Rating: 
Summary: Very good space trader/fighter sim
Review: Don't let the reviews bashing the mouse control feature scare you off this one. Although it isn't what a hardcore joystick pro might appreciate, its very intuitive and you get used to it real quick. I do have trouble with this game being called a flight sim, it's an RPG with space combat. It's similar to the MMORPG called Earth and Beyond but so much better than that. If you liked EnB you will love this game. The ship customizations are great. Lots of Weapons and other equipment to choose from that you can buy using payments from jobs or by selling items that you loot after space combat. The voice acting is good but a few of the lines are a bit cheesy. Compared to many other games though its pretty good. Theres an openness to this game that a I really like. In the demo after you complete the first few scenarios you're left to do what you want to (explore, fight , etc)... I took some missions, fly from station to station, pretty much whatever I wanted to. Your really out there on your own doing what YOU want to. Do the storyline or not.. its your call, and thats the big draw to this game I think. There's a demo (150mb +/-) for this game... I would highly recommend giving this game a try.
Rating: 
Summary: Good game.
Review: Judging by the demo, the game's good, it doesn't give the user the freedom he had in space sims like Elite etc... Graphics are outdated. Overall a good title, but the little something that would bring a 5-star rating is missing.
Rating:
Summary: Where is the Joystick Support?
Review: Well I played the demo and it is going to be a great game, but the mouse just does NOT have the "feel" of flying anything! Does anyone fly an F-15 Eagle or Stealth Fighter with a mouse? the lack of joystick support is truly disappointing. Maybe a future patch will include joystick support, or maybe some hack will write a "mod" that will give us the joystick support that this type of game demands. I just don't understand why you can't have mouse and/or joystick supported. It's a 4 star game until this issue is fixed or patched. (fin)
Rating: 
Summary: No joystick support
Review: Just played the demo; was appalled to find NO JOYSTICK support! Believe it or not in this space flight sim, unlike every other space flight sim EVER MADE, you have to fly using only your mouse and keyboard! Is this for the commuter train crowd or what? It feels very rinky dink; Let's just say that, viewing your little ship from out in space and steering it with your mouse, does not provide the you-are-there feel I enjoyed so much in Privateer, Privateer 2 The Darkening, and the Wing Commander games. Two steps forward, twenty steps back. I'll take a pass on this one.
Rating:
Summary: Solid game, from a solid game maker
Review: This game tries to pull you in from the starting cinematic, and it does a pretty good job of it. What's nice is that you're really in control of things, and can decline any job that you don't want to do. Another neat tidbit is the possibility of running into random enemies as you do jobs. Once I was in a field of huge elongated asteroids (which you CAN run into and explode upon) and I had completed my mission, then all of a sudden a patrol of rogues wandered by and I had another battle on my hands. The idea of flying without a joystick freaked me out at first, but flying with the mouse is very natural feeling. Bottom line: Go buy this game, because it's just that good!
Rating:
Summary: The Grand Theft Auto of Space
Review: This game is so open ended. It is amazing. You can get jobs from the cops, navy, bounty hunters, rogues, and almost anything you can imagine. There is a reputation system so you have to choose a path of good or evil. If you work for the police the criminals won't like you and vice versa. This is the first good space combat game of the decade. This game won't dissapoint. I nominate it for game of the year. This game runs flawlessly on my Athlon 1.3ghz and Radeon 9500 pro system. The requirements don't seem to be so high since the engine is fairly old. After all, the game has been in development for 4 or 5 years. The graphics in the cities remind me of Anachronox. Sort of blocky, but it's not that bad. The graphics in space are some of the best I've seen. The explosions are amazing as is the variety of ships. I've heard that if you play straight through the game without doing the side mission that it takes well over 60 hours. I would imagine doing everything would be almost 100 hours. ... Order this game now, you won't regret it.
Rating:
Summary: Believe The Hype!
