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For Liberty!

	Author: Craig Handler Article Type: PC Game Review Publication Date: 9/14/2006 Developer: Hussar Games Publisher: Battlefront Related Categories: American War of Independence, Turn-based, Strategic

THE TREE OF LIBERTY MUST BE REFRESEHED FROM TIME TO TIME WITH THE BLOOD OF PATRIOTS AND TYRANTS 

Wargamers of the world unite! Break free from the oppressive yoke of a game development monarchy that continues to leave us with little choice, but to play games focused upon 20th century warfare. Although some truths have been held to be self-evident, not all wargames are created equal. The unalienable rights of fun, replayability, and the pursuit of conquest not always involving panzers, U-boats and B-17 bombers, have not always been endowed by their Creators.
Rise forth and take to the streets, you unruly mob of wargamers, our time is now. No longer will there be game playing without variety in historical representation. For Liberty! is here, and leading the new turn-based revolution is Battlefront and developer Hussar Games. 

Following on the success of Ageod’s well received Birth of America, Battle Front and Hussar Games bring us a second helping of revolutionary struggle in 2006. In For Liberty!, players take to the field battling over 13 back-water colonies along the eastern seaboard of the North American continent. Players can crush the fledgling rebellion as an officer in His Royal Majesty’s army, or join the ranks of the Continental Army and serve with General George Washington. Also available to players is a second campaign involving the eight year Hungarian struggle against oppressive Austrian rule. Once again, players can choose their side. They can join the ranks of Ferenc II Rákóczi’s peasants and nobles in their uprising against Austria, or wield the power of the Hapsburg military unleashing Vienna’s wraith upon the upstart rebels. 

No matter which flag players choose to rally behind, the opportunity to wage a unique blend of 18th century strategic and tactical warfare has arrived.

Washington crosses the Delaware.	This is going to hurt…!

EVERY GENERATION NEEDS A NEW REVOLUTION

American and Hungarian patriots are not the only things revolutionary with For Liberty!. Obtaining a copy of the game is blessedly simple with Battlefront’s digital download feature. Customers have the option of obtaining a hardcopy for an additional $10.00, but for instant gratification, players need only download the modest 217 mb setup file, install and play. Installation for me was fast and smooth. Prior to receiving access to my review copy, a version 1.51 patch was released, addressing several known issues, including a number of game stopping bugs. The patch also adds some enhancements, such as various tool tip explanations and modifications to melee combat results. Applying the patch appears to have eliminated the majority of release bugs. However, I have experienced a system freeze when attempting to exit the program on more than one occasion. Still, if this is a bug and not a problem with my system, it is not a show stopper, as it seems to occur only when I am attempting to exit to desktop. Battlefront has recently released patch version 1.60, but the latest patch was not used for purposes of this review. 

CHILDREN SHOULD BE EDUCATED AND INSTRUCTED IN THE PRINCIPLES OF FREEDOM

The game manual in PDF format consists of 72 color pages of easy to read instructions. Where appropriate, pictures of in-game interface, maps and units are depicted, with helpful explanations and details provided. In addition to teaching game play, the manual also includes informative background historical information for each campaign. This is particularly helpful for getting acquainted with Hungarian history and the 1703 revolt, which for some players may be ‘slightly’ more obscure and less familiar then the American Revolution of 1776. 

The PDF manual is useful, read it!

I usually appreciate having a foldout map of the theater of operations, but none is included here, and even if there were maps, with the digital download version, they would have to be printed from some electronic format. Not having a map was not a problem for the American Revolution scenarios due to my above average familiarity of the geography and historical events. However, not having a reference map presented a significant hurdle with respect to the Hungarian Revolt scenarios which take place over a relatively large spread of land. The size of the theater of operations combined with an almost complete lack of familiarity with Hungarian and Austrian geography was a constant source of frustration to me. For instance, where is the besieged town of Tokaj located? Which zones and cities are the most strategically important? This will not be a problem for European or particularly well educated and cultured players, and may in fact, even be appealing, but the rest of us have much to learn in order to be successful in overthrowing the Hapsburgs.