There's something to be said for taking modern day politics and social issues and combining it with a retro gaming genre like side scrolling space shooters, and that's exactly what Wide Right Interactive's Freedom Finger brings to the table. It certainly lives up to its description of taking players through nearly 40 levels of "bat$#!% crazy action" well enough, featuring some truly amazing gameplay that's unique, tough and (most importantly) fun. But when it comes to biting satireFreedom Finger misses the mark just as often as it hits. This results in an experience where the superb gameplay and beautiful, hand drawn artwork are somewhat suffocated directly beneath the game's incessant focus on injecting satire into every strand of its DNA.

Freedom Finger's plot is simple enough: players take on the character of Gamma Ray, who must fly their ship to the moon and rescue hostages from Chinese terrorists. Along the way, players also encounter Russians, other dimensions, and a space creature or two. Oh, and players will do all of this in a spaceship shaped like a fist with its middle finger forever extended outward. To add to the chaos, fast-paced music plays throughout each mission and environments and creatures alike will respond physically to the music. Think of the gunshots mimicking the music in Baby Driver and you'll have a good idea of what to expect here.

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This level of craft and pure insanity makes Freedom Finger's gameplay nothing short of excellent. Every mission in its six to eight hour campaign is different, every level meticulously designed in both structure and artwork and, despite its focus on shooting mechanics, there's enough variety involved that it's never actually boring. Players can spam shoot the ship's guns, sure, and mostly succeed at obliterating the enemy, but there's also punching and grab mechanics that add new layers. While neither of these are exactly new to games, the grab mechanic feels fresh here, as you'll be able to grab (most) enemy ships and use their weapons against the enemy. This works on a level of giving players a variety of weapons to use without actually including an inventory system.

Freedom Finger boss fight

Freedom Finger can also be an extremely forgiving game when it comes to difficulty options. The standard difficulty is tough and most players who are new to sidescrollers might have a bit of a learning curve ahead of them while story mode is a little more lenient and, like most AAA titles that include it, allows players a more relaxing experience. But the game doesn't stop there, as there's also full customization for your own particular type of difficulty, from how much health your ship has to how many enemies you must kill to pass the mission. Higher difficulties have what's called stealth, which means that the more enemies that you let escape increase your chances of failing outright. This is a wonderful mechanic made all the more so because it's completely optional. Those looking for a challenge will not be disappointed and neither will those looking for a relaxing shoot-'em-up experience. Freedom Finger brings the best of both worlds to the table.

There's no arguing that Freedom Finger is a triumph when it comes to gameplay, design and all around mechanics. That's what makes it something of a disappointment that its level of satire isn't quite up to snuff. Freedom Finger tries to criticize everyone with its edgy, vulgar brand of satire, but half the time it never really lands. There are funny moments throughout, such as the gung-ho Major Cigar (brilliantly voiced by voice acting legend Nolan North) belligerently ordering Gamma Ray to destroy a Russian space station for no reason at all, but as a whole, it never really makes a salient point. It tries to be South Park and opt for an "offend everyone" mission statement, but its writing lacks the intelligence of that show's best moments. Most of the time, Freedom Finger just feels edgy for the sake of being edgy.

Freedom Finger space station

While its failure to be as witty as it thinks it is would be enough to almost sink a lesser game, Freedom Finger is just too good at everything else not to heartily recommend anyways. Simply put, it has some of the best sidescroller shooter mechanics seen in ages and most players will have a blast with it. But the lack of truly engaging satirical writing, which is what the entire game is built on, holds it back from becoming a true modern day masterpiece.

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Freedom Finger releases March 24, 2020 on PlayStation 4 and Xbox One. It was previously released on Nintendo Switch and PC last year. Screen Rant was provided with an Xbox One copy for the purposes of this review.