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Fighting Fantasy #13
Freeway Fighter
Devastated by a killer virus, the world you once knew is a wilderness.
Life is lawless and dangerous. Survivors like you either live in scattered, fortified towns, or roam outside as bandits. YOUR mission is to cross the wilderness to the far-distant oil-refinery at San Anglo and bring vital supplies back to the peaceful town of New Hope. Even in the armed Dodge Interceptor you are given, the journey will be wild and perilous. Will YOU survive?
Freeway Fighter has an extended combat system and a double adventure sheet. All you need is two dice, a pencil and an eraser. YOU decide which way to go, which weapons to use and which dangers to risk!
Life is lawless and dangerous. Survivors like you either live in scattered, fortified towns, or roam outside as bandits. YOUR mission is to cross the wilderness to the far-distant oil-refinery at San Anglo and bring vital supplies back to the peaceful town of New Hope. Even in the armed Dodge Interceptor you are given, the journey will be wild and perilous. Will YOU survive?
Freeway Fighter has an extended combat system and a double adventure sheet. All you need is two dice, a pencil and an eraser. YOU decide which way to go, which weapons to use and which dangers to risk!
208 pages, Paperback
First published March 1, 1985
2 people are currently reading
193 people want to read
About the author
Ian Livingstone
131 books164 followersSir Ian Livingstone is an English fantasy author and entrepreneur. Along with Steve Jackson, he is the co-founder of the Fighting Fantasy series of role-playing gamebooks, and the author of many books within that series. He co-founded Games Workshop in 1975 and helped create Eidos Interactive as executive chairman of Eidos Plc in 1995.
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Displaying 1 - 22 of 22 reviews
April 29, 2022
A pretty decent FIGHTING FANTASY adventure and something different from the usual fantasy worlds contained in these books: FREEWAY FIGHTER is a post-apocalypse adventure clearly "borrowed" from the likes of MAD MAX 2 and the wave of similar movies that were made throughout the 1980s. The result is an adventure that feels fresh and exciting throughout, with more detailed rules when it comes to combat - there are different methods for hand-to-hand combat, gun battles and car battles, for instance - and engaging scenarios.
We played through the game a few times but struggled to get very far, mainly because we kept running out of petrol! Forget the enemies, the speed with which you run out of petrol and end up with the dreaded "your adventure is over" paragraph is frightening. Mainly because there just don't seem to be many situations where you actually find petrol, making this adventure very tough indeed. It's one I wouldn't mind trying again in future though as there's something very addictive about it.
NB. A new year, a replay of a book we found extremely challenging previously. Still loving the post-apocalyptic vibes here but the toughness of the encounters, with violence and sudden death at every turn, is uncompromising.
NB. Another replay but this one's still uncrackable. Great world-building here, you really feel like you're Mad Max, but the lack of fuel is insane. I reckon this is almost as hard as the maze in THE WARLOCK OF FIRETOP MOUNTAIN.
We played through the game a few times but struggled to get very far, mainly because we kept running out of petrol! Forget the enemies, the speed with which you run out of petrol and end up with the dreaded "your adventure is over" paragraph is frightening. Mainly because there just don't seem to be many situations where you actually find petrol, making this adventure very tough indeed. It's one I wouldn't mind trying again in future though as there's something very addictive about it.
NB. A new year, a replay of a book we found extremely challenging previously. Still loving the post-apocalyptic vibes here but the toughness of the encounters, with violence and sudden death at every turn, is uncompromising.
NB. Another replay but this one's still uncrackable. Great world-building here, you really feel like you're Mad Max, but the lack of fuel is insane. I reckon this is almost as hard as the maze in THE WARLOCK OF FIRETOP MOUNTAIN.
November 16, 2014
Fighting Fantasy goes Mad Max
30 June 2012
This is the first Ian Livingstone gamebook that is not set in the fantasy world of Titan. Instead we travel to a post-apocalyptic future where civilisation has been destroyed by a viral disease and humanity has slipped back into bands of bandits and towns hiding behind steel walls. Technology still exists and like today petrol is a commodity. The story involves you travelling from your fortified town of New Hope to the refinery at San Angeles where a trade deal between the two towns will allow New Hope to have a supply of oil.
