I really liked Freedom Force. I liked the game so much I actually went out and brought a clone, just so I could continue the fun. I had read somewhere that Hero X was a supped up version of Freedom Force, unfortunately like all evil clones, this version just didn't compare. This game was weak all around and in the end Freedom Force sent this game home crying to its' mother.

     Hero X or Heroine X, depending on who you choose, is needed to protect Smalltown. Called in by the American Super Heroes Association, Hero X must sweep the streets of evil, crime lords, thugs and mimes gone bad. Players can create their own character complete with its own look and superpowers. Hero X can interact with everyone you encounter and even crack some skulls. Sounds like a decent game. Too bad it suffers from the fact that Freedom Force came did everything right on its first try.

     Presentation 7 out of 10 Hero X's storyline plays more like a comic book. It is presented exactly like a comic with introductions and cut scenes actually taking place in panels. The game also has the same campy style of the old comics with funny jokes and larger than life characters, unfortunately no one talks, instead word bubble pop up on the screen. So much for state-of-the-art.

     Graphics: 7 out of 10 I thought the graphics may have been on par with Freedom Force, maybe even. The world of Hero X was larger and more characters fit on the screen at a time without small. However, I did not care for the costume and weapon choices. In addition, there were some slowdowns and other glitches that hampered game play. Still overall this was a good looking game.

     Sound: 3 out of 10 The sound sucked in this game. Word bubbles don't make for cool catch phrases. And since I cannot say anything good about the music I will just tell you that it was plain hokey.

     Gameplay: 5 out of 10 This game was cool when it came to fighting, but that was it. I felt Freedom Force worked a lot harder at fleshing out characters so that a gamer could actually care about them. The cut scenes between levels were not even entertaining. For your money you can get some cool fighting, but is that what you want to spend your money on?

     Replay value: 3 out of 10 Perhaps if I played with another person I would have enjoyed this title more, but the lack of a multiplayer mode killed that.

     Overall: 5 out of 10 This title lacks depth, it plays fast and not nearly dirty enough for me. But for $20.00 you pay for what you get.

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