Revolutionary, even for today.
What impressed me the most is the user interface - simple yet reliable, easy to understand and you don't have to learn it completely from the beginning, unlike the very complex X2 Game. The single player campaign it great for it's time, but a bit single lined. The ships and bases have good design and you can find a lot of variety. Maps are practically constructed 2D and then rendered on several layers, to mimic a 3D world, but the concept does a great job at it. Several times i had to attack a base and the best way was to run up and then down, shooting on the way.
Come to think of it, it feels like you are a part of a Homeworld scenario, the only difference being you only have one ship and you make most of your decisions outside the missions - a true Freelancer.
The GOOD: It's a great gaming experience! Good fights, good missions, great equilibrium between sides. It could've been the mother of all MMORPG, but maybe it was a bit before it's time. User interface is simple, yet very useful, especially for those of us who prefer the PC keyboard and mouse controls. Different systems mean different views and, sometimes, new enterprising opportunities. Trade Lanes and Jump Gates are extraordinary, especially the fact that you can interrupt a Trade Lane to do some piracy or get out of it at any time!
The BAD: Sometimes you can get tired of hearing the same phrases over and over again, though i say this after playing the game for the 7th time. When you trade, the long time it takes to dock may mean the difference between great profit or death, if you have bandits on shooting at you. Cockpit flying can be done just for fun, since in a battle or tight spots you need some kind of radar to see in front of you, but also know what your position is and what the tale and wing tips are doing.
The MAYBE: Maybe someone would think to make a Freelancer 2. Not like they made Homeworld 2, by adding new graphics and easier commands, but destroying the game itself. Freelancer 2 could use a better graphic engine, but not too exaggerated, because lots of gamers have older PC platforms. Also, a split and open ended story would be fun. Not like WoW! Think... Elder Schrolls 4, Oblivion. A cool addition would be to separate Energy Weapons from Missiles, and introduce the need for fuel, while having the option to choose between secondary fuel tanks and missile racks. Just a bit more complex, but not too much, because "too difficult" is what made WoW, Starcraft 2, X series, Homeworld 2 and some other games miss out on a lot of potential gamers/consumers.
CONCLUSION:
An old game that, even with lower graphics, tops EVERY space adventure game ever made (though there weren't many of them). With a bit of tweaking and more accountants/bosses with real foresight in the production process (unlike Dragon Age 2 or WoW add-ons), a sequel could be what the market needs right now.