Steam freebies Part 5: Friendly Fire
One of the best free platforming games on Steam.
When you get down to it, it’s insane how many free games are on Steam. It’s a nice gesture from the developers who offer up their labors of love without cost. However, some of the games are poorly made, and since time is also valuable, it’s important to pick the best of the freebies on the platform.
Friendly Fire is one of the better indie-developed 2D free games you can find, with older-style pixel graphics. Your main character ends up in a mysterious place, trying to figure out why he’s there while helping the inhabitants. The world is packed with interesting characters and a surprising number of scenic changes for such a small area.
The pacing is a bit slow, but since the game takes around 1 hour (give or take 15 minutes), typical Metroidvania-style movement upgrades soon open up the entire map, along with one very neat upgrade. Friendly Fire controls well, and while it doesn't have a map, you don't need one; it’s always clear where you need to go. There are a few basic puzzles, and a few times you need to remember some past locations, or where one quest leads to the next before the first one is complete, but everything wraps up neatly by the end. For those looking for combat, be aware there is none.
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It’s clear from the title screen that there are 5 different endings, and I got them all, including one ending twice (since I thought that choosing yes and no would lead to two separate endings at one juncture; it didn’t) in 1 hour and 9 minutes, but once you see them all, there is no reason to come back to the game. Some inventiveness and thinking outside the box are required to find all of them, as well as maybe giving up something important. But it’s worth it, as there are meaningful differences between them.
There’s a peaceful ambiance to the game that can only be explained by experiencing the game, as well as a minimal soundtrack. Though I have to say some of the main character sound effects, whenever he or she jumps, get old very quickly.
Friendly Fire isn’t amazing, but by the standards of a free game that serves as a break between more serious, higher-quality games, it functions well, and based on those merits, I’d recommend giving it a try.
Steam Freebies Part 1: Grimm’s Hollow
Steam Freebies Part 2: Weird and Unfortunate Things Are Happening
Steam Freebies Part 3: Cat Girl
Steam Freebies Part 4: Pascal’s Requiem
Steam Freebies Part 6: The Ghost Cage
