January 10, 2025 marks a milestone moment for fans of PSVita and Freedom Wars. Ten years after its original release on the late Sony laptop, the game returns in a remastered form which gives pride of place to improved graphics, refined gameplay mechanics, and a smoother gaming experience.
Don’t touch that, Panopticon!
Since its original release on PlayStation Vita a decade ago, Freedom Wars has remained a cult title for a certain niche of players. Today, the game returns in a remastered version, available on PS4, PS5, Switch and PC. Developed by Dimps, under the direction of Takashi Tsukamoto, this remaster retains the essence of the original game while bringing some more current improvements.
It is said that Takashi Tsukamoto has long harbored the desire to make a sequel to Freedom Wars. This remaster therefore represents an opportunity for him to reintroduce the game to a wider audience and, who knows, to lay the foundations for a potential sequel.
The remastered game incorporates modernized features, such as a full French version and graphical optimizations, while remaining true to its DNA. The plot of Freedom Wars is anchored in a dystopian future where overpopulation has led humans to live in Panopticons, mega-prison structures monitoring each individual. In this universe, society divides the inhabitants into two groups: the citizens and the “culprits”. The latter are forced to participate in dangerous missions to redeem their sentence of a million years, for having come into the world. A barely veiled criticism of certain excesses of our modern societies that will be all the more chilling in 2025.
We play an amnesiac prisoner sentenced to a staggering sentence of nearly a million years… for having lost his memories following a confrontation. This punitive absurdity highlights the injustice of a system that leaves no room for error. Each right – even the most basic ones like sleeping lying down or running for more than 10 seconds – must be acquired in exchange for points obtained through the success of your missions. Throughout the adventure, your progress will depend on your ability to complete missions and redistribute your earnings to reduce your sentence. It’s up to you to keep what you need after each battle and give enough to your Panopticon to reduce your sentence and move up in class…
Coming from a time when Sony was looking for its own Monster Hunter on portable (we also remember Soul Sacrifice), the gameplay of Freedom Wars Remastered is largely inspired by the Capcom title, with clashes against gigantic creatures called kidnappers. These fights offer a certain originality thanks to the introduction of new mechanics, such as the use of the “bramble”. This multifunction tool allows you to climb on enemies, make them fall or even disarm them by cutting up their different elements to weaken them or recover parts. Different brambles are at your disposal, some of which allow you to heal your allies.
However, a certain repetitiveness in the confrontations can set in. If the fights against the kidnappers remain dynamic and fun thanks to their strategic approach, the missions where you face human enemies lack challenge and interest. That said, note that the kidnappers, although imposing, sometimes have excessive life bars, making the confrontations often take far too long for nothing.
-The game borrows elements from the RPG genre, particularly in equipment management. Weapons, whether light, heavy, or white, can be upgraded, combined, and customized. This depth encourages grinding, since missions must often be repeated to collect the materials needed for upgrades. Fortunately, the game makes it clear where to find each resource, limiting frustration. But I personally find that it quickly becomes repetitive. And this slowness also impacts the narration.
The story of Freedom Wars unfolds slowly, even too slowly. The scenario, although intriguing in its broad outlines, suffers from a progression that is far too fragmented. The dialogues and narrative scenes occur sporadically, which I found frustrating even then, but even more so now, especially since the back and forth loads of loading times are legion. However, certain elements, like the mysterious “blondie” that you save, suggest interesting twists and turns, but you will have to be patient and adhere to the gameplay of the game.
The Freedom Wars universe is rich, but it would have benefited from being explored more. The themes covered deserve to be explored in greater depth to offer a more memorable experience. In addition, certain plot twists are quickly guessed. The appearance of a mysterious young woman adds a dose of intrigue, but it is difficult not to anticipate certain twists. Despite everything, if we stick to the gameplay, this slow narrative progression maintains a certain interest, especially thanks to the richness of the universe.
From a visual point of view, Freedom Wars Remastered shows notable improvements over the original version on Vita. The textures are sharper, and the fluidity has been optimized so that everything looks more pleasant on the big screen. However, the game retains its vintage aesthetic and slow and frustrating progression system. I find that from this point of view, the experience could have been streamlined to better meet current standards. Did I say I found progress slow?
The soundtrack, for its part, remains faithful to the original and perfectly accompanies the action, without particularly standing out.
Related News :