This wasn't a bad book though I have noticed that these later gamebooks have become much more easier to navigate and complete. In many cases the book can be completed without actually finding any necessary equipment (and in a way, with this book, it is very easy to argue why you would have a crowbar and a plastic tube in your possession, I know that I would have that, as well as other items, in my possession in a similar situation). There is also a sub-quest in this book which involves rescuing a New Hope councillor from a band of outlaws that have attacked your town. However, as mentioned, petrol is very important in this book, and you need to make the right choices so that you can get enough petrol to complete your quest.
After finishing this book I wondered if this story was all that futuristic. Sure it is set in 2022 after a disease has wiped out modern civilisation, however there are parts of the world today where you can pretty much have a Freeway Fighter adventure. Sub-Saharan Africa is as wild and dangerous as the post-apocalyptic world of Freeway Fighter. In fact I believe that in Sub-Saharan Africa people are probably retrofitting cars with armour, mounted machine guns, and rocket launchers. I remember seeing images of such vehicles during the Libyan Civil War in 2011. So, if you want an adventure in a post-apocalyptic and lawless land, book a holiday to Somalia.
The other thing that comes out of this book is how fragile modern civilisation is. We don't actually realise it but our luxurious lifestyle in the west is pretty much held together by a thread. For instance if our entire electricity supply were to be cut off for as little as a month I suspect that society would collapse. It is amazing how much our civilisation relies upon the quick and easy production of electricity, and obviously this production comes from finite resources such as coal and oil. While there are ways and means of producing cheaper energy, there simply does not seem to be the political will to do so.
30 June 2012
This is the first Ian Livingstone gamebook that is not set in the fantasy world of Titan. Instead we travel to a post-apocalyptic future where civilisation has been destroyed by a viral disease and humanity has slipped back into bands of bandits and towns hiding behind steel walls. Technology still exists and like today petrol is a commodity. The story involves you travelling from your fortified town of New Hope to the refinery at San Angeles where a trade deal between the two towns will allow New Hope to have a supply of oil.
This wasn't a bad book though I have noticed that these later gamebooks have become much more easier to navigate and complete. In many cases the book can be completed without actually finding any necessary equipment (and in a way, with this book, it is very easy to argue why you would have a crowbar and a plastic tube in your possession, I know that I would have that, as well as other items, in my possession in a similar situation). There is also a sub-quest in this book which involves rescuing a New Hope councillor from a band of outlaws that have attacked your town. However, as mentioned, petrol is very important in this book, and you need to make the right choices so that you can get enough petrol to complete your quest.
After finishing this book I wondered if this story was all that futuristic. Sure it is set in 2022 after a disease has wiped out modern civilisation, however there are parts of the world today where you can pretty much have a Freeway Fighter adventure. Sub-Saharan Africa is as wild and dangerous as the post-apocalyptic world of Freeway Fighter. In fact I believe that in Sub-Saharan Africa people are probably retrofitting cars with armour, mounted machine guns, and rocket launchers. I remember seeing images of such vehicles during the Libyan Civil War in 2011. So, if you want an adventure in a post-apocalyptic and lawless land, book a holiday to Somalia.
The other thing that comes out of this book is how fragile modern civilisation is. We don't actually realise it but our luxurious lifestyle in the west is pretty much held together by a thread. For instance if our entire electricity supply were to be cut off for as little as a month I suspect that society would collapse. It is amazing how much our civilisation relies upon the quick and easy production of electricity, and obviously this production comes from finite resources such as coal and oil. While there are ways and means of producing cheaper energy, there simply does not seem to be the political will to do so.
June 9, 2015
Fighting Fantasy does Mad Max. A story in which you drive an armoured Dodge Interceptor with colossal firepower hundreds of miles to collect petrol for your post-apocalyptic settlement from a refinery. The countryside outside the well-defended settlements being rife with bandit gangs.
It's not a favourite genre of mine, but it's engaging and exciting enough, with new rules for vehicle and firearm combat that work quite well.
The setting is quite convincing and the encounters well paced and well balanced.
The actual route is easy, you just keep heading south. However, you regularly need to refuel, which necessitates side trips. There's only one instance of the dreaded "you need x item to continue" phenomenon, but it's an annoying one.
