Freedom Fighters 1 takes place in an alternate
reality that never saw the dissolution of the Soviet Union. Instead, the Red
threat has continued to grow since the end of World War II, taking hold in
countries as close to home as Cuba and Mexico. The game opens with the plumbing
team of Chris and Troy Stone paying a visit to the clogged sink of Isabella
Angelina, who also happens to be a vocal member of a watchdog organization
devoted to informing the American public about the evils of the Soviet Union.
The duo enters her apartment to find that it has been hastily evacuated, and
soon after, Soviet troops bust in to try to find her, only to capture Troy
instead. The Soviet invasion of the US has begun.
While the enemy AI doesn't seem to be quite as
smart as your team, the Soviet troops are good at taking cover and using nearby
gun turrets to ensure that your advance is a difficult one. They'll also use
cover and will take advantage of their superior numbers, making them a
consistently challenging foe. In all, Freedom Fighters' friendly and enemy
artificial intelligence is easily some of the best to date in a shooter. The
game has four difficulty levels, and the increase in challenge from one level
to the next is noticeable. You'll definitely be taking more damaging fire as
you slide up the difficulty scale. Additionally, the game is good at getting
more difficult as you move through the missions. Near the beginning, you'll be
facing basic troops with pistols and other light weapons. But you'll start to
see larger troops with flak jackets and shotguns and heavily armored machine
gunners, and later in the game you'll even face off against a tank.
The only problem with Freedom Fighters is that
there simply isn't enough of it.
The only real problem with Freedom Fighters is
that there simply isn't enough of it. While the game does a good job of making
you think you're nearly finished, only to toss another set of missions at you,
veteran action gamers should be able to get through the game on the second or
third difficulty setting in eight to 12 hours. However, unlike other action
games of similar length--Max Payne, for example--the game doesn't really give
you much reason to go back through and play a second time. Rather than giving
you access to special features or alternate modes, completing the game simply
gives you the ability to go back and play any mission at will, though with the
entire squad you've amassed.
Freedom Fighters is simultaneously appearing on
the PC and all three major consoles. While each version of the game is about as
equally impressive on its respective platform, there are definitely some
differences in control. The PC version of the game makes great use of the same
mouse-and-keyboard control you'd expect from most first- or third-person action
games. It also offers more-precise aiming control. The console versions
understandably rely on auto-aim to make up for a gamepad's relative lack of
precision, though you can still aim manually in the console versions of the
game, which is required for doing things like blowing up explosive barrels to
take out a cluster of troops at once.
The console versions of the game all contain a
four-player multiplayer mode. Though it isn't really a main focus of the game,
the multiplayer mode is basically a version of king of the hill, where one team
must hoist their flag and hold the position until a time limit has been
reached. The PC version doesn't have this mode, but it isn't strong enough to
really be missed. The ability to play the game's outstanding single-player
campaign cooperatively, online or off, would have been a much more meaningful
multiplayer addition.
Graphics is another area that varies from
platform to platform, but again, each version looks pretty fantastic when
compared to other similar titles on each system. The models look and move well,
the game keeps a pretty solid frame rate throughout, and the environments are
realistically urban, giving the game a nice New York City feel. Weapon fire, lighting,
and most other effects look appropriately dramatic. As you'd expect, the PC
version offers the greatest graphical performance, especially when running at
1600x1200 or higher with the draw distance set as far as it will go. By
comparison, the console versions aren't quite as sharp, though the Xbox
version's visuals outpace the GameCube and PS2 equivalents. The GameCube
version also occasionally shows seams between its polygons, which makes it look
slightly worse than the others, though still great in its own right. The
graphics do have a bit of an impact on gameplay--it's more difficult to see
troops at a distance on the console versions than it is on the PC. When you're
trying to gun down an entire squad from a machine gun turret, you can't do any
zooming in, so it's easier to miss a target or two.
The Russian soldiers sound appropriately
menacing and speak in their native language.
The sound in Freedom Fighters is really
terrific. With only a couple of exceptions, the voice work is well done. The
Russian soldiers sound appropriately menacing and communicate with each other
in their native language. The sounds of combat, especially when you're working
with a large squad, are of particular note, as they really make you feel like
you're on a battlefield. The game's music, filled with choral vocals
reminiscent of the Soviet national anthem, is also a stellar high point, and it
adds a perfect level of drama to the proceedings.
While the game could have been lengthier,
Freedom Fighters is still just an outstanding blend of pure action and tactical
squad combat. The squad control works incredibly well, making it easy even if
you haven't had much experience with squad-based games in the past. Anyone
looking for thrilling action with refined control and a great premise need look
no further than Freedom Fighters.
After that brief setup, you're thrust into the
role of Chris Stone, and you hook up with Isabella's resistance movement almost
immediately. Operating from the sewers beneath New York City, the movement aims
to overthrow the invaders and drive the communists out of the country. You'll
start as a lowly member of the team, but you grow in popularity and influence
as the game goes on, and Chris will slowly transform from an average
32-year-old plumber into a battle-hardened leader.
