Hey there, folks. This is where I'll stack up all of my game reviews.
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Freespace 2
Developer: Volition software
Release date: 1999
Platform: PC
Genre: Space-combat shooter.
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Freespace 2 is the sequel to Descent: Freespace, a space-combat shooter created by Volition and Interplay in order to enter the void left by the seeming conclusion of the Wing Commander franchise with Wing Commander: Prophecy. While the original was certainly a competent game, the sequel takes the story, and the gameplay to new and interesting places.
The backdrop for the game is this. After the destruction of the Shivan battleship Lucifer, the formerly warring Terran and Vasudans found themselves in the same boat. The destruction of the Lucifer has cut off Earth from the rest of the Galaxy, and the Vasudan homeworld was destroyed by the Shivans. Now, thirty years later, the two races have forged an alliance, and have greatly expanded their own technologies in order to defend themselves against incursions from yet other unknown species. However, dissension in the Terran ranks about allying with a long-hated enemy has flared out into open, armed rebellion, and now the new alliance fights for its survival against enemies from within- and the Shivans are still out there, too.
Gameplay is quite familiar to anyone who has played games like Wing Commander, Freelancer, or other such games. All of the relevant information is easily accessible on the heads-up-display, including your weapons loadouts, ammunition, radar displays, objectives, and the status of major friendly and enemy targets, as well as the energy you have currently assigned to the functions of your fighter or bomber, such as guns, shields, and engines, plus the status of any enemy ship you have targeted. Flying and maneuvering is easy enough, and the interface is well-enough designed so that one could easily target an enemy warship and whatever individual turrets and systems one would like to do away with with only a few taps on the keyboard. The controls are easy to get a handle on, and don't require referencing the manual too often- the tutorials provided in-game are very thorough and cover all of the necessities for playing the game effectively. The tutorials will teach you all you need, and you'll need all that they teach.
While the ability to customize your own loadout for missions has been a staple of the genre since Wing Commander III, the Freespace series has taken it further. In addition to selecting your missiles and what ship you take out into space, you also have choice over your own primary weapons... As well as the ability to configure all of the above for all of the squadmates that are flying out with you, giving you the ability to change the composition of almost your entire fighter force on the fly to better suit your plans for tackling the mission at hand. This becomes immensely useful, especially as more craft become available in later missions. There is a rather large number of craft available throughout the game, as well, from interceptors to heavy bombers.
The missions themselves can be quite challenging, but, with a rare exception or two, never really unfair, boiling largely down to how you prioritize your presence among all of the things that demand your attention in battles that can proceed at a very hectic pace. One real triumph of the game's mission design is that it has managed to make escort missions interesting and fun, largely by turning many of such missions into battles of mutual support rather than babysitting- you take care of the bombers, and the warship's powerful weapons can help you destroy other warships or enemy fighters, and so on. On that note, large warships have real teeth in Freespace 2, often sporting powerful anti-fighter weapons like shield-piercing beams, flak guns, missile launchers, and cluster missile pods. Destroying the larger vessels requires real coordination with friendly warships and bombers.
The game presentation works well enough. The game's graphics were top-notch in 1999, and are still serviceable even nowadays. One of the major leaps that the original Freespace brought to the table was that warships were scaled correctly to the fighters, and the warships used by all sides are absolutely massive, creating some impressive flyovers even when in the middle of a dogfight. Battles between those warships are equally impressive, lashing out with massive beam cannons that can instantly vaporize your fighter if you stray into their path. The sound creation and editing is extremely well done, each weapon having their own unique sounds, and the anti-ship beams of each race has their own distinct sound, from the shrill whine of Terran beams to the deep rumble of Shivan weapons. Perhaps the real achievement, though, are the nebula sections, which not only cut down visibility but also your sensor range, making sudden attacks a real threat- plus ships emerge seamlessly out of the mist, with no clipping or pop up at all. perhaps the most effective use of this, though is in the mission titled "Monster in the Mist", where you have to carefully creep close to the hull of an enormous, three-and-a-half mile long Shivan warship, finding your way over and around its ridges and spines with no clue where this monster of a vessel begins or even ends.
The game structure itself is a rather linear campaign, but there are two sets of difficult special operations missions once can undertake in order to gain access to new craft that one wouldn't normally have available if one decided to pass them by, one of which is actually extremely powerful. The game does come with a tech room where you can access and replay any mission you have previously cleared, along side fluff and information about all of the vessels, friendly or enemy, that you have encountered in the game. A fair warning, though- the story ends on a cliffhanger that's unlikely to be resolved, as there was never a Freespace 3 and there won't be one in the forseeable future.
It's definitely worth playing, or at least giving a try, given that it's now about $6 on gog.com. Since the source code has been released, fans have also created the Freespace SCP mod, which adds in a great number of enhancements to the game to raise its graphics standards, including things like enhanced lighting and textures, as well as new, high-polygon models for all of the craft in the game. It's a must for fans of the genre, or even people looking to break into it.
Intro is here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=khIWdolT9xY
Screenshots: (All screenshots taken from the SCP 3.6.10 version)