For a book that's generally well-balanced, the closing section vs the Doom Dogs gang suddenly introduces an enormous number of Luck checks: my Luck dropped from 11 to 4 in a handful of paragraphs because of continual checking and no means of replenishing. To be fair, the consequences of being unlucky in these instances weren't unavoidably lethal, but it was still a bit much. It also lost all credibility when the Doom Dogs and their leader were all let go after they attacked the refinery. I assume this is because youngsters read these books and the author was wary of appearing too murderous, but it's wholly unrealistic and that whole section feels lame. If this had been a real scenario, they would all have been put down to ensure they wouldn't attack again and that would be the end of the matter. Despite what the text said, therefore, in my imagination I put a bullet in each of their heads after they'd been overpowered.
This book was a change for the series, which I guess is as good as a rest, but I'm ready for more swordplay now...
It's not a favourite genre of mine, but it's engaging and exciting enough, with new rules for vehicle and firearm combat that work quite well.
The setting is quite convincing and the encounters well paced and well balanced.
The actual route is easy, you just keep heading south. However, you regularly need to refuel, which necessitates side trips. There's only one instance of the dreaded "you need x item to continue" phenomenon, but it's an annoying one.
For a book that's generally well-balanced, the closing section vs the Doom Dogs gang suddenly introduces an enormous number of Luck checks: my Luck dropped from 11 to 4 in a handful of paragraphs because of continual checking and no means of replenishing. To be fair, the consequences of being unlucky in these instances weren't unavoidably lethal, but it was still a bit much. It also lost all credibility when the Doom Dogs and their leader were all let go after they attacked the refinery. I assume this is because youngsters read these books and the author was wary of appearing too murderous, but it's wholly unrealistic and that whole section feels lame. If this had been a real scenario, they would all have been put down to ensure they wouldn't attack again and that would be the end of the matter. Despite what the text said, therefore, in my imagination I put a bullet in each of their heads after they'd been overpowered.
This book was a change for the series, which I guess is as good as a rest, but I'm ready for more swordplay now...
September 11, 2022
This Fighting Fantasy Gamebook was much like the others I’ve reviewed, but with a difference: it was not set in a medieval fantasy world, but rather in a Road Warrior-style future post-apocalypse. It’s sort of like the Car Wars Adventure Gamebooks, in that you have stats for your car as well as your character, but in a rather more barbaric world. Your mission is to drive across harsh territory to a nearby fortress town to negotiate for fuel for your town.
Unlike Car Wars, which had been world-building for some years before anyone wrote the books, this adventure takes place in a sort of hazy future with characters that have no clear motivation and locations that don’t map to real places. That’s OK, but the book also lacks some of the whimsical creativity of the D&D-parody worlds that the previous books contained. This world is mostly dead highways with burnt-out cars along the roadside, and that gets a bit dull.
The main challenge in this adventure is finding enough fuel to get to your destination. The car you drive seems to run out quite frequently, and there are no gas stations or legitimate vendors available. Actually, considering the amount of weight added to the vehicle in weapons and armor, its fuel demands might be quite realistic, but it does make this a challenge. You have to check out hazardous locations you’d rather drive past, because you’re always scavenging for that next tank of gas.
In all, this is a satisfying adventure, but it can get frustrating, too. You probably won’t get through it on one try, and you just have to keep starting over (unless you cheat, of course, which is no fun) and trying exploring in new directions to see if there’s an easier/better route than the one you tried last time. If you have the time and the patience, though, it can be interesting to see what Livingstone came up with for this dark future.
Unlike Car Wars, which had been world-building for some years before anyone wrote the books, this adventure takes place in a sort of hazy future with characters that have no clear motivation and locations that don’t map to real places. That’s OK, but the book also lacks some of the whimsical creativity of the D&D-parody worlds that the previous books contained. This world is mostly dead highways with burnt-out cars along the roadside, and that gets a bit dull.
The main challenge in this adventure is finding enough fuel to get to your destination. The car you drive seems to run out quite frequently, and there are no gas stations or legitimate vendors available. Actually, considering the amount of weight added to the vehicle in weapons and armor, its fuel demands might be quite realistic, but it does make this a challenge. You have to check out hazardous locations you’d rather drive past, because you’re always scavenging for that next tank of gas.
In all, this is a satisfying adventure, but it can get frustrating, too. You probably won’t get through it on one try, and you just have to keep starting over (unless you cheat, of course, which is no fun) and trying exploring in new directions to see if there’s an easier/better route than the one you tried last time. If you have the time and the patience, though, it can be interesting to see what Livingstone came up with for this dark future.
