Freedom Force

 PC
  • Publisher: Crave
  • Release Date: Mar 24, 2002
User Score
7.8

Generally favorable reviews- based on 90 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 63 out of 90
  2. Mixed: 17 out of 90
  3. Negative: 10 out of 90
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  1. nilsy
    Nov 25, 2015
    10
    The first game ive given 10 out of 10 to on this site, find most are much to generous with their 10s.
    If you can find any part of the game your not happy with its not a 10, and even if you cant find any obvious faults with a game its still not necessarily a 10 it needs that little bit extra that makes it exceptional.
    For this game the extra is charm, Oh boy does this game have charm!    The first game ive given 10 out of 10 to on this site, find most are much to generous with their 10s.
    If you can find any part of the game your not happy with its not a 10, and even if you cant find any obvious faults with a game its still not necessarily a 10 it needs that little bit extra that makes it exceptional.
    For this game the extra is charm, Oh boy does this game have charm!

    This game was so much fun and it just kept on going not losing pace even at the end, wont claim that this game is for everyone but youd be hard pressed to find a similar game that did what this game does better.    … Expand
  2. Mononon
    May 16, 2012
    3
    The game is pretty terrible. I love the art and the over-the-top comic book-esque voice acting, and the atmosphere really captures that comic book feel, but the gameplay is awful.

    Though the basics are in place, click something to interact with it, it's the extras that just flat out fail. There are pseudo-stealth elements to the game, and they just do not work. Enemies can see you no    The game is pretty terrible. I love the art and the over-the-top comic book-esque voice acting, and the atmosphere really captures that comic book feel, but the gameplay is awful.

    Though the basics are in place, click something to interact with it, it's the extras that just flat out fail. There are pseudo-stealth elements to the game, and they just do not work. Enemies can see you no matter where you stand, your character is too slow and inaccurate to react accordingly. In fact, the slow pace is very obvious throughout. The characters seem to wade through water, and though your character is noticeably faster when running (at least compared to enemies) he manages to have the attacking speed of an epileptic sloth, and, on the rare occasion when a projectile based attack hits, you have basically wasted your time because of the sheer slowness of the game.

    The earliest (and best) example of this, that I noticed, was the second mission. Though this is supposed to be a tutorial mission, unfortunately focused on the aforementioned stealth elements, the overall goal, especially the secondary mission goals, seem to be outright impossible with the guide of the game. Admittedly, if you're clever, you can get around this by ignoring the tutorial, but the point is that it seems to me to be a huge oversight when a tutorial doesn't actually lead to success, at least when it's intention is supposed to be success.

    Though the game technically works, it has not aged well. The game is slow and plodding and the action is pretty underwhelming. Damage seems completely randomized, ranging from one hit kills (for no apparent reason) to barely scratching the enemy with the same attack an instant later, and, though you can technically react to the situations that play out, I never found anything more useful than letting my character auto-beat the hell out of the enemy with my only input being to tell him which enemy. Though there are many skills to choose, and many characters, it all just seems pointless.

