Freedom Wars Remastered gives a PlayStation Vita classic a new chance at finding an audience on current consoles and PC, and is well worth a look for Monster Hunter fansTech16:01, 08 Jan 2025Combat is fun, if a little clumsy(Image: Dimps Corporation/Bandai Namco)Freedom Wars was one of the brightest parts of the PlayStation Vitas software library when it launched back in 2014, bringing a unique narrative conceit and fun, bite-sized missions that felt perfect for a handheld.Reborn again on console and PC in 2025 with a Remaster, some of the games idiosyncrasies work against it, but it remains a fun, Monster Hunter -esque romp thats kept me logging in to whittle down my sentence throughout the review period.It still feels better suited to a handheld, but if you've never played before it's a great way to check out a title that deserved better back in 2014.Building a loadout is great fun(Image: Dimps Corporation/Bandai Namco)After a decade-long gap, you can be forgiven for not knowing what Freedom Wars is all about. Set in a dystopia where humanity is kept under the thumb of a watchful government in cities called Panopticons.Panopticons rival each other for resources, and anyone stepping out of line is branded a Sinner, doomed to spend comically large amounts of time in prison cells. Each crime carries its own penalty, and early on your character opts to lay down for a nap rather than stay seated, adding an extra decade onto your already six-digit prison sentence.Its a hokey Orwellian nightmare that occasionally revels in its own silliness, and while character voice acting is fine , its definitely the storys staging that had me logging in regularly and the fun combat, too, of course.With almost a million years on your prison sentence, your Sinner is sent on missions for the totalitarian government to earn early release. Each successful sortie brings your sentence closer to zero, with more challenging ones unlocking as you tick down the total. Its a fun inversion of trying to climb up the ranks of other action RPGs of this ilk.The game is best played with friends(Image: Dimps Corporation/Bandai Namco)Missions play out similarly to Monster Hunter or God Eater, with players picking a loadout and heading into relatively small arenas to gather resources and fight enemies before extracting.Sinners have ranged and melee weapons to choose from, and each has module slots that can be used to increase stats, and youll need them for the games tougher encounters.Some missions focus on dealing with other humans (and fellow prisoners), but Freedom Wars is at its best when it pits you against huge biomechanical beasts called Abductors that capture civilians like classic Doctor Robotnik inventions from Sonic games.These require a team effort to take down, as you draw its fire, search for weak spots, and try to shoot off its key components. Doing so earns you better rewards (more on that in a moment), but in the short term will make fights easier, too.Sinners are equipped with a Thorn, a futuristic grappling hook used for traversal, but also for tugging Abductors down, or climbing atop them. It gives everything a more kinetic feel, but it can feel clumsy at first.Sadly, I did feel melee combat never really starts to feel any less clunky. Ranged weapons have a satisfying kick and recoil patterns, but getting in close I found myself accidentally darting past enemies I was trying to hit. Its not on the same level as Monster Hunter, but the way you can switch between ranged and close-quarters combat certainly helps make up for that.Characters' sentences are always displayed between missions(Image: Dimps Corporation/Bandai Namco)Once you take down your foes, or scour the (relatively basic) environments for materials, you have the option to donate them to your Panopticon in exchange for currency to buy Entitlements, which can unlock additional weapons and even AI comrades.You can also keep them for yourself, using them to craft better gear, and the decision-making of whether to retool your own loadout or work towards something longer-term is a fun one Ive not seen any other game offer.It helps that missions can be relatively bite-sized, meaning you can fly through a few in an hour or so, helping the cause and grinding for what you need. Its a hangover from the games handheld origins, but it makes me think its the ideal game for the Steam Deck or Switch as a result.I played on PS5, however, and while the bump in resolution is appreciated, theres no denying the game looks its age. Still, it runs well, but similar to the Final Fantasy 7 Crisis Core Remaster, its clear its flatter, squarer arenas were developed with much less powerful hardware in mind.Article continues belowFreedom Wars Remastered gives an under-appreciated gem another chance at pulling an audience, and its mix of unique narrative concept and varied combat make it well worth a look.Reviewed on PlayStation 5. Review code provided by the publisher.RECOMMENDED