Freedom Force vs The 3rd Reich

[Matt]

I recently got my hands on this PC game and played through it so I thought it best if I share my thoughts.

I loved the original game - it was ground breaking for it's time and can still be counted as being one of the best superhero based games ever produced.

Therefore my expectations were extremely high for the sequel.

The sequel is every bit as good as the original.
But that's where the main problem is.

Sure, the graphics engine was updated and some new powers thrown in but that was really about it - it played just like the original and there wasn't any additions that were jaw dropping.
Yes, some of the new powers were quite nice but it just seemed more of an expansion pack than an entirely new game. I would have expected to see more new powers and some greater changes to existing ones (eg, a damage reduction power instead of the rather odd damage blocking invunerability system the game uses).
Bigger squad sizes, better multiplayer and rumble room options should have been included but weren't which is a pity.

Don't get me wrong, it is a great game and I do recommend it.

The plot is great though the emergence of the games final baddie could be seen a mile off and that baddy was probably far too easy to defeat. Graphics quality is quite nice and added details such as the rubble left over from collapsed buildings is well done.

There's one mission which requires the use of a character who can teleport yet there's no mention of this during the team selection - so if you didn't happen to pick one (the ant, tombstone, green genie) then you have to abandon to mission which would be quite annoying.

It's a solid game which is still the best superhero game out (unless you want to fork out $15/month) but don't go in expecting all that many additions over the original Freedom Force.

[Metaphysician]

Odd, I coulda sworn I saw something saying it did have a Danger Room mode. Am I thinking of something other than what you are??

[regnak]

Odd, I coulda sworn I saw something saying it did have a Danger Room mode. Am I thinking of something other than what you are??

It's called the Rumble Room now. Marvel must have objected to Danger room.

[Matt]

Yes, it does have a rumble room mode but the options available in it are rather limited.

[JKCarrier]

There's one mission which requires the use of a character who can teleport yet there's no mention of this during the team selection - so if you didn't happen to pick one (the ant, tombstone, green genie) then you have to abandon to mission which would be quite annoying.

Are you talking about Blitzkrieg's headquarters? If so, there's plenty of ways to get through that without teleporting.

Spoilers:

The first person who walks through one of the hypno-spheres gets hypnotized. Then the sphere disappears for a brief period, which gives one of your other heroes a chance to run through the door and flip the "off" switch. The hypnosis doesn't last long, so it's not hard to just avoid or wait out the hypnotized character until it wears off. Send in someone slow like Mentor or Microwave, and they probably won't even get a shot off before retuning to normal.

end spoilers

[Grazzt]

Another thing:

Spoilers:
You can also fly over the hypno-orbs. I did it with Green Genie and/or Man o' War. For the orb in front of a door (you had to be on the ground to open the door), I set it off using Tricolour, then used Eve to stasis her so that she couldn't hurt anyone, then had Green Genie open the door. Even teleporting wouldn't have helped with that one though.
End Spoilers

I liked this one slightly better than the original. Everybody having useful zero-energy powers was a bonus. There was less micromanaging since you could normally just pick whichever zero-energy power was most useful in the given situation, then sprinkle in one-use more expensive powers as needed. I loved the new characters, particularly Tricolour, Green Genie, and Tombstone. The personalities were more engaging this time around, particularly Sea Urchin who gets several good lines of dialogue. Oh, and Entropy's costume rocked hard. :D

For the inevitable sequal, who do you want the plot to focus around? Mentor gets a lot of face time in the briefings, but he generally just serves as exposition so it would be nice to see him get his own subplot. Same thing with El Diablo. Man o' War is another one I'd like to see get a decent subplot, or perhaps Law & Order.

[Matt]

I have to admit, I really liked Tombstone and Sky King.

Next character for game focus? Well, we've had Man Bot and Alchemiss so far ... Hmm, if it were up to me I'd bump Liberty Lad off and have Minute Man go bad, an event which would shock the entire team completely and make Freedom Force split up for a while.

Supercollider hasn't got any attention so I'd look at him a little but the game would, if it were up to me, focus more on Law & Order.

Mentor ... I don't like the character. He seems to know everything but he's pretty useless in actual combat and I can't look at him without thinking 'Oh, it's the Martian Manhunter'.

[regnak]

Mentor can be very effective with his electron blast against certain late game enemies.(w of c) He can drop em in 2 shots whereas other character have to do at least 3 attacks.

[Draconomicon]

Well, got the game.
The introduction was kinda weak, but Godzilla Winter was cool.

Now, after having played a while, I am not anymore happy with the game.
The Nazis are called "germans" all the time, instead of Nazis.
On one guy they had the current german flag shown... I really dont like how this tastes...

[Copper]

I have to admit, I really liked Tombstone and Sky King.

Next character for game focus? Well, we've had Man Bot and Alchemiss so far ... Hmm, if it were up to me I'd bump Liberty Lad off and have Minute Man go bad, an event which would shock the entire team completely and make Freedom Force split up for a while.

Supercollider hasn't got any attention so I'd look at him a little but the game would, if it were up to me, focus more on Law & Order.

Mentor ... I don't like the character. He seems to know everything but he's pretty useless in actual combat and I can't look at him without thinking 'Oh, it's the Martian Manhunter'.

A story focusing on Bullet sounds pretty fun as well. :D