Freespace is still incredible to play. Freespace > (Wing Commander + X-Wing + X2 + X1) *long review*
Freespace 2 (FS2), even after these many years, still plays as good as it looks. In this game, you'll find some of the most coolest and most functional looking fighter craft you will ever see. Freespace 2 also has brought back the friendly training grounds from Freespace 1 (FS1). Freespace 2 also expands on the your typical training and the interface and HUD returns from Freespace 1. Everything comes together in a nice package for you armchair pilots. Also new are the fighter weapons and missles for the nice new shiny ships. In FS1, the missles were nice to look at but in FS2 the new ships takes multiple swarming missles to the next level. Same goes for the lasers and other weapons. FS2 also upgraded their capital ships - big time. So far, I haven't seen any game that has had larger capital ships than FS2. However, we all know that bigger sometimes isn't necessarily better so this time around, FS2 brings in the big guns with the capitol ships in the form of flak cannons.
Whoever developed FS2 has been watching alot of Robotech and Macross. There are many other games of this type that try to convey what it is like to attack a real capitol ship but FS2 redefines this meaning. It makes you feel the adrenaline rush of attacking a ship that is not only enormous in size but enormous in firepower making Star Destroyers look like toys in comparison. When your fighter goes head-to-head with a capitol ship, you'll realize how much harder and scarier it is trying to drop your torpedos in a thick cloud of flak and never seems to run out of patrol fighters from its bay. And it doesn't stop there. The real beauty comes out when more than one capitol ship goes head-to-head and you first realize some of the most craziest firepower you will witness happens between two super-class ships by releasing grand cannon beams thicker than a squad of ships. It is frightening yet thrilling to see these fatal beams obliterate waves of ships just a few yards next to you. After playing for only an hour, I thought Freespace 1 should no longer be called the "Great War". Freespace 2 outdoes its predecessor in every way possible and making other games of this type look stupid in comparison especially when comparing the dogfighting experiences. FS2 also has missions that branch into other missions at some limited level but the missions themselves are very well designed and flow well with the game. Some of the missions are nerve racking but thrilling. There is even a mission (if played right) where you are undercover and your wingmen discover your background and they actually become enemies. The story is well written and the cutscenes are a joy to behold...but not as much as observing and closing in on swarms of ships and destroyers going at it from afar.
Wait. There's more.
FS2 has the ability to create your own missions. This time the mission tools are much easier to use. The triggers are also much easier to create especially when using scripted sequences in a mission. FS2 also has a very stable multiplayer that is even more fun when playing with 2 or more players. You can try your hand at creating a mission and have your friends try to challenge it. FS2 has great replayability and because the graphics and art direction seem timeless, the game doesn't seem like a game that was created back in '99.
If you're into Wing Commander, X-Wing, or anything slightly related to space sims. You owe to yourself to buy this game and add it to your collection. For those who've bought Thrustmasters, Flight Sticks, and other joysticks that have 500 buttons on them, it makes use off all the geeky stuff and thensome. If you're a real PC gamer that likes games like X2 and X3. Buy this game.
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