Games Happy

Freedom Wars Remastered is definitely one of the crucial stunning bulletins shortly. When trying again on the PS Vita library, I anticipated a couple of different video games to make the bounce to fashionable platforms earlier than even pondering of Sony’s personal titles like Freedom Wars or Soul Sacrifice. I additionally stored pondering (and hoping) we might see the latter ported first, however developer Dimps and Bandai Namco Leisure resurrected Freedom Wars for Steam, Nintendo Change, PlayStation 5, and PlayStation 4 with it launching worldwide this week. I have been enjoying the Steam model and in addition revisiting the PS Vita launch over the previous couple of weeks to cowl the way it feels on Steam Deck.

In numerous methods, enjoying Freedom Wars Remastered on Steam Deck jogged my memory of once I performed God Eater Resurrection and God Eater 2: Rage Burst on PS4. You’ll be able to inform the goal platform roots, however the sport seems to be crisper and runs higher. Past that, I wasn’t certain what was totally different till booting up the PS Vita launch to play alongside the Steam model on each my handhelds. Freedom Wars Remastered is a couple of steps ahead and one step again, but it surely additionally may’ve executed with extra. Proper now, it simply seems like a barely improved model of a PS Vita traditional, however does not do sufficient to face out from the numerous searching motion video games (not to mention precise Monster Hunter video games) we now have on Steam. In case you’re extra curious concerning the sport itself and never the technical elements of the PC port and variations, be sure to learn James’ full evaluation right here. 

Freedom Wars Remastered PC port options

Freedom Wars Remastered on PC is capped to 4K and 60fps. You’d suppose it might not less than help 120fps given the visuals, however as of this writing it’s capped to 60fps. In actual fact, there is no such thing as a in-game body limiter in any respect. You’ll be able to alter display mode (windowed, fullscreen, and borderless), toggle v-sync, alter decision (solely 16:9 help regardless of having a 800p possibility), toggle anti-aliasing, allow texture filtering (off, 2x, 4x, 8x, 16x), and alter shadow high quality (low, medium, excessive, most).  

Freedom Wars Remastered on PC additionally has help for keyboard and mouse controls. I did not take a look at these out a lot since I solely performed the Steam model on my Steam Deck and ROG Ally, however they’re there with rebinding choices. One factor I need to word is that whereas not formally included in-game, Steam Enter can improve Freedom Wars Remastered. In case you, like me, get pleasure from utilizing the trackpad to intention and even gyro, it’s best to attempt experimenting with each of these. It actually elevates the expertise when utilizing a ranged weapon, although you’ll be able to depend on the lock on as properly. 

Freedom Wars Remastered Steam Deck efficiency

The explanation I mentioned Freedom Wars Remastered is nearly excellent on Steam Deck, is that regardless of all of the visible enhancements and it feeling so much higher to play on Steam Deck with added enter choices via the paddles or gyro, the sport has a couple of efficiency points proper now. When enjoying solo, it runs at 60fps with some poor body pacing, and generally even dips into the mid to excessive 50s. This occurred whatever the settings I used on each my Steam Deck and ROG Ally. Sure, even the ROG Ally dipped beneath 60fps, and I really feel like there’s some challenge with the sport or engine relatively than the {hardware} right here, however I’ll do extra investigating.

Freedom Wars Remastered is an oddly demanding sport in its energy consumption, but it surely additionally appears to not run in addition to it ought to regardless of utilizing 25-30% CPU and GPU on Steam Deck. When enjoying in multiplayer, 720p/800p with the settings on the very best presets noticed drops to the 40s on a couple of events. 

One factor I seen enjoying on the Steam Deck OLED is that 60fps in Freedom Wars Remastered does not really feel clean when operating at 90hz. I like to recommend setting your Steam Deck display to 60hz when enjoying Freedom Wars Remastered when you have an OLED mannequin. With that executed, the body fee nonetheless does not maintain a locked 60, and even should you set it to 55fps (at 55hz), it does not really feel excellent. I hope a patch can tackle a few of these minor points, as a result of even with the marginally unstable feeling expertise that I discover, it’s massively higher than enjoying on PS Vita or at 30fps there.

Freedom Wars Remastered multiplayer on Steam Deck

Notice that Freedom Wars Remastered makes use of a kernel degree anti-cheat listed on the Steam Web page (Simple Anti-Cheat) but it surely works advantageous on deck after the preliminary setup. In actual fact, I additionally managed testing Freedom Wars Remastered on-line over Wi-Fi and wired web on my Steam Deck with a buddy who was enjoying on PC. We had no connection points or something. It really works properly. 

Freedom Wars Remastered Steam Deck really helpful settings

To this point there are not any settings I may discover to get a 100% excellent 60fps on Steam Deck in Freedom Wars Remastered. In case you’re pleased with drops to the likes of 55fps, you’ll be able to play with texture filtering set to 16x, anti-aliasing on, and shadows at medium. I often preserve shadows on low for higher efficiency in most video games, however I did not discover a lot distinction right here with medium or low shadows. If you’re enjoying on-line with others, you will note drops to the excessive 40s in a number of the busier moments. If the sport will get patched to handle a number of the efficiency oddities, I will replace this part.

Freedom Wars Remastered does appropriately invoke the on-screen keyboard for textual content entry like when inputting the password and it correctly shows acceptable button prompts with a great textual content dimension throughout the board. I think about it is going to get Steam Deck Verified quickly, however I hope a number of the efficiency quirks might be resolved. 

Freedom Wars Remastered ROG Ally efficiency

After spending about 5 hours enjoying Freedom Wars Remastered on my Steam Deck OLED and PS Vita facet by facet, I used to be curious to see if the efficiency points could be current not solely on extra highly effective {hardware}, but additionally when enjoying on Home windows 11. After testing Freedom Wars Remastered on the ROG Ally (Z1 Excessive) on the 25W turbo mode for about 5 extra, I noticed related dips beneath 60fps when operating at 1080p. After turning all the pieces all the way down to low or off and operating at 720p, the drops have been nonetheless not utterly gone. I need to reiterate that these are minor points, however the truth that a PS Vita sport operating at greater decision with no main visible upgrades has these points on rather more highly effective {hardware} is regarding. 

Revisiting Freedom Wars Remastered on new moveable programs after experiencing the unique again in 2014 has been nice in some ways, but it surely simply highlights how far we now have come within the searching motion style since then. Trendy consoles and PC each have entry to a number of mainline Monster Hunter video games, the likes of the wonderful Wild Hearts, older video games like Toukiden, and in addition all three God Eater video games. Freedom Wars Remastered does a commendable job at making the unique extra accessible and making it play higher, however I want Dimps had executed extra for this revival. I hope this results in a possible Freedom Wars 2 although as a result of there is a ton of potential right here.