For those of you who owned a PlayStation Vita — and judging by the handheld's sales, that wasn't many — you may recall a game called Freedom Wars. Even if you didn't own a Vita, the name might sound familiar as it was one of the biggest hits on the now-defunct console.
Released in 2014, Freedom Wars was an action role-playing game set in a distant future where the majority of humankind is imprisoned in penal city-states, called Panopticons, that wage war against one another. Playing as a prisoner in a Panopticon facility, it's revealed that you must fight massive Abductors (giant mechanic monsters that roam the Earth) to reduce your million-year sentence.
Freedom Wars is considered to be one of the best games released for the PlayStation Vita, and now it's coming to consoles and PC. Freedom Wars Remastered will be released on January 10, 2024 for PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, Nintendo Switch, and PC via Steam.
The game will feature numerous enhancements, including 4K resolution, upgraded textures, and 60 frames per second for current gen platforms. The weapon crafting system has also been completely overhauled and new difficulty settings have been added.
Of course, all of the beloved features from the original game return as well, including three-dimensional combat using the Thorn to quickly traverse the battlefield and attack to Abductors, dismantling these defeated Abductors to harvest parts required to craft and upgrade your equipment, and deep character customization. Co-op gameplay also returns as you'll be able to hunt Abductors online with friends.
For those completely unfamiliar with Freedom Wars, here's Bandai Namco's description:
In the distant future, humanity is in a struggle to survive. Pollution has devastated the planet, and the remnants of humanity are divided amongst city-sized prisons called Panopticons. So scarce are resources that living itself is a crime and those born are immediately given a million years of prison time. Dubbed “Sinners” the only option other than awaiting death in prison is to fight for freedom with allies for resources, to rescue citizens from abduction by rival enemies, or take up arms against other enemy Sinners.
In gameplay that stays true to the widely acclaimed original, players must venture forth into combat to survive. Fortunately, they are given Thorn weapons to help traverse the world and subdue enemies. Thorns allow for fluid three-dimensional movement by jumping and grabbing onto terrain. Players can choose weapons with unique abilities to either set traps, provide healing or increase defense. Thorns can also subdue enemies, even severing limbs or arms for additional resources. As players try to reduce their prison sentence, materials scrounged or taken from fallen enemies on the battlefield can be used to upgrade weapons.
The Panopticon is its own entity – players will come to understand and navigate through their prison environment and use Entitlement Points earned from volunteering for combat to claim new rights from their wardens, such as the ability to run for five seconds or to recline while seated. The wardens are fully customizable android accessories that can even accompany players into battle under their ever-watchful eyes. The Panopticon’s community of prisoners will be crucial to survival…missions support up to four Sinners either AI-controlled NPCs or with other players in online co-op. Band together to take on more difficult combat missions, and gradually reduce the million years of incarceration in a life-or-death fight for freedom.
Freedom Wars Remastered arrives on January 10, 2024 for PlayStation, Nintendo Switch, and Steam