#9: Freedom Force / Freedom Force Versus The Third Reich
What if the Justice League was a little bit more… American? Freedom Force introduced the world to The Minuteman and Liberty Lad, two patriots that’ll punch out any and all enemies of freedom. Without arbiters of awesome morality and justice like Captain America in our video games, Irrational Games decided to invent its own roster of colorful super-heroes, and Minuteman is the most patriotic creation of all.
Donning a revolutionary-era tricorner hat and a coat that wouldn’t look too wrong on General George Washington, Minuteman is the kind of super-hero we could really use more of. He’s completely upstanding, and he’s willing to travel back in time and knock around genetically-enhanced gorillas to save Europe from the Third Reich. What’s not to love?
#10: Shadow Hearts 3
Give me your tired, your poor, your huddled genres, yearning to breath free! Yes, even a JRPG can be awesomely patriotic. Moving the series from war-torn Europe to the New World, you’ll enjoy plenty of Americana references – you’ll meet Lovecraft, Al Capone, and more weirdos from the 1920s.
As a surly American teenager, it’s your job to save the world from monsters while forming an all-star squad of international warriors. If history has taught us anything, it’s that good things happen when the world works together. Really, Shadow Hearts 3 is such an anomaly in the JRPG canon, it deserves the final spot on this list just for showcasing the wonderful weirdness of this great big nation.
