Uploaded May 2026 | Updated September 2026, 2 weeks ago
Freedom Fighters, the 2003 action title developed by IO Interactive, has had a lot of people singing its praises of late, with audiences demanding a remake. It's understandable, seeing as I share all the same nostalgic pangs when I think about it.
It's just that, upon actually revisiting it and despite still enjoying it, the idea of a remake on the part of IO Interactive seems increasingly unlikely—not merely due to the charming simplicity of its gameplay or its shockingly short length, but playing a game in which the Stars and Stripes are morphed into a radical revolutionary symbol seems entirely at odds with where America as an institution is at in 2026. In this video essay/analysis of Freedom Fighters, let's talk about why you couldn't remake Freedom Fighters in 2026, and why playing it in the modern era feels a whole different kind of grim.
Support the show on Patreon - patreon.com/writingongames
Second Channel - youtube.com/channel/UC1xxfS_HILi09yaELQdmV1A
TIMESTAMPS:
0:00 - Freedom Fighters is iconic
1:51 - A charmingly simple action game
5:54 - Why Freedom Fighters couldn't be remade
8:41 - The political quagmire of Freedom Fighters in 2026
10:15 - Outro
#007firstlight #hitman #iointeractive #freedomfighters
Freedom Fighters, the 2003 action title developed by IO Interactive, has had a lot of people singing its praises of late, with audiences demanding a remake. It's understandable, seeing as I share all the same nostalgic pangs when I think about it.
It's just that, upon actually revisiting it and despite still enjoying it, the idea of a remake on the part of IO Interactive seems increasingly unlikely—not merely due to the charming simplicity of its gameplay or its shockingly short length, but playing a game in which the Stars and Stripes are morphed into a radical revolutionary symbol seems entirely at odds with where America as an institution is at in 2026. In this video essay/analysis of Freedom Fighters, let's talk about why you couldn't remake Freedom Fighters in 2026, and why playing it in the modern era feels a whole different kind of grim.
Support the show on Patreon - patreon.com/writingongames
Second Channel - youtube.com/channel/UC1xxfS_HILi09yaELQdmV1A
TIMESTAMPS:
0:00 - Freedom Fighters is iconic
1:51 - A charmingly simple action game
5:54 - Why Freedom Fighters couldn't be remade
8:41 - The political quagmire of Freedom Fighters in 2026
10:15 - Outro
#007firstlight #hitman #iointeractive #freedomfighters
