Before Sonic Mania/ Sonic Mania Plus, many fans were begging SEGA for a traditional 2D Sonic game. No Sonic Forces, Sonic Boom or any type of games like that. They wanted a wanted an old fashion 2D sprite based platformer that can go fast. While there were some indie games that tried to deliver that type of experience, they didn’t really capture that same spirit. One fan game turned original work did and that was Freedom Planet.
Freedom Planet was developed by Galaxy Trail Games, founded by Stephen DiDuro. At first the game was to be an homage to Sonic. However along the way he changed everything due to him felling that, “it was a waste of time because I was ultimately creating something in the shadow of an established franchise and that it would never truly be my own work.”
Power of friendship
Perfect fit on the Switch- So far in its first year, the Switch has quickly bolstered its library of games, both digital and physical. A good number of these games are either ports or remasters. Some of these releases make sense, while others leave me wondering what is Nintendo thinking sometimes. Freedom Planet is the former. In fact its a perfect fit for the Switch. The reason I think its a perfect fit may be subjective, but once you experience its 16-bit inspired graphics, the gameplay, and sound design/music all in a portable package you too will also agree with this statement. Yes, Freedom Planet has been released on several other platforms and play just the same, however when played on the Switch you will get this feeling that the game really belongs on the Switch.
Art design is amazing- As I mentioned before, Freedom Planet started out as a Sonic fan/tribute game. That is until DIDuro decided to change everything so that the game would be all original instead another derivative work based on a successful franchise. This change started with the main heroines designs re-designed by Chinese artist ZiyoLing, with Lilac getting redesigned from a hedgehog to a dragon. The characters weren’t the only things that got redesigned. The various areas that the game takes place in were redesigned with traditional Chinese aesthetic in mind. Mix in a sc-fi/ futuristic vibe, and Freedom Planet is one of the more unique looking 2D sprite platformers that I’ve played and a feast for the eyes.
Three different ways to play-Much like Sonic & Knuckles, there are three different characters that you can play as: Lilac the water dragon, Carol the wildcat and Millia the basset hound. Each of these girls plays very differently from each other; Lilac uses her vary own style of martial arts to attack enemies. This moves include a dive kick, a charged upper cut, a charge attack called Dragon Boost and can use her twin ponytails as whips. Carol also has her vary own martial art style that incorporates her wildcat nature and ninja skills, such as pounces, wall jumps, and claw based attacks. In addition to this, she also has the ability to ride a motorcycle and is able to attack while riding and even use the motorcycle itself to attack enemies. As for Millia, she’s the weakest one of the trio of friends, but that doesn’t mean she’s any less capable. Using the power of alchemy, can create phantom cube and throw them at enemies. She can also create small shield bursts to attack enemies as well. Even though each of the girls have different styles of play, the over all gameplay for each of them is solid. As each of them progress through the story, each of them start to gain upgraded moves. Depending on which character is pick, the way the player traverses the stage is different for the most part.
Awesome sound track- The music of Freedom Planet has to be one of my new favorite chiptuned/retro inspired original sound tracks. Each track is unique to the various stages that are in the game. For example each cut scene has its own unique music track that differs from the stage that it is taking place in. Also each of the characters in the game, both important NPCs and the three playable characters, have their own themes. It reminds me a whole lot of Sonic 2 & 3’s soundtrack, which were the best ost in the Sonic series.
Three points of view- The story of Freedom Planet is told through the eyes of the three heroines, Lilac, Carol and Millia. While for the most part the main plot of the story is to stop the evil Lord Brevon from stealing an object called the Kingdom Stone to power his ship, we get to see the story develop through the eyes of each of the girls. For example, Lilac’s story route has her constantly chasing after Lord Brevon and his minions in order to recover the Kingdom Stone. Carol follows the same route, but at various parts of her route she argues with Lilac and part ways with her. As for Millia, there are some sections where she escapes and tries to find a way out to free her friends, and follows the same route as Lilac and Carol at certain points in the game.
Extra modes- In addition to the main story mode, there are two other modes that players can go through. The first mode is the arcade mode. This mode for those who just want to play through the game without the cut scenes. This is similar to how most classic Sonic games were. The second mode is a time trial mode. Here players can pick one of the girls to go through trials. Some of them are hit the target stages and others are straight up speed runs. This really puts players’s skills to the test to see who can complete the stage the fastest. Both are fun diversions from the main story.
The only thing that I didn’t like about Freedom Planet was there were several events in the game’s story that had lackluster resolutions. I would expand more, but that’s leading into spoiler territory. With that being said, Freedom Planet, in my opinion, the best non-Sonic game out and one of the best indie 2D platformers on the Switch right now. The mix of a sci-fi and traditional art design is great, the redesigned characters are cute and memorable, the gameplay for all three girls is spot on and the fact that you can experience the story through each of their perspectives is a great touch. Add in extra modes and an awesome soundtrack and Freedom Planet shows why its a perfect fit for the Switch. If you are looking for a game that has the spirit of Sonic but with its own original feel, I highly recommend Freedom Planet.