    This game just suffers from age. The mechanics are either boring or don't work, and, though it has a fantastic setting and voice acting (that really captures that comic book world) it doesn't manage to deliver on the action that should accompany that. It's just overall a disappointing game.    … Expand
  3. namDa65
    Mar 11, 2012
    6
    By modern standards, this rpg/linear rpg thingy feels bland and not fun. The graphics and art style are great, as well as the voice acting. I just can't continue playing. This game has not aged to well in the gameplay department.
  4. Marko
    May 16, 2005
    9
    This is one of the more convincing games out there with excellent atmosphere, humor, graphics, voice acting and hip 60's music. The gameplay is nearly as good and I love that you can create your own custom characters (to fit your personality and gaming style) to recruit later. This is an instant classic.
  5. TheMan
    May 25, 2007
    10
    The best comic book game I have ever played and I've played a lot. The graphics are striking and the sound gives you a versatile experience. It runs smooth as silk and I can honestly say that no comic book game I have played could even compare to Freedom Force.
  6. CL1CKS
    Apr 15, 2012
    5
    I won't lie, what completely ruined this game for me is the control scheme. I know its opinion but still. I just don't do point and click with a game like this.
  7. CarlosG.
    Mar 30, 2002
    8
    Game is good, but if it was great, I wouldn't be writing this, I would be playing it.
  8. K.Blankenship
    Apr 1, 2002
    9
    After waiting for 6 long months I can now say that I REALLY love this game!! Everything I had hoped for is there: bright exciting characters, great powers and fun, Diablo styled adventuring. This game is for anyone who grew up reading and loving comic books!! And it played without a single glitch on my 2 year old system! Something NO other game I've bought (except NOX) can boast! After waiting for 6 long months I can now say that I REALLY love this game!! Everything I had hoped for is there: bright exciting characters, great powers and fun, Diablo styled adventuring. This game is for anyone who grew up reading and loving comic books!! And it played without a single glitch on my 2 year old system! Something NO other game I've bought (except NOX) can boast! It's nice to see a game that doesn't need a patch straight out of the box! I would give this game a perfect 10 but I haven't played it long enough (or online yet!) to rate it that high, but mark my words.. if it continues to play this well - I'll rate it an 11 when I'm done. Its a polished jewel!!!… Expand
  9. ChristianB.
    Feb 23, 2004
    10
    The Best super hero game i ever played. The chance to customly create your own hero is great.
  10. AndrewJ.
    Feb 4, 2004
    10
    This is the most fun I've had in ages playing a PC game. I hope they bring out some expansion packs!!
  11. QuitBeingStupid
    Oct 30, 2013
    9
    Loved the content. Lots of characters and each very diverse. None of the premade characters are overpowered. Long storyline. Interactive/Destructible environment.Game has tons of replayability. Having a "danger room" adds to that replayability. Allowing the gaming community to add ingame skins, mods, sound effects, seemlessly is one of the greatest features to make that game unique withLoved the content. Lots of characters and each very diverse. None of the premade characters are overpowered. Long storyline. Interactive/Destructible environment.Game has tons of replayability. Having a "danger room" adds to that replayability. Allowing the gaming community to add ingame skins, mods, sound effects, seemlessly is one of the greatest features to make that game unique with every run through.
    Was going to rate it 9/10 simply because the controls (especially the camera) are a bit clunky without any modifications. However, all the easily available freebees prvided by players (listed above) and the ease with which they can be implemented/utilized overcomes the one glaring annoyance.    … Expand
  12. skyflyerjen
    Mar 26, 2014
    9
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Freedom Force is fun, addictive, and funny! The variety of environments (snowy hills, different parts of the city, underground areas, etc.) were so welcomed. Not only that, the different enemies you encounter are so vast! And the damage they do varies so well. Ice Warriors for Nuclear Winter either shoot ice bullets at you or use rays that knock you off of your feet. The voice acting makes me smile because it's campy... yet it's awesome.
    My favorites were Man O' War, El Diablo (nobody else uses fire so effectively), Man-Bot, and The Ant (shoving baddies off of buildings is so satisfying, as well as using his acid bomb).
    My main problem with the game, though, is how slow some of the characters are. If Minuteman is on a quest with, say, Man-Bot, you can bet Man-Bot won't be lending much help. Eve and Microwave are the same... they have powers which can help out a lot but sometimes you'll be waiting for them to just GET THERE already! With some missions being timed in a way (like stopping the robots from destroying a certain amount of buildings) this can really mess you up.
    But when it comes down to it, Freedom Force is a wonderful adventure that I'll take again and again!    … Expand
  13. Toniki7
    Nov 8, 2022
    10
    Incredible game. Compelling experience from start to end. If you like games in this genre you must play it.
  14. Genek13
    Nov 19, 2019
    8
    Unique hack & slash kind of game in comic style.
    Very fun to play back then, with interesting story and characters.

Awards & Rankings

8
#8 Best PC Game of 2002
38
#38 Most Discussed PC Game of 2002
23
#23 Most Shared PC Game of 2002

Critic Reviews

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Metascore
90

Universal acclaim - based on 27 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 26 out of 27
  2. Mixed: 1 out of 27
  3. Negative: 0 out of 27
  1. Gamer's Pulse
    88
    A satisfying single-player campaign along with an incredibly engaging character creation system, however, makes this one a heartily recommended buy.
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  2. IGN
    93
    The game's clever design and meticulously well-thought out, considerate presentation are accentuated by innovative gameplay that professionally melds the genres of RPG and strategy into a completely interactive and lively world.
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  3. Adrenaline Vault
    90
    Freedom Force oozes polish and personality from every pixel.
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