Freedom Force

2002 Irrational Games RPG, Strategy

Windows 11With a fix

MacNot sold

LinuxGold

Gamicality score

Metacritic 904

OpenCritic Not rated

Steam players 551

How it’s combined

Playability today

Runs today2.5/5

Design today3.5/5

Steam user reviews

Mixed

56%

522 reviews1

Get it on Steam

Facts checked November 1, 2026

Does Freedom Force run on Windows 11, Apple Silicon Macs, Linux and Steam Deck?

Windows 11With a fix

Runs with a fix. See the steps below.1

Mac (Apple Silicon)Not sold

No Mac version is sold.

LinuxGold

Through Proton. ProtonDB: Gold, runs perfectly after tweaks.3

Played Freedom Force lately?

One click, no account, so the next player knows. How we check where it runs

How to get Freedom Force running today

Download the community package from Ultimate fix for the cursor problems + widescreen support, which includes a fixed executable taken from the GOG release and a DirectX 8 to 9 wrapper.
Unpack the cursor fix and the widescreen fix into the game folder, as described in that thread.
If left-click orders still turn into the fist attack cursor, use the right-click command menu, as noted on PCGamingWiki.

Synopsis

Freedom Force is a real-time tactics game styled after Silver Age superhero comics, set in the city of Patriot City. You lead a team of up to four heroes through episodic missions, pausing the action to pick powers, throw cars and knock villains through buildings. Between missions you recruit new heroes and spend earned points on their powers.

Developer: Irrational Games
Released: 2002
Genre: RPG, Strategy
Where to get it: Steam

Reception

Critics loved it at release, with a Metacritic score of 90 and praise for its comic book art, humor, voice acting and slick pause-and-command system. Some reviewers found the camera awkward and the tactics fairly simple. Players today still enjoy its charm, but the Steam release holds a Mixed rating, largely because of a cursor bug that breaks left-click orders on modern Windows. Most of those complaints go away once the community fix is applied.

Playability today

The average of two parts, each from 1 to 5. Tap a check to see why. How it works

Runs today

2.5/5

Sold or given away today by an official source
Needs fan patches to run well on Windows 11
?Not confirmed yetSingle-player works without an internet connection
No source covers the current version yet, so this check counts as open, not passed. Played it lately? Tell us
Some content no longer works (servers, DLC, unlocks)
Online multiplayer relied on GameSpy and no longer works, leaving only LAN play for up to four players (PCGamingWiki).
No proper support for modern resolutions and widescreen
Widescreen, ultrawide and 4K are only possible through fan hacks (PCGamingWiki).
No full controller support and no remappable controls
Keys can be remapped, but there is no controller support (PCGamingWiki).
?Not confirmed yetSteam Deck Verified or Playable
No source covers the current version yet, so this check counts as open, not passed. Played it lately? Tell us
No intrusive DRM or required third-party launcher account
No pay-to-win or pushy microtransactions
Known game-breaking bugs in the current version
On the Steam version, left-click orders often turn into a stuck fist attack cursor, and a 100-plus reply Steam thread offers a fixed executable from the GOG release as the cure (Steam Community).

Design today

3.5/5

Controls feel natural on a modern controller or mouse and keyboard
Left click moves and acts while right click pauses the game and opens a command menu, which suits mouse play well. Keys can be remapped, though there is no controller support. Source: challengingdestiny.com, pcgamingwiki.com.
Menus, text or interface are hard to read on today's screens
The game has no native widescreen support and its interface does not scale for modern resolutions without fan patches. Subtitles also do not appear during the video cutscenes. Source: pcgamingwiki.com.
Saving is fair: free saves or frequent checkpoints, little lost progress
Players can quick save during missions and reload when a hero faints, so a failed fight costs little. Some Steam users report lost or broken save files. Source: steamcommunity.com, steamcommunity.com.
It teaches itself: no guide needed to make progress
The campaign opens with a short, humorous tutorial that covers movement, attacks and the command menu. After that the game is easy to pick up with little extra help. Source: challengingdestiny.com.
Pacing holds up: little grind, filler or forced backtracking
The campaign is split into short comic book episodes that move the story along briskly, and reviewers found the episodic structure a good fit for the over-the-top plot. Source: challengingdestiny.com.
Camera or movement fights the player
The default camera zooms and scrolls but cannot tilt up, and rotation only works after it is switched on in the options, which leaves players following the manual's Alt-key instruction unable to turn the view. Source: apolyton.net, steamcommunity.com.