In the second of our series championing existing last-gen PlayStation games to be elevated to the lofty heights of PS3, our second PSU staffer delves to the back of his games cupboard.
Name: Jason Fentiman
PSU role: Editor-in-chief
Age: [cough!]
Game title: Freedom Fighters (PS2)
Publisher/Developer: Electronic Arts/Io Interactive
Release date: 2003
Synopsis
A squad-based shooter, set in an alternate reality where the Russians win the Cold War and invade the US.
Why is it great?
Simple controls, a fantastic setting, an evolving main character (grows from a NYC plumber into a hardened hero of the resistance), explosive combat and what’s more it was developed by Hitman creators, Io. What’s not to like?
What would a PS3 remake/sequel add?
Has to be a remake, unless you make the leap of faith that the US is invaded AGAIN and beaten down by someone else (Vietnam? Korea? Canada? Mexico?). A next gen version could offer the free-roaming play that was hinted at, but missing from the PS2 version (a Cold War version of Xbox 360’s Crackdown?). The PS3’s online capabilities could see co-ordinated attacks from co-op players taking down massive enemy installations (a red infested White House? Area 51? Pearl Harbor?).
The added scope of Blu-ray Disc could see the game going wider than the US, showing the French Resistance, the British Underground (not the trains!) and maybe even Democratic Russian fighters battling the "red menace". Freedom Fighters next-gen could also do what Resistance: Fall of Man failed to achieve and that’s bring the alternate history setting to life. OMG! I must go and play the original!
Another PSU champion will be entering the arena soon, but let us know the gaming gladiators you’d like to see fight for a place on PS3 in our comments section below.