Review: Freelancer must be one of the most anticipated games of the last 5 years and given its sordid production history many have been left wondering whether the game would live up to their lofty expectations. Well, the wait is over and I'm here to say that its been well worth it. Freelancer draws you into the game universe right from the beginning. You're going to want to watch this game's intro cinematic as it's not the usual gratuitous FMV and does an excellent job of setting the stage for the game to come. After selecting the 'New Game" option you are drawn straight into the game via one of many well directed in-game cinematics. Once things get going there is a minimal amount of handholding, which is helpful without hindering your in game experience. As a fan of the space-sim genre I was apprehensive about the absence of joystick control in the game but after my first dogfight it all went out the window as I was weaving in and out of a debris field chasing rogue ships with guns blazing. Having only progressed so far in the game as of this writing I can't really make a definite judgement on how the game will shape up. The story campaign seems well thought out and executed and while there are plenty of options beyond the story, I find myself looking for a bit more structure. Perhaps it will show itself later on based on my actions. Either way, Freelancer is a great game that looks great, and plays great even below the recommended spec. The dialog is well spoken and the in game cinematics are well directed. Mutiplayer could be a very interesting experience on large enough servers and takes a form more reminiscent of Diablo where solo, co-op, and free-for-all play styles are all up for grabs. It will be interesting to see how the online community shapes up. If this review is any indication then Freelancer might just be the shot in the arm that the space-sim genre has been looking for.
Rating:
Summary: I actually bought this game - It's a gem
Review: As my title suggests, I actually own this game, so my review does not talk about the demo, or about what a friend told me, or whatever .The game does not use a joystick - all movements are with your mouse. So, only people who can use a mouse should consider buying this game. For some people, this seems to be an issue - I did not find it a problem. Overall, this game is very fun and really drew me in with the storyline and intuitive gameplay. Freelancer mixes elements of a trading game, a space combate/sim game, and an RPG. The RPG sequences reminded me in an odd way of *real* oldies like "Burn Cycle" and "Angel Devoid", which were cinema-based sci-fi story games most people probably don't remember. Other reviewers have detailed the plot, so I won't bother - suffice to say that it did keep my interest and really added to the game. The game has 2 places where it really shines - one is "atmosophere", which is hard to define. When playing, the user interface, game graphics and sound really create a sense of future tech and add to a suspension of disbelief that can make you forget how long you've been playing. The other area is the game's attempt to be a "jack of all trades" by combining elements of many different game genres. For me, this was a real succeess and rounded out the world-building done by the developers. Gamers looking for a hard-core space sim should avoid this game, but if you are looking for a space game experience that is broader - albeit not quite as deep - Freelancer is a really good find!
Rating:
Summary: Good Open-ended engine that allows for amazing replay value
Review: Freelancer lives up to its name. Where others have failed, some miserably, Freelancer has not only succeeded, but raised the bar much higher for those to follow in its footsteps.
Even though this game has been ranked amongst the top pioneers, it does lack in some places, namely voice-acting, and planet environments.
The voice-acting is cheezy at best: characters in Britonia space will either speak in a fluent American accent, or an extreme stereotypical Enlgish accent. The action sequences contain dialogues that belong in the B-Movies.
The environments on the planets and other platforms (cruisers, trade platforms) are robust at first, as panels slide forth to help you repair and equip your ship, dealerships thrive with salespeople to help you buy a new spacecraft, and the ever present Bar presents the many possiblities of rumors, news, stock prices, and of course job listings. However, if you take into account the massive universe that this game puts together, the same formula applied to EVERY SINGLE planet begins to get a bit monotonous.
At the risk of seeming a bit too thankless for such a good game, I would suggest a bit more dynamic planet environment. Allow for some vehicles on the planet surface where the character is free to roam, just like in the space. This of course would add an extra dimension to the game (which is already immense), hence it would probably be easier to manage this by cutting down on the already present systems.
In conclusion, this game is awesome, a must-buy for ANY pc gamer, specially those who like Space Sims...All I have to say is, this is the first space sim I TRUELY enjoyed since Decent: Freespace...its positive aspects FAR OUTWEIGH any faults it may contain, including the ones I have mentioned.
Rating:
Summary: FREELANCER IS THE BEST SPACE SHOOTER EVER!
Review: In my opinion, freelancer has to be the best space shooter EVER! It is the first game I have ever played that you can do pretty much everything. You can choose what you want to be. For example, I like being a merchant. It's just something about buying goods and selling them at the right base for 50 times more than the amount you paid for them is just a great feeling, because you're filthy RICH!
The game has a great plot and storyline. The story doesn't start off slow, you pretty much get the background on how you got to where you are and then you blow the crap out of some bad guys. CAN IT GET ANY BETTER? Yes, and it does.
Multiplayer is great. You can trade with other human players, join groups to fight battles, or even start your own militia. There are lots of ships to choose from and there are no limits to how powerful they can be!!!
I recomend this game to anyone and everyone who is in to this kinda thing. If your looking for a good space game which isnt just straight blowin up stuff, this is a game to look into. Did i mention free roam? You can fly anywhere at anytime (as long as you beat the campaign!). Thats about it. Get this game now.
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