I'm sure that this game will not be very popular, but Space Rangers 2 is really great game!
First you can choose you rase, player class and space ship. You can do all what you want: start buisness, doing quests, pirating... Gameplay is free. Also sometimes NPC offers you planet battles or planet (text) adventures. All of that is VERY interesting! Main objective of the game you can do 5 different ways. 2D graphics of course is bad point, but it means nothing. Gameplay do so that you forgive about graphics. Especial part of the game is planet battles. It is 3D RTS. Not Warcraft but also interesting.
The main thing is that SR2 is a "concept-game", unically, fresh ideas, wonderful. It is not like any other. I advise you buy and play it. The game is worth playing.
P.S. I'm from Russia and there, in my country this game is MEGA popular, all gamers like it very much. Sorry for my english.