This game is one of the final two 'extra' threads I plan on covering for the Sonic Retrospective. Freedom Planet is important for a lot of reasons.
It birthed as a Sonic Fan Game before coming into its own new IP and its core gameplay systems are closer to what the spirit of 2D Sonic had compared to recent games in the series (Boom and Lost World).
I love this game a lot and I hope you enjoy my retrospective on the title
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Like I said, this game originally started life a Sonic Fan game. The developers, Galaxy Trail wanted to make a game that had Sonic the Hedgehog-like elements but as time went on, they felt that the new mechanics they were introducing should be fleshed out more.
So, fast forward a year latter and the game became Freedom Planet! An originally IP that went up for Kickstarter and after getting funded, it launched on PC in 2014 (with a Wii U version following a year latter in 2015).
It released to great critical and sales reception, with a sequel on the way!
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The story is honestly quite large for a game like this (2D Action Platformer) with full voice acting, long story mode and plenty of dialog. But......never played the story mode, only played Classic Mode.
But the general plot is that an alien is invading the world of the main hero Lilac and her friends, so they work together to save the day. The plot in the story mode can be quite dark at times (the intro has the main villain BEHEAD someone O_O!) but it flip-flops between dark and light hearted on and off.
Will say that the voice acting is great and I recommend giving the Story Mode a shot after beating the game once.
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The core gameplay of Freedom Planet is this; what if you crossed Sonic the Hedgehog (Genesis Sonic) with the Level Design of Mega Man X and the Boss Fights of a Treasure title?
I'm serious when I say this, as that is what Freedom Planet really boils down to. But to explain things further, the main character Lilac has the ability to use various attacks (with different moves being mapped to which direction you put the analog stick/D-Pad when pressing the button), hover in the air for a bit with a powerful spin jump and use the Dragoon Boost (a Sonic Boost like ability but more with her flying for a short while).
She is the best way to play the game, as the game was clearly designed to use a lot of the Dragon Boost ability at points. But the other character function like Knuckles and Tails from the Sonic series.
Carol can wall jump and roll like a blue hedgehog but also has the ability to ride a bike, which increases her speed ten-fold. But her core moveset doesn't offer the mobility that Liliac's Dragon boost offers. But she is still a lot of fun to play as.
The last character you unlock latter, Milla. She can create blocks that can be thrown at foes, has a flutter jump (ala Yoshi's Island) and moves slower compared to the other characters. She is still fun but its best to play as her if you want a hard time in levels.
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The core level design is very Sonic like, with lots of loops, running sections and the trademark high/middle/lower path system. But the levels are more vertical and have a focus on combat, like what you would see in the Mega Man X games. Unlike both series though, foes don't damage you if you bump into them; they only harm you if they actively attack you. Very smart design move that makes things very fair. Not to mention the screen is spaced out, allowing you to see what is ahead.
I really like this level design, as its open and spacious but you have a clear goal to head to. Not to mention the level gimmicks and boss fights are really creative & fun.
Remember how I cited Treasure? There games like Gunstar Heros and Astro Boy Omega Factor had to be a huge influence on Galaxy Trail as the bosses in this game are just as great as they are in those games
! Lots of fun patterns, action packed and the smart lives system makes them fair and enjoyable to battle through. 
Overall, the core design of this game is very strong.
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Presentation here is spot on, with bright vivid colors, levels overflowing with life and sprite work that is really a labor of love.
The music.....considering this game was originally a Sonic game, I shouldn't be shocked it matches the quality of official Sonic games. Very catchy beats and really great composition all around.
To the Rescue!: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6ET...boV09BFPyp70EFrcVf9o49LmJcjATms&nohtml5=False
Dragon Valley 1: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pVw...yp70EFrcVf9o49LmJcjATms&index=4&nohtml5=False
Lilacs Treehouse: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0y0...boV09BFPyp70EFrcVf9o49LmJcjATms&nohtml5=False
Relic Maze 1: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rV1...boV09BFPyp70EFrcVf9o49LmJcjATms&nohtml5=False
Relic Maze 2: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vqN...p70EFrcVf9o49LmJcjATms&index=11&nohtml5=False
Sky Battalion: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HeF...p70EFrcVf9o49LmJcjATms&index=21&nohtml5=False
Aqua Tunnel 1: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tTm...boV09BFPyp70EFrcVf9o49LmJcjATms&nohtml5=False
Aqua Tunnel 2: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=snuliLxSOTU&index=25&list=PLXboV09BFPyp70EFrcVf9o49LmJcjATms
Jade Creek 1: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Enc...boV09BFPyp70EFrcVf9o49LmJcjATms&nohtml5=False
Jade Creek 2: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G4a...boV09BFPyp70EFrcVf9o49LmJcjATms&nohtml5=False
Pangu Lagoon 1 (English): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IEYGpIWinZI&index=34&list=PLXboV09BFPyp70EFrcVf9o49LmJcjATms
Pangu Lagoon 2: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6O1...boV09BFPyp70EFrcVf9o49LmJcjATms&nohtml5=False
Battle Glacier 1: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YzW...p70EFrcVf9o49LmJcjATms&index=40&nohtml5=False
Final Dreadnought 1: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BLm...p70EFrcVf9o49LmJcjATms&index=42&nohtml5=False
Amazing soundtrack and one that gets stuck in your mind once you play the game
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Overall, this is an amazing action platformer that everyone should give a shot, more so if you enjoyed the Sonic series. THIS is a natural progression for the 2D games in the series and its great seeing a indie developer taking the torch regarding making 2D Sonic-like games.
Its on STEAM and Nintendo Wii U, so give it a shot if you own either. My laptop is a quite old one (2011) and it ran the game with little issue, so it works on most PC's.
