Reader Reviews

Freak Out (PS2)

by jaa

You're a little girl named Linda with a very big head atop a tiny body. And you have twelve sisters roughly around your age. Unfortunately, your beloved sisters were possessed by the demons of vanity and, instead of enjoying the peace around the house, you must save them armed only with a scarf. Yes, scarf. That woolly piece of clothing that goes around your neck when the weather's a lot cooler than these days. Only this one is magic - it can grab things. Objects, trees, the ground, body parts (more of this later)... whatever. You see, there was a 13th demon but he was a bit stupid and failed his target (you), having possessed your scarf instead. You control the scarf with the right thumbstick and 'shoot' it with R1. You can grab, twist, throw and even project yourself to places that would otherwise be out of reach.

Freak Out (Stretch Panic to our American friends) was released in Europe two years ago. The fact that it was developed by Treasure should have been enough for some gamers to pay attention. Unfortunately, few did. Maybe because this isn't a 'hardcore' game à la Ikaruga. This isn’t a game à la anything, in fact.

The game revolves around the Museum of Agony, an artsy pencil sketched hub. From there you access a few levels where you collect points that allow you to enter the 12 arenas where your possessed sisters are.

Exactly how do you gain points? Well, the usual way: you pinch ladies with huuuge breasts called Boniitas (the ladies, not the breasts). But don’t get too close or they will jump on you.

And how do you exorcise your sisters? Easy, you grab their weak spots and, provided you have enough points, 'scarf bomb' them (R3 and L3 simultaneously for as long as you’re able).

The creativity behind these 12 bosses is fantastic. As Linda's sisters are being punished by their vanity, each one was turned into her worst nightmare. For example, the prettiest one (according to herself) is now a monster so hideous that you must defeat her before she's able to knock a door down and enter the arena. You’ll see her shadow, hear the noises she makes banging on doors, get brief glimpses of her passing by small openings on the wall... but don't let her in or you're dead just by looking at her.

Visually, Freak Out is a kaleidoscope of bright colours and strange design. Characters are odd, levels are simple but effective arenas or surreal places with islands floating mid-air (adding a bit of platforming fun to a game where the heroin can't jump) and effects are truly superb.

Weak points? The game could have been, er, stretched a bit. It’s incredibly short and the replay value is low. It can also feel a bit shallow, as there's no real story or character development.