Video game:Nintendo GameCube Freedom Fighters

Video games continuously stimulate the imaginations of their players. By providing gamers the chance to craft their own destinies, they give new meaning to the term "alternate reality." Games that take place outside accepted history provide even more fodder for the imagination. Electronic Arts (EA Games) released one such game, entitled "Freedom Fighters," in 2003 for PC, Xbox, GameCube, and the PlayStation 2.

"Freedom Fighters" is a third-person shooter game played either as a single player or in multiplayer mode. In this alternate history game, the Soviet Union developed the first atomic bomb during World War II and dropped it on Berlin. This allowed the U.S.S.R. to become a world power and invade the United States in present day. The main character, a plumber named Chris, must defend New York from the invading Soviet forces. Players possess the opportunity to control multiple characters in the game via directions and orders through Chris. Players enjoyed this feature as it provided a respite from the barrage of first-person shooter games released around the same time as "Freedom Fighters."

Critics received "Freedom Fighters" very well. They praised the detailed environments, as well as the game's soundtrack. The few complaints centered on the game's length; for many it was too short. Jeff Gerstmann, a critic for Gamespot, wrote, "The only real problem with Freedom Fighters' is that there simply isn't enough of it." This did not deter from the game's popularity, and "Freedom Fighters" remains a popular alternate history video game.