An outstanding game overflowing with charm and a retro comic book vibe. It's quite a bit different, and in the best way.
User Rating: 9.1 | Freedom Force vs The 3rd Reich PC
A 'lack of innovation' is a very common complaint amongst gamers. In an industry where sequels and expansion packs are the most safe business practice, sometimes novel ideas never see the light of day. Thankfully, Freedom Force vs. The Third Reich (hereafter referred to as FF2) is helping buck the trend. It may be a sequel, and though it is largely unchanged from the first installment, it has a unique style and feel that you won't find in any Tolkien-inspired RPG . It seems that, at times, games are mistakenly labeled as 'great' when they are just different. FF2 is not one of those games... it has it all: An expertly crafted story, a huge cast of unique super-heroes complete with their own 'origin of' movie, suitably hammy dialog and voice acting, and a quality soundtrack that will have you chuckling in spots. I think the best example of the style FF2 goes for is the classic Batman TV show starring Adam West. Consequently, many younger gamers just won't get the homage to classic comics, but that only slightly lessens the game's appeal. The game takes place mostly from a top-down perspective, and there is no real need for an interface. Your only instrument for manipulating the game world is a few hotkeys and your trusty mouse. Using it you will access all of your character's abilities, as well as issue commands to your team of heroes. Advanced functions like a journal, spellbook, inventory, etc. are none of them present. Simply put: you don't need them. Don't mistake FF2 for some open-ended RPG romp like Fable or Baldur's Gate. It is a very linear, mission-based game. You won't have dialogue options, and you won't be reading them either. Everything is voice-acted, and arranged in a start-to-finish style. Since when did 'open ended' become most advantageous to storytelling anyhow? The deliberate pacing of the missions makes sense, and while you can't choose your own adventure, you can choose your own hero. For anyone that has an RPG itch that just can't be scratched by killing orcs, Freedom Force vs. The Third Reich is a refreshing and exhilarating change of pace. It's probably one of the most unique games in the genre since the classic Planescape: Torment. Truly, it is an excellent game.
