Great game! Epic storyline! Free Manhattan!
Plot -not to get too political, but the story in Freedom Fighters could've happened (or could, maybe). Probably not exactly like the game (because the main character is a freaking plumber) but the premise itself - the Soviet Union "winning" the Cold War by developing the nuclear bomb first, then slowly spreading its communist forces across the globe. Something to that effect is a possibility.
The funniest realization is that you are a plumber & your fat brother gets kidnapped, along with a lady who is the leader of an underground freedom alliance... Luigi saving Mario & the Princess, perhaps? Yeah, you know it's funny.
Anyway, on to the game itself. The storyline is ok - there are a few obvious plot twists but it's still an exciting game. You get tossed right into the action armed with nothing but a monkey wrench and you must find your way to safety - with a little help via a quick "live tutorial." The base of operations serves as the safe haven between (and during) missions, letting you switch between available weapons & choose which level to tackle next. The order in which you complete each level is up to you but certain goals involving hopping from level to level make the ultimate victory just a little easier.
Graphics & Sounds - in-game graphics are nice. Detail of the environment & details of the people are all really good. Lighting effects, weather effects, etc, all well done. The cinematics aren't the best but they aren't "cheap," either. And the sounds are stellar. Explosions, guns, melee whackings, windows shattering, even the sounds of your spent bullet shells hitting the floor. Good voice-acting & no repetitive in-game dialogue (although it's hard to tell if the the enemy yelling in Russian is repetitive since i don't understand Russian & even their English has a heavy accent).
Music is enjoyable and adds to the overall mood. Not a lot of variety but it didn't bother me. There's some sort of russian techno that blends in & out of some freedom booster melody, then whenever you accomplish a goal there's a dramatic orchestra symphony as a symbol of a job-well-done. Can't explain it better than that.
Controls - i got used to them pretty quick, even the oddball jump/climb being the left trigger. Wtf? The longer i played, though, it became really handy; i found myself doing 3 things often - running, shooting & jumping.
A quirky glitch, though, is when you zoom/aim while too close to a corner or window sill, your character looks like he's having a violent seizure, although your aim isn't at all affected.
Giving commands to your squad is simple, having only 3 orders to give. And for a little spice, they provide the option of giving a command to the entire squad or just one person, although i have yet to find a reason to only give one person a command.
A.I. - enemy & friendly AI is surprisingly good. When not being commanded, your buddies handle themselves pretty well - finding cover, shooting in bursts, and are actually able to follow you without getting hung up in a corner somewhere (although i've seen some fall off ledges & out windows on accident). Sometimes, even their personalities seem different - some will seek cover immediately while others are crazy gung-ho and charge right in.
The enemy is just as smart. They find cover & fire in bursts, they try to sneak up on you and sometimes they'll charge in and sweep you right out (i've died that way more than once). There's also enemy squad commanders that seem to give commands. They'll spot you then wave their own troops over to attack. And the commanders are really out to get you - the shotgun toters will tuck & roll from behind a wall & pump a few shells into you. However, i've discovered that snipers don't take full advantage of their range. I've been able to snipe snipers simply by moving maybe 20 ft out of whatever their programmed range seems to be.
Overall, great gaming experience. Plot progresses well, characters are diverse, controls are easy to get used to and the action is dramatic & intense.