The Discussion Thread: The Greatest Games Event 2017 - FINISH YOUR LISTS

[Mnementh]

The_Liquid_Laser said:

 

#3 Freedom Force

 

 

Why did it make the list?
Freedom Force simply oozes style and charm.  Right from the very opening cutscene you are transported to a comic book world right out of the 1960’s.  And more than that, the game really plays up the story and characters.  I had a feeling that I was going to have a ton of fun even before I started playing the game, and that continues both throughout all of the gameplay and also through all of the cutscenes in between each mission.  Anyone who has played a Bioshock game knows that the guys at Irrational Games really know how to tell a story.  Well, here they are using all of that same talent to tell a story about Silver Age comics.
On top of the amazing story telling, Freedom Force just happens to be a really fun game.  The basic combat and interface is modeled after Baldur’s Gate, but they put the characters in a world full of interactable/destructible parts.  So, while your heroes are slugging it out in the city, someone can knock down a building or rip up a lamppost and use it like a baseball bat.  And of course, each character has their own super powers, which include things like flying, wall climbing, teleporting and all sorts of other things.  All of this is done in a tactical RPG format.  I really love tactical RPG’s, but I think Freedom Force is the only real time tactical RPG that I’ve encountered.  It’s both so very fun and so unique at the same time.


Original Experience:
When this game came out there was a phrase known as “the curse of the super hero game”, because before Freedom Force came out most super hero games were at best so-so.  Freedom Force was the first really good super hero game, and that is one reason it really sticks with me.  (Of course, not long after this game came out, more and more really good ones started appearing.)

On top of that there was a really amazing fan community around this game that made all sorts of optional characters and even storylines that you could play through.  The fans made several really fun stories where you could play as a lot of your favorite Marvel and DC characters.  So this added a ton of replay value to Freedom Force.  I think I went about 4-6 months or so where Freedom Force was the only game I really played.


How does it hold up today?
The main thing to know about Freedom Force is that it had a small but very passionate cult following in its day.  If you like comic books, especially comics from the 1960’s, then this game is worth a look.  I would also recommend it to any fan of tactical RPG’s.  And if you like both of these things (like I do), then you are going to absolutely love Freedom Force.  It is a very well-made game for a niche audience, and I just happen to fit into that niche.

This looks quite charming. Really, I like this graphic style. You also control a team of super-heroes it seems, I like. And did you say basic combat is modeled after Baldur's Gate? I never had this game on the radar, maybe I should've.