January 28, 2013
Great twist to the F&F system. In a madmax style, battle cars scenario. Loved finding different cars and weapons. Badly let down by the artist here tho. Front cover amazing. Inside not so hot. Would have liked to read more books in this setting for sure. Lots of potential. Didn't quite hit the spot for me. x could have been great.
March 19, 2021
good game
October 20, 2016
The best Fighting Fantasy book, hands down. Superb mix of choice and action.
June 17, 2023
Entertaining, in a silly sort of way. It has a great start, well written and compelling: help civilization survive after a world-ending pandemic occurring in 2022. 👀 I don't know what's more depressing: the astuteness of that speculative element or the inaccuracy of the world being on the brink of peace and ending hunger.
Sadly, the book doesn't live up to its intro. The choices are mostly left or right guesswork, most leading to wacky, post-apocalyptic filler characters, like the masked Duelist or rat-wielding, nightgown-clad Rat Man. The challenges are often duplicative "duel me" or "race me" types. In a world where petrol is precious, people sure do love to drag race. Though, given the out there people we see in our daily feeds, maybe that, too, is an accurate bit of speculation. The main plot bits are pretty good, though.
All in all, if you want a bit of silly, Mad Max-flavoured action, give this book a go. You won't be disappointed. But first lower your standards.
Sadly, the book doesn't live up to its intro. The choices are mostly left or right guesswork, most leading to wacky, post-apocalyptic filler characters, like the masked Duelist or rat-wielding, nightgown-clad Rat Man. The challenges are often duplicative "duel me" or "race me" types. In a world where petrol is precious, people sure do love to drag race. Though, given the out there people we see in our daily feeds, maybe that, too, is an accurate bit of speculation. The main plot bits are pretty good, though.
All in all, if you want a bit of silly, Mad Max-flavoured action, give this book a go. You won't be disappointed. But first lower your standards.
May 21, 2022
Los libros de lucha ficción eran juegos de rol de consumo individual. Basados en el planteamiento clásico de Elige tu propia aventura (que luego Multiaventura llevó un poco más allá), en estos libros había que ir con papel y dado, y estar dispuesto a llevar un recuento de varios estadísticos (vida, fuerza, habilidad) para progresar en la aventura. Eran muy divertidos. Tras el primer recorrido respetando las normas al pie de la letra, de repente, solía pasar que empezábamos a ganar todos los combates y las tiradas de suerte (los libros estaban bien porque aunque perdieras una tirada de suerte aún podías sobrevivir e ir por otro lado de la historia, no eran todas de sí o no).
Cada libro traía varias horas de entretenimiento. Las historias eran arquetípicas (caballero mata monstruos en misión de rescate, universo Mad Max, naves espaciales que desaparecen, misión en ruinas arqueológicas...) pero eso en realidad era un plus porque te situaba perfectamente en la misión ya desde que veías la portada del libro.
En conjunto unos libros que recuerdo con mucho cariño y que merecían mucho la pena.
Cada libro traía varias horas de entretenimiento. Las historias eran arquetípicas (caballero mata monstruos en misión de rescate, universo Mad Max, naves espaciales que desaparecen, misión en ruinas arqueológicas...) pero eso en realidad era un plus porque te situaba perfectamente en la misión ya desde que veías la portada del libro.
En conjunto unos libros que recuerdo con mucho cariño y que merecían mucho la pena.
January 21, 2024
Another science fiction book, but it takes place in a dystopian future.
SKILL 8, STAMINA 31, LUCK 7
Car—FIREPOWER 12, ARMOR 34; 4 Rockets (if you hit, automatic destruction of target), 3 Iron Spikes canisters, 2 rear-mounted oil sprays w/1 canister of oil each, turret-mounted, computer-controlled machine gun (1d6 ARMOR damage).
In addition to having the Car, you also have a ‘character sheet’ for the car which is kind of cool.
“DATELINE 21 JULY 2022
The disaster happened just at a time when the world was beginning to enjoy itself.”
“Later that day, an unknown disease broke out in New York, and spread with such devastating speed and fatality that before the government and scientists realized what was happening, half the population was dead.”
Despite the book telling you that the car is a Dodge Interceptor, neither the cover or interior illustrations of the car is a Dodge Interceptor.
I tried to do an Evil Knievel over a half raised drawbridge and just barely missed plunging 98 feet into a river.
SKILL 8, STAMINA 31, LUCK 7
Car—FIREPOWER 12, ARMOR 34; 4 Rockets (if you hit, automatic destruction of target), 3 Iron Spikes canisters, 2 rear-mounted oil sprays w/1 canister of oil each, turret-mounted, computer-controlled machine gun (1d6 ARMOR damage).
