The Russians are coming! ... The Russians are ... wait ... the Russians are here! Storming through New York City with the dastardly Red Army. Grab your trusty weapon and blast them heathen Russkies to kingdom come. For freedom! For the good ole’ U.S. of A!

In EA’s Freedom Fighters for the Xbox console (also available on PS2 and GameCube) you play as handsome, charismatic plumber Chris Stone. When the Russians invade Manhattan you join up with the burgeoning underground rebel forces and begin your rise to leader of the resistance.

You’ll start off on your lonesome, but, with the game’s unique “Recruit and Command” system, you'll gain Charisma points by healing injured citizens and blowing up enemy strong points. As your Charisma level rises you can recruit a posse of (up to 12) fighters who follow orders and fight at your side.

Sending your soldiers to scout or defend specific areas or follow and protect your backside is as easy as can be. Simply tap or hold the X, Y, or B buttons to send one team member or your entire squad into action respectively. Aiming is relatively simple with a precise, over-the-shoulder view and a built-in auto-aim, good for run’n-gun tactics.

Most levels contain 2 to 4 separate mission areas that must all be conquered before moving onto the next level. While this locks the game into a fairly linear path, there is some free choice and strategic-thinking involved. Deciding which mission to tackle first often makes a big difference in how quickly and easily you will achieve your goals. For instance, I found it very worthwhile to destroy any helicopters and their landing pads as soon as possible, otherwise the deadly choppers will hunt you down and end your freedom-lovin’ plans in a brutal spray of hot lead. Also, taking out bridges will stymie enemy troop reinforcements and blowing up power plants kill the searchlights in connected missions, etc. This forces players to think a bit before they lay into opposition forces and adds a welcome dash of depth to the action.

There is a bit of samey-ness to the gameplay as almost all missions (barring a tense assassination mission) require you to find and rip down the Russian flag and raise the Stars -n-Stripes in its place. The offending red flag is always found in a strongly-defended area near the end of the level. I really didn’t mind this very much as the fast-paced gunplay is just so much fun and the desire to gain Charisma points, add followers to your squad and see what obstacles need to be overcome next is compelling enough.

Freedom Fighters' save system is certainly different in that the sewers serve as save points. Accessing the manhole covers sprinkled throughout levels allows you to save your game or change locations. Here s one sewer that doesn’t stink! It’s your savior — use it often to Quick Save your progress. You will die often and there is some amount of trail and error to the game (where are those damn snipers hiding anyway?) making the Quick Save perhaps your most valuable compatriot.

Freedom Fighters constantly rewards players with numerous cut-scenes before and after each successful level attempt. While the voice acting is well-done, some of the characterizations are slightly grating and over-the-top Russian accents abound. Some of the writing is cringe-worthy as well in a “Red Dawn” or Rambo-type style. Still, the game doesn’t take itself too seriously and some of the humor does hit its mark.

Graphically, Freedom Fighters shines. Manhattan is lovingly recreated with realistic textures, grimy dirt, assorted vehicles, pedestrians and inclement weather. While you won't find many real-world landmarks, New York’s atmosphere is captured almost perfectly.

In the multiplayer department, a limited, but welcome offering of 2-4 player split-screen action on 3 maps is available. As in the single player game, combatants can recruit a team of AI soldiers, so, mayhem does tend to ensue with something like 20 fighters battling onscreen simultaneously. It can be difficult at times figuring out exactly what the hell is going on in the reduced, split-screen view, but a good (somewhat tagged on feeling) bit of multiplayer enjoyment is available.

What up wit dat? In the negative column, there are a few niggling points that bear mention. The aiming system, while decent, could stand improvement. In developer, Io Interactive’s defense, this is a trouble spot for all 3rd person action titles and hardly anyone has gotten it just right. Also, it’s a great shame that none of the vehicles are drivable. Holy handbag! It would have added a huge layer of excitement to be able to hop into cars and crush the enemy or commandeer a tank and blast your way through a heavily-defended strong point. I suppose it probably came down to a matter of what features the dev team could squeeze in by release and hopeful we’ll see drivable vehicles in the already announced sequel. Lastly, the game is a bit short in length (especially if played on the easiest difficulty). A skilled player can burn through the game in something like 10 hours on medium difficulty settings.

The final verdict, friends: I highly recommend Freedom Fighters to fans of squad-based war titles or 3rd person action games — Grand Theft Auto fans (all 350 bazillion of you) especially. If you enjoy exploring realistic cityscapes, shooting down scores of evil do-badders whilst saving the country from iron-fisted oppression - you’ll want to pick up a copy of Freedom Fighters — ASAP. Shout with me now: "Down with borscht burgers!"