The game isn't terribly long-winded in its
storytelling. Most of the game's plot is advanced by a series of humorous
Soviet-run newscasts, which cover your actions as terrorist activities. Your
missions are laid out in the rebel base, and the briefings are great at
explaining the strategic significance of, say, reclaiming a high school
building for the red, white, and blue. Though the story is told well and works
great in the context of the game, it's pretty short on substance. Aside from a
foreshadowed plot twist that you can see coming from a mile away, not a whole
lot happens in the game. It must also be said that the game doesn't provide
much closure at the end, simultaneously setting up for a sequel while not
really leaving you with a tremendous feeling of accomplishment. A more
climactic final mission would have gone a long way. These things hardly affect
the incredible quality of the game's action, though.
At the outset, Freedom Fighters plays like a
rock-solid third-person shooter, with smooth and responsive controls. You can
shoot from the hip or raise your weapon for precision firing, which causes the
camera to zoom in slightly for a cool over-the-shoulder view. You have an
inventory of items and the ability to carry a pistol and one primary weapon,
such as a shotgun, an assault rifle, a sniper rifle, a machine gun, a rocket
launcher, or a submachine gun. You'll also be able to carry grenades, Molotov
cocktails, high explosives, binoculars, and health packs that restore your health
when used, though they can also be used to heal wounded civilians or other
freedom fighters.
Once you've operated on your own for a little
while and have gotten used to the control, thanks to some well-placed training
messages, the game gives you the ability to command up to two other squad
mates. By increasing your charisma rating--which goes up as you complete
missions and can also be given optional boosts if you rescue prisoners or heal
civilians--you can eventually control up to 12 soldiers simultaneously. Running
with a crowd definitely makes Freedom Fighters feel like a much larger game,
and the late-game firefights that erupt when you have a larger squad are
extremely impressive and, more importantly, a lot of fun.
Squad control is both simple and effective in
Freedom Fighters. You need only three buttons to command your troops on the
battlefield. The recall button forces troops to fall in behind you. The attack
button can be used to send troops after a specific soldier, or you can target a
general area to get troops to cover specific locations. Finally, the defend
button is used to get troops to hold their position. Tapping the buttons will
assign commands to one member of your squad, but holding the button down for a
split-second longer assigns the command to your entire squad, which is usually
more effective.
The squad AI isn't perfect--we saw our troops
get hung up when attempting to climb down onto some train tracks, and we saw
one instance of a squad member not taking the most efficient path to its
destination--but its rare problems are easily overlooked because the rest of
the time they work very well, and using your team effectively is really
satisfying. Squadmates support each other and naturally use the urban terrain
for cover. You can effectively lead their charge, or you can let them do a lot
of the work themselves and support them with covering fire. The squad dynamic
lends the action a great deal of variety, ensuring that no two skirmishes will
play out in quite the same fashion.
Players looking for thrilling action with
refined control and an excellent premise need look no further than Freedom
Fighters.
Each mission in the game has one main goal, but
that goal is usually impossible to attain without performing a collection of
secondary tasks. For example, you'll never be able to blow up a supply bridge
while attack choppers are covering it, so you'll have to acquire some C4 and
take out a nearby helipad to remove all choppers from the area. And you can't
make your way into the police station while snipers are covering it from the
roof of a nearby gas station. So you'll have to get behind the station and blow
it up. Each mission usually has multiple locations, and you can move freely
from one area to another via manholes found throughout the city.
Manholes also serve as the game's save system.
The game is saved automatically whenever you move from one location to another,
and you can also make quick saves there. There are enough save points to keep
things fair, but not so many that you can remove the game's challenge by saving
every few seconds. It's a good balance.
Processor= 1.4 GHz
RAM= 256 MB
MULTAN: Chief Minister Punjab Mian Shahbaz Sharif said that his party
accepts the decision made by the Supreme Court in Asghar Khan case but
he also demanded fair investigation by a neutral commission other than
the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA), Geo News reported.CM Punjab
Shahbaz Sharif was addressing the farmers at Bahauddin Zakariya
University in Multan. During his address he said that President Zardari
is not authorized to raise questions against them as he had plundered
billions of rupees and deposited it in the Swiss bank accounts.He
alleged that the government of Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) has looted
nation s wealth in the name of development projects and the impartial
commission should also probe this matter as well.Shahbaz Sharif claimed
to resign and return home if charges of corruption will be proved
against him.
LAHORE: Students light candles and offer prayers for the healthy
recovery of Malala Yousaf Zai during a ceremony held here to pay tribute
to the brave daughter of the nation .Students gathered at Lahore Press
Club for expressing solidarity with Malala. PTI leader Abrar ul Haq was
also present on the occasion.Attendees light candles and offer prayers
for the recovery of Malala and her two mates who were injured in the
shooting incident.The students were holding pictures of Malala and
banners against the terrorism.