In addition to having the Car, you also have a ‘character sheet’ for the car which is kind of cool.
“DATELINE 21 JULY 2022
The disaster happened just at a time when the world was beginning to enjoy itself.”
“Later that day, an unknown disease broke out in New York, and spread with such devastating speed and fatality that before the government and scientists realized what was happening, half the population was dead.”
Despite the book telling you that the car is a Dodge Interceptor, neither the cover or interior illustrations of the car is a Dodge Interceptor.
I tried to do an Evil Knievel over a half raised drawbridge and just barely missed plunging 98 feet into a river.
November 15, 2021
Freeway Fighter is a fantastic addition to any bookshelf.
This adventure mostly takes place on the road. It's very much like Mad Max with the vehicle combat and the zany characters that you'll encounter.
You'll have to manage your petrol/gas and avoid roaming lunatics who are determined to kill you on the lonely roads between New Hope and San Anglo.
The adventure felt quite short and there's a condition that'll give you a bad ending/game over once it has been met.
I would totally recommend this gamebook to anyone that enjoys Fighting Fantasy.
This adventure mostly takes place on the road. It's very much like Mad Max with the vehicle combat and the zany characters that you'll encounter.
You'll have to manage your petrol/gas and avoid roaming lunatics who are determined to kill you on the lonely roads between New Hope and San Anglo.
The adventure felt quite short and there's a condition that'll give you a bad ending/game over once it has been met.
I would totally recommend this gamebook to anyone that enjoys Fighting Fantasy.
February 23, 2024
Whenever I smell asphalt, I think of this book.
That's the last sensation I had, before I blacked out: the thick smell of asphalt. And the first thing I saw when I woke up was its cover. The novel said it would nourish my imagination. Free. No strings attached. I should have known then that things are never that simple. Yeah, when I think of Freeway Fighter I think of two things: asphalt... and trouble.
That's the last sensation I had, before I blacked out: the thick smell of asphalt. And the first thing I saw when I woke up was its cover. The novel said it would nourish my imagination. Free. No strings attached. I should have known then that things are never that simple. Yeah, when I think of Freeway Fighter I think of two things: asphalt... and trouble.
June 15, 2023
In my mind this book rocks! 5 stars for the memories!
I remember reading this when I was at school and loved it. It inspired me in so many ways, I even started to write a ZX Spectrum game based on it (never finished... my Spectrum was temperamental).
It makes me think of Mad Max & Roadwar 2000 game on ST/Amiga.
I remember reading this when I was at school and loved it. It inspired me in so many ways, I even started to write a ZX Spectrum game based on it (never finished... my Spectrum was temperamental).
It makes me think of Mad Max & Roadwar 2000 game on ST/Amiga.
June 16, 2025
Boasting perhaps the most eye-catching cover art of the series, this borrows very, very heavily from Mad Max 2, as a pandemic in 2022 destroys society.... One of the easiest FF books, nevertheless the PG post apocalypse makes for an enjoyable adventure, with simple but effective art.
July 2, 2018
Played/read quite a few of these back in the day. Was hoping to get a Mad Max vibe. You need a lot of fuel, and there's hardly any to be found; makes for pretty unsatisfying "deaths".
March 5, 2020
An absolute classic. Mad Max vibes mixed with a new combat system that includes vehicles. A personal favorite of mine!
April 26, 2020
Didn't like this one :(
June 30, 2021
One of my favorite genres.
December 11, 2021
Mad Max meets Fighting Fantasy. Good fun
December 18, 2022
Solid Car Wars/Mad Max-esque gamebook. Full review: https://refereeingandreflection.wordp...
June 8, 2018
I loved these books as a kid. Must go back and re-read them to make a proper review. But just look at that art work too... amazing!
April 22, 2024
Classic 1985 Fighting Fantasy entry by Ian Livingstone, unusual in its post-apocalyptic Mad Max-style future-world setting (which you traverse in a souped-up car called the ‘Interceptor’). I missed this one as a child and have loved doing it as an adult, first with my (then) 8-year-old son back in 2020, and then again this evening, by myself. This time I found those wire cutters, so was finally able to complete it. Great book, and I love that simple, slick artwork (by Kevin Bulmer).
Displaying 1 - 22 of 22 reviews