Freedom Wars Remastered review: Time to get to work, Sinner

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Freedom Wars commences with such intense hostility that it seems as if it’s a deeply personal matter. You find yourself incarcerated in a cramped cell, guilty of nothing more than existing. In this world, you are considered a burden on resources, and you cannot enjoy the privileges of citizenship until you fulfill your sentence spanning a million years. Any instance of prolonged standing, conversing with an officer, or resting results in additional penalties. The sole means to progress is by slaying colossal monsters to provide the resources essential for your community’s survival. Upon playing this game for the first time on PlayStation Vita, I was left thinking: “The creator of this game must have served time, indeed.

Vita means life, and big monsters to fight for parts

It came as quite a shock to discover that Freedom Wars Remastered entered the arena! In North America, it’s considered a cult classic, but its position in history is peculiar. During the heyday of the Vita, there was almost a competition among studios to create the next Monster Hunter equivalent. This was long before Monster Hunter World gained worldwide acclaim, and the Vita wasn’t particularly popular either. Consequently, this endeavor didn’t gain much traction, although Bandai Namco’s God Eater managed to endure.

Hey there, gaming enthusiasts! Let me share a gem of a title I’ve recently rediscovered – Freedom Wars, developed by Dimps and published by Sony back in the day. With Japan Studio (may they rest in peace) lending a hand during development and its captivating prison-themed setting, it’s no wonder this game caught some eyes back then. Now, it’s under the watch of Bandai Namco, which piques my curiosity about what lies ahead for this unique title. But we don’t need to dwell on the future; instead, let’s focus on the present. Thanks to its availability on thriving platforms, there are way more gamers like us who can now experience the thrill of Freedom Wars for the very first time!

We love the loop

Experiencing Freedom Wars as a player has been an exhilarating ride! While it shares some concepts with Monster Hunter, it also introduces unique elements like a grappling hook/anime-inspired thorn gimmick that serves multiple purposes. I find myself swinging around the environment, reminiscent of Attack on Titan, or trying to pull monsters off balance, and even lending a helping hand to my teammates in various scenarios. My absolute favorite feature is the ability to zip onto the monsters themselves, where a special command allows me to hack away at vulnerable areas. The whole experience is incredibly fast-paced and intense, which makes it quite the opposite of Monster Hunter’s more deliberate, realistic (ish) gameplay.

In the opening stages, Freedom Wars seemed poised to deliver on its intriguing premise about a prison system. However, as the game progresses, the initial ‘Cool Prison Story’ transforms into something more absurd and complex, lacking the depth promised for commentary on imprisonment and labor. Instead, you encounter high-concept genre elements, with an adversary reminiscent of Gundam’s Char Aznable but falling short in terms of cool factor. The ending was over-the-top and awkwardly presented, leaving even hardcore gamers perplexed, and the events leading up to it were not particularly captivating either. Despite this, the enjoyable gameplay mechanics remain the main draw.

We don’t love the loot

Despite the enjoyable nature of the loop, the advancement system lacks sustainability and often falls short before reaching the end. There are merely three categories of melee weapons, and though there are a few more firearms, their versatility doesn’t compare. Enhancing your character primarily depends on obtaining rare items through luck (or compromising with less desirable options) and utilizing enemy components to upgrade as your capacity expands. Eventually, you encounter a stage where items become scarce, forcing you to grind for minuscule drop rates. The game’s balance is generally maintained if you persist during the story, but it can be disheartening to repeatedly run levels in search of the ideal drops, especially since there isn’t an in-game system to track which enemies drop specific items (or if one exists, locating it can be confusingly challenging within the game’s multiple main menus).

Despite my enjoyment while playing Freedom Wars, it’s challenging to delve deeper into its aspects due to its unique qualities. It truly embodies the essence of PlayStation Vita games as it experiments with various concepts and executes some exceptionally well. However, other elements don’t quite gel together as seamlessly.

Before Capcom achieved success with Monster Hunter World, Freedom Wars was still finding its footing, working to build its own momentum. The gameplay, featuring team-based monster hunting and gear upgrading, offers hours of entertaining fun. Yet, the narrative falls short despite a promising beginning, leaving a sense of dissatisfaction as a result. Additionally, it lacks the depth that keeps players engaged beyond the primary gameplay loop.

In essence, Freedom Wars provides an enjoyable experience but may not stand the test of time due to its storytelling and overall content limitations. I might deserve a stint in jail for that pun!

On January 10, 2025, you can enjoy Freedom Wars Remastered across multiple platforms: PC, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, and PlayStation 5. For this review, we received a code for the PC version directly from the publisher.

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2025-01-08 18:27