E3 2014: ‘Freedom Wars’ Is Gracefully Becoming The Vita’s Diamond In The Rough

The Playstation Vita is a peripheral given to two opinions, one out of ignorance and the other out of experience. Ignorance claims there are no worthwhile games to justify purchasing a handheld priced over $200. Experience however claims the latter, but must also accept its niche status. It isn’t that the tag team of developers and publishers haven’t tried to silence, or at least limit, the criticism of the Vita, it’s just the games generally fail to meet expectations. Project Siren tried with Gravity Rush. Comcept tried with Soul Sacrifice. Even Guerilla Cambridge tried with Killzone Mercenary. Despite all three games ranging from likable to phenomenal, they failed to assist in making the Vita a successful system, like Monster Hunter Frontier did for the Xbox 360 for one month… in Japan.

Now a new game is arriving over the horizon, heralded by three developers, SCE Japan Studios, Shift, and Dimps. The game which may become the Vita’s Diamond in the Rough: Freedom Wars.

In an article by IGN, plenty of the games features were presented fashionably at E3 2014. At its central core of Freedom Wars is the exciting plot (well the details given to us) which revolves around a futuristic, post-apocalyptic society where resources are naturally scarce for a large population that is exponentially growing. In order to counter these economic issues, a faceless government makes society a dystopian nightmare with Orwellian laws and punishments. This includes million year prison sentences for minor crimes. Can you believe that? Can you imagine a million year prison sentence for pirating one licensed song off the internet?

To lessen the horrendously long prison sentence, prisoners are given tasks to complete on behalf of the government. This is where your character comes in. You are given tasks to complete to earnestly lessen your time in prison, though it may be a slow and sure process.

Respectively, Freedom Wars may look and sound like a clone of the Monster Hunter Series by Capcom. To be honest, there have been plenty of games arriving on this, and the past generation, of handhelds that try to copy the success Monster Hunter has accumulated. Lord of Arcana, God Eater Burst, Ragnarok Odyssey, Phantasy Star Portable, and even Soul Sacrifice borrow heavily from the original blueprint created by Capcom. It is understandable why Freedom Wars will follow in replicating the formula, but they also innovate it by adding features that garner a unique experience. It simply isn’t just adding lustrous attachments to the Monster Hunter formula.

Destructoid does a fine job analyzing some of these stand-out features. First, there is more movement in the game. The addition of a grappling hook allows for characters to traverse vertical structures but can also be used as a form of immobilization against enemies by trapping them on the ground so other players can assault them freely. As for weaponry, they are scattered about the field. They range from hand-to-hand combat weaponry, perfect for players who like to get in nice and close, and guns for those who prefer to camp and fire.

The main campaign in Freedom Wars is 25 hours long average, with great mission-based multiplayer and bonus full-length action RPG on the side. The coup de grâce is the eight-player online co-op. Previously on other games like Monster Hunter, parties consisted of only four players. Having eight players on a team adds to the excitement of the mission, but may also be a sign that it is necessary. There might be missions that require eight players simply to survive.

Freedom Wars will be releasing on the Playstation Vita, and quite possibly be available on Playstation TV, which was reported to support Vita games here on The Inquisitr, later on this year. Technically, it is still considered “to be announced for 2014,” but it is expected to be out sometime in the Autumn season.

[Images via Freedom Wars Promotions]