Freelancer Review
Tuesday, July 08, 2003
It is a Damn Big Universe
Freelancer Review
Gameplay: 9/10
Graphics: 10/10
Sound: 10/10
Replayablity: 8/10
Opinion: 9/10
Overall: 9.2/10 (Outstanding)
From the makers of "Wing Commander (1994)", comes the space trading/mining/priating/protecting/fighting an invasion of aliens/whatever game. Freelancer grants total freedom in space.
Gameplay: 9
You play as Edison Trent, Freelancer. Your job is to do whatever you want. The story starts 800 years after "Starlancer" where civilizations were chased out of the Milky way. These civilization fled to an uncharted system known as the Sirius system where they will rebuilt their empire. In the game, the civilizations already developed into a mega 46 to 48 giant sectors, all divided into regions. The americans dominate the Liberty region, asians in the Kusari, germans in Rheinland and the Brits in the Bretonia system.
When you start the game, you already have some freedom. The navy will supply you with a ship, and some cash. After doing some favors with them, the story begins. 13 difficult missions awaits, packed with very nice cutsences rendered in the game engine. I personally like the names of everything. Dodge a sulphur nebula while fleeing from the police, or help them to crush pirates in Omicron Alpha. Make repairs in Liverpool Border Stations or sell Niobium at "The Ring" in New Berlin. The names have a nice ring to it. :P
As you play the game, it gets harder and harder until around mission 7 where it is impossible to fight a whole navy with your ship and your friends. There's one mission where you have to destroy a battleship and the game did not give you upgraded shields or new weapons to face such a difficult task. But ( I was lucky to complete the whole game ) completing it is very rewarding.
The game wants its players to explore. When you finnished the story, you only visited a mere 30 systems out of the whole of Sirius and only saw a handful of ships. There is more planets, wrecks, systems and organisations to be discovered.
The AI is fair. They know how to travel in all the hazards in Freelancer. But they lack intelligence as they come charging at you and don't dodge missiles you fire. They also sometimes run into each other or get burnt in a planet's atmosphere. A mild annoyence but does not alter gameplay too much.
Graphics: 10
Stunning quality and quanity. Everything is so beautiful. Big gas giants to magnificent asteroid belt. It is bloody brillant. Ships are great too.
Sound: 10
Freelancer could be the most noisest game ever. You can hear other pilots talking on open radio channels, like "This is Bounty Hunters Black 1, we are patrolling the Omicron Gamma system." or "This is Luxury Liner Hawaii, to Sarmura Convoy, where are you headin'?"
All of the speaches are excellent and some ammusing. Sound is not a problem ( but how can sound travel in space? ) and music matches perfectly with the mood of the game like when you are attacked, the music will go into a hard techno beat.
Replayabiliy: 8
Even though this game is never ending, the missions get stale after sometime and once you done exploring, there is no point to comb everything again. There should be a mission creator or other types of missions like delivering cargo to planet A to B.
But you will never be done exploring as there is too much space ( no puns intended ).
Reviewer's Opinion: 9
I feel that Freelancer is a very good idea in a very good game. Freedom in space and many ships plus planets to visit is pretty tough to make. But they have done it and pulled it off well. I had lots of fun, though I have to take 1 point of due to unfairness in the story missions. ( Hey, how can I take on an army with level 4 shields!? )
Freelancer Review
Gameplay: 9/10
Graphics: 10/10
Sound: 10/10
Replayablity: 8/10
Opinion: 9/10
Overall: 9.2/10 (Outstanding)
From the makers of "Wing Commander (1994)", comes the space trading/mining/priating/protecting/fighting an invasion of aliens/whatever game. Freelancer grants total freedom in space.
Gameplay: 9
You play as Edison Trent, Freelancer. Your job is to do whatever you want. The story starts 800 years after "Starlancer" where civilizations were chased out of the Milky way. These civilization fled to an uncharted system known as the Sirius system where they will rebuilt their empire. In the game, the civilizations already developed into a mega 46 to 48 giant sectors, all divided into regions. The americans dominate the Liberty region, asians in the Kusari, germans in Rheinland and the Brits in the Bretonia system.
When you start the game, you already have some freedom. The navy will supply you with a ship, and some cash. After doing some favors with them, the story begins. 13 difficult missions awaits, packed with very nice cutsences rendered in the game engine. I personally like the names of everything. Dodge a sulphur nebula while fleeing from the police, or help them to crush pirates in Omicron Alpha. Make repairs in Liverpool Border Stations or sell Niobium at "The Ring" in New Berlin. The names have a nice ring to it. :P
As you play the game, it gets harder and harder until around mission 7 where it is impossible to fight a whole navy with your ship and your friends. There's one mission where you have to destroy a battleship and the game did not give you upgraded shields or new weapons to face such a difficult task. But ( I was lucky to complete the whole game ) completing it is very rewarding.
The game wants its players to explore. When you finnished the story, you only visited a mere 30 systems out of the whole of Sirius and only saw a handful of ships. There is more planets, wrecks, systems and organisations to be discovered.
The AI is fair. They know how to travel in all the hazards in Freelancer. But they lack intelligence as they come charging at you and don't dodge missiles you fire. They also sometimes run into each other or get burnt in a planet's atmosphere. A mild annoyence but does not alter gameplay too much.
Graphics: 10
Stunning quality and quanity. Everything is so beautiful. Big gas giants to magnificent asteroid belt. It is bloody brillant. Ships are great too.
Sound: 10
Freelancer could be the most noisest game ever. You can hear other pilots talking on open radio channels, like "This is Bounty Hunters Black 1, we are patrolling the Omicron Gamma system." or "This is Luxury Liner Hawaii, to Sarmura Convoy, where are you headin'?"
All of the speaches are excellent and some ammusing. Sound is not a problem ( but how can sound travel in space? ) and music matches perfectly with the mood of the game like when you are attacked, the music will go into a hard techno beat.
Replayabiliy: 8
Even though this game is never ending, the missions get stale after sometime and once you done exploring, there is no point to comb everything again. There should be a mission creator or other types of missions like delivering cargo to planet A to B.
But you will never be done exploring as there is too much space ( no puns intended ).
Reviewer's Opinion: 9
I feel that Freelancer is a very good idea in a very good game. Freedom in space and many ships plus planets to visit is pretty tough to make. But they have done it and pulled it off well. I had lots of fun, though I have to take 1 point of due to unfairness in the story missions. ( Hey, how can I take on an army with level 4 shields!? )
