The Only Thing Left Standing is Freedom
- NA release: 29th December 2002
- EU release: 6th February 2003
- JP release: N/A
- Developer: Kuju Entertainment, Avalanche Software
- Publisher: Midway
- NGC Magazine: 59%
- Mods Used: None


For the most part, this is pretty much exactly what you’d expect from the box: a generic helicopter game with absolutely no personality of its own. There’s very little actual dialogue, with most of the words being a droning sergeant giving you your helicopter a mission briefing (your character has no identity) and just a bunch of buzzwords with little meaning, while missions are just blowing stuff up or protecting others. Other than the utterly dreadful radar, it functions well enough for a few minutes of enjoyment.

The one unique aspect is the stealth mode of the helicopter. It goes invisible, although enemies can still detect you if you get close. You have a sniper rifle for ground targets, and an EMP to disable anything else. The stealth missions themselves are pretty awful, but the stealth mode can be useful in the “blast everything” missions. The problem is that it doesn’t take long for the game to get tediously repetitive and there’s not enough style or spectacle to keep you interested.

Fine
You see, after playing Fireblade for an hour or so, it doesn’t take a genius to figure out that this ability to make yourself invisible is just too good to not take advantage of – all the time. Making use of your one-shot tank disabling EMP is also far too easy to do. Why spend minutes avoiding potentially hazardous gunfire attempting to blow an armoured unit up with missiles when you can make yourself invisible and render it useless in just two seconds. If there are more units, just disable them too. Once you’re satisfied the threat around you is negligible, you can simple decloak yourself, annihilate the crippled force, grab any dropped pick-ups to replenish and health or weapon stock that may have been dented, recloak and repeat.
Geraint Evans, NGC Magazine #77
Remake or remaster?
There’s plenty of similar games.
Official Ways to get the game
There’s no official way to buy Fire Blade.
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