Title: Freelancer
Genre: "Non-linear" Space Sim
Date Released: Sometime early 2003
Date Reviewed: November 2003
Publisher: Microsoft
Developer: Digital Anvil
Wow, I can't believe I didn't play this when it came out! For those who don't know, Freelancer is a free formed space simulator, along the lines of Wing Commander Privateer, and Elite, where the player has the "opportunity" to simple do whatever they want in space. For example, they could join the military and hunt rebels, or become a merchant and deliver cargo from system to system. However, for you to progress through this game, you'll pretty much have to be a dog for the military. As such, the other things you could do in the universe, seem sort of tacked on, which is not bad for people like myself, who enjoy shooting things down. They could have easily made this into a space shooter, but I guess that would have somewhat dimished the atmosphere of the game.
Story:
This is where the game really shines, the story is very well acted and narrated, almost like a hollywood movie. It follows Edison Trent's (the main character) journey through the universe to save mankind. Yes, that sounds awfully cliched but were I to say anymore, I would be ruining it for those who have yet to play this great game. One thing that was kinda bothersome was the somewhat open ending. Although I would gladly look forward to a Freelancer 2, I would have also liked an ending worthy of the long journey taken through the game. Otherwise, the story is top notch, and is the main reason this game is so immersive and fun.
Gameplay:
Well, this is a space sim, so you can't really deviate that far from the norm. Most of the time, you fly through space, and shoot things, or go places. As a freelancer, you can accept missions from different organizations, good or bad, and the completion of these missions affect the relations with your employer, as well as their enemies. However, I have yet to encounter any distinct effects of working for a certain company, ie. if I work for the military, Rebels will attack me, yet if I work for Rebels, military will attack me, which I find kind of odd. Unlike Privateer, missions are kind of universal, ie. you run and kill things for X, or you run and kill 'him' for X, or you run and kill him and tractor his loot for X. Although there is a random mission generator, missions lack the variety of those found in Privateer. As you can see, I refer much to Privateer, because it was one of the best (yet hardest) free space sims to this day. Surely, gameplay-wise, Freelancer is what Privateer 2 (1995) SHOULD have been. What I especially liked was how they slyly slipped in points in the game for the player to level up, these points were short (just enough time to build up for next mission), and allowed for the user to keep track of the big picture, without sacrificing the freelancing theme of the game. Note of advice, sometimes its better to run for it, since the game allows you to hyperjump within battles.
Atmosphere:
Ah, the deciding factor in making a good game, (followed closely by story, controls, etc.) for the most part, this is were Freelancer excels. With an intriguing, tight storyline, and a believable cast that would rival a hollywood film, Freelancer creates an experience that anyone would enjoy. On the downside, the freelancing aspect of the game is marginally hindered by repetitive missions, and lack of variety in the universe in general. Overall, this is the stuff that makes games great (like NOLF, and System Shock 2), and Freelancer (as long as you stick to the missions!) delivers in spades.
Characters:
Although Trent is the only Freelancer you meet in the whole game (hmm.... the only unemployed space junkie it seems :), all the characters are interesting and diverse. You are introduced to all types of people, from officers, to scientists, to rebels with a cause, to rebels without a cause, and to peons that are surely slaughtered in the next big battle. Although Trent's personality leans towards the "hey, I just don't give a damn" freelancing cliche, all the characters are believable, and well thought out, from Juni's Cate Archer persona (and physique!), right down to Orillion's stern leadership, and they work well to bring the player deeper into the Freelancer universe. Super Kudos to Digital Anvil for finding people who speak stereotypical Russian, German, and Japanese broken english. Never the less, great to see a diverse cast in the big open space, (haha especially Tabaius (sp?)).
Controls:
I remember when this came out, and people where screaming bloody murder over the lack of joystick support. Yet when I played it, I had little trouble adjusting to the mouse/keyboard configuration. Unlike 'hardcore' games like the Freespace series (also very, very good), it uses the mouse to change the ship's direction and fire main weapons, and the keyboard to non essential systems, such as navigation, secondary weapons, etc. Very intuitive and very easy to use, for me anyways (perhaps due to that fact that I've never played a space sim with a joystick. keyboard all the way!).
Graphics:
Nothing short of what I'd expect from a game made in 2003, but don't expect this to rival upcomers like Doom 3. The best thing is that I could run this game surprisingly well on my P3 800 at 1024x768. I had very little slowdowns, perhaps only within dense nebula fields (with 20 ships surrounding me!). Ships (and especially the capital planets!) are diverse, and reflective of their home systems (britonia, new york, rhineland). All in all, the game is are a treat to look at. Planets are big, asteroids and stars are plenty. Just the way I like them.
Audio:
Very space like. In game, you hear the usual phaser-like whines, missile-like explosions, and the whirling of the engines behind you. On the otherhand, the musical scores in the cutscenes and missions are grand and magnificent, fitting perfectly with the story unraveling onscreen. Very cinematic indeed.
Final thoughts:
A fantastic game, that should be enjoyed by everyone, sci-fiers or not. If you were like me, and played this game from start to finish (not in one sitting!), and left it as is after the end of the story, this game will be one of the best space sims you've ever played. However, if you want to be a true freelancer, I would probably drop the score by 10%. It just doesn't do the privateering aspect as well as it could have. Otherwise, A fantastic game, that looks great, sounds great, and is immersive, addictive, and most of all, fun (which is more than I can say about some new games). The story is engaging, and interesting, as I would expect no less from Chris Roberts (of Wing Commander fame). Simply put, Freelancer is a short and sweet game that plays like a movie. Just the way I like it.
Score: 88% (cause odd numbers and primes are the root of all evil)
Screens: (Yes, i know they are a little small)
