @ Steerpike, those moments you mention are all my worst too!!  Do you remember the Robot labs in SS2? Absolutely terrifying, waiting for robots to burst out on you! 🙁 oh and have you ever player Condemned?

    @ Mike, The use of weapons in Penumbra is different to say HL2, where the player is physically holding the weapon, as in Penumbra it floats slightly infront of you.  However, if you change the control method to normal weapon swing, it’s no different!  Speak to Greggi and he’ll tell you what to do 🙂

    @ jdeuel, AVP the original and its sequal were scary however what type of fear do you think it is? I don’t think it’s anything more than sheer tension.  Having a Smart Gun makes you feel incredibly powerful.  I can honestly say in Penumbra the fear is sheer unrivalled terror, where you actually have to force yourself to play on.  It genuinly is that scary! 🙂

  • Jason Dobry

    It’s so true, an arsenal of weapons and ammo rapidly deflates any sense of horror or uneasiness in any game for reasons you already mentioned. Sakey, I thought Bioshock was more “lonely panic,” while I was pretty much always terrified in System Shock 2. I really, really, REALLY did not want to enter The Many’s nursery, and my weapons were so unreliable and ammo so scarce that I never felt safe.

    Silent Hill was terrifying for the same reasons. Ammo was rare and I frequently had to rely on my pipe for self-defense.  Even when I had ammo, the game mechanics prevented my character from being anything other than marginal with any firearm.

    Fear had one moment for me: I was climbing up a ladder, and as I reached the upper platform, my guy briefly looked down as he climbed off. As my perspective looked up again, that Ring-esque little girl was RIGHT THERE, reaching for me. I screamed and she was gone.

    What else…the original Aliens vs. Predator sent me into a locker room and I could only hear the facehuggers scurrying about somewhere within. I had to go in there. I advanced about three steps before the damn thing screamed and filled up my screen with its repulsive underside as it implanted me with its spawn. My roommate made fun of me for weeks for screaming like a girl child.

    Korsakovia–meh.  I was too annoyed and frustrated by the box rearrangement/jumping puzzles to be scared. I uninstalled it after an hour of play, I think. Maybe the scary parts were later, but I doubt it.

    As for Penumbra, I did play through about half of it before other games distracted me. I remember unease and creepiness, but no sweaty fear. I think I’m to blame here, or, more precisely, my daughter, who was still an infant at the time and generally allowed me only to play during the day for 45 minutes at a time. I was denied total immersion and the fear effect suffered. Maybe I should give it another go after I finish Call of Pripyat since she sleeps through the night now. With any luck, Penumbra will keep me from doing the same.

  • Gregg B

    I played the demo of F.E.A.R. but that ladder scare is the only bit I remember. Christ, that made me jump. I’m not too good with cat scares.

    Also I felt exactly the same about Korsakovia. It was creepy at first but then it began to irritate me far too much and it just soured the experience. I stopped playing as a result. Not to mention, when I realised I could bash those smoke-things with my crowbar they didn’t bother me nearly as much.

  • Online Up

    Great article. I look forward to reading more in the future.

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