Flames of Freedom
Encyclopedia
Flames of Freedom is a first-person shooter
action role-playing game
with simulation elements published by MicroProse
in 1991 for PC, Amiga
and Atari ST
. It is a sequel
to the 1989 game Midwinter
. Its working title was Wildfire. The Amiga version was re-released by Kixx XL in 1993.
scenario from the first Midwinter game. Players take on the role of Atlantic Federation's covert operative working to liberate a chain of tropical Slave Isles from the oppressive Saharan Empire, who run the African continent.
by providing a number of different characters and different vehicles that the player can interact with. Vehicles include land, air, and sea vessels (players can hijack any enemy-operated vehicle), although all of them control in more or less the same basic manner. The graphics are relatively rudimentary 3D, although typical for the time period.
for the Atari ST version and 92% / CU Screen Star by CU Amiga for the Amiga version.
First-person shooter
First-person shooter is a video game genre that centers the gameplay on gun and projectile weapon-based combat through first-person perspective; i.e., the player experiences the action through the eyes of a protagonist. Generally speaking, the first-person shooter shares common traits with other...
action role-playing game
Action role-playing game
Action role-playing games form a loosely defined sub-genre of role-playing video games that incorporate elements of action or action-adventure games, emphasizing real-time action where the player has direct control over characters, instead of turn-based or menu-based combat...
with simulation elements published by MicroProse
MicroProse
MicroProse was a video game publisher and developer, founded by Wild Bill Stealey and Sid Meier in 1982 as Microprose Software. In 1993, the company became a subsidiary of Spectrum HoloByte and has remained a subsidiary or brand name under several other corporations since...
in 1991 for PC, Amiga
Amiga
The Amiga is a family of personal computers that was sold by Commodore in the 1980s and 1990s. The first model was launched in 1985 as a high-end home computer and became popular for its graphical, audio and multi-tasking abilities...
and Atari ST
Atari ST
The Atari ST is a home/personal computer that was released by Atari Corporation in 1985 and commercially available from that summer into the early 1990s. The "ST" officially stands for "Sixteen/Thirty-two", which referred to the Motorola 68000's 16-bit external bus and 32-bit internals...
. It is a sequel
Sequel
A sequel is a narrative, documental, or other work of literature, film, theatre, or music that continues the story of or expands upon issues presented in some previous work...
to the 1989 game Midwinter
Midwinter (video game)
Midwinter is a first-person action role-playing game with strategy elements for the Atari ST, Amiga and PC. It was designed by Mike Singleton and was released in 1989 by Microplay Software. The game was successful enough to spawn a sequel, Midwinter II: Flames of Freedom...
. Its working title was Wildfire. The Amiga version was re-released by Kixx XL in 1993.
Story
The setting is the world following the end of the nuclear winterNuclear winter
Nuclear winter is a predicted climatic effect of nuclear war. It has been theorized that severely cold weather and reduced sunlight for a period of months or even years could be caused by detonating large numbers of nuclear weapons, especially over flammable targets such as cities, where large...
scenario from the first Midwinter game. Players take on the role of Atlantic Federation's covert operative working to liberate a chain of tropical Slave Isles from the oppressive Saharan Empire, who run the African continent.
Gameplay
The missions are generally open-ended, allowing the player to approach them in whatever fashion is desired. Each island has different objectives (sabotage, assassinations, etc.), and the order in which these are tackled is up to the player. The game attempts to create a detailed open worldOpen world
An open world is a type of video game level design where a player can roam freely through a virtual world and is given considerable freedom in choosing how to approach objectives...
by providing a number of different characters and different vehicles that the player can interact with. Vehicles include land, air, and sea vessels (players can hijack any enemy-operated vehicle), although all of them control in more or less the same basic manner. The graphics are relatively rudimentary 3D, although typical for the time period.
Reception
The game received a practically universal acclaim at the time of its release and won several awards, including 96% / CVG Hit by C+VG and 95% / ACE TrailBlazer by ACEACE (games magazine)
ACE was a multi-format computer and video game magazine first published in the United Kingdom by Future Publishing and later acquired by EMAP.-History:...
for the Atari ST version and 92% / CU Screen Star by CU Amiga for the Amiga version.