What people search:
 | Title : Freelancer
Author : Microsoft
Release Date : 20030304
Binding : CD-ROM
Regular Price : $54.99
Amazon.com Price : $37.25
(32
%)
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Editorial Reviews :
In the open-ended space action/adventure game Freelancer you play a ne'er-do-well with a lucky streak, one of two survivors of a space disaster. Penniless and shipless, you venture around a space dock until you find a ship and a job. You'll encounter a heady mix of canned missions that follow one main quest, and a million opportunities to make money or aggravate the various factions that co-exist in the universe. Like an online role-playing game, or Bethesda's Morrowind, you determine who your enemies are and who your friends are by your own actions, and, in another nod to role-playing, you can customize your ship with guns, rockets, and equipment just as you would customize a RPG character with swords, bows, and magic items. Best of all, you can play cooperatively with friends or fight it out with enemies online.
The backstory posits a future where various countries, divided by both nationality and, seemingly, race, have boarded massive colony ships and ventured into a wormhole that appeared within reach of our crude space technology. They found themselves in a galaxy far, far away and they got stuck there when the wormhole collapsed. They quickly colonized new home worlds and named everything with familiar locales that make navigation a breeze. In the American sectors you'll feel at home entering the New York system and landing at a spaceport called Manhattan, for example. While contrived, this device is used beautifully and it's far better than having to memorize a bunch of sci-fi names and remembering where they are, perfect for a massive universe such as this one.
Though Freelancer is set in space, it is technically not a space simulation. The game was designed to be accessible to casual gamers. For example, Freelancer makes you use the mouse for ship control. This is quite a shift for a game genre normally known to require joystick control. But even old-school Wing Commander or X-Wing fans may find that the sacrifice of verisimilitude is made up for with gains in agility. The mouse controls your guns, while you use the keyboard to maneuver around the rich universe that developer Digital Anvil has constructed. Much like a first-person shooter, you can dodge and weave while precisely blasting your enemies.
Despite the game's age, its graphics are spectacular, as is the sound and voice acting, and in that way, fighting and trading with friends or alone, Freelancer proves worth the wait. Just keep in mind that it is explicitly not a hardcore space simulation, and you'll have to leave your joystick on the shelf. --Andrew S. Bub
Buyer Reviews :
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.
(by Brian J. Audette)
Features/Technical Specs :
* An entire universe open for exploration; the game evolves based on the choices you make
* Combines a fully-immersive 3D space-flight system with real-time 3D character interaction
* Complete control over buying and selling commodities, accepting missions for hire, and customizing your spacecraft
* Dynamic reputation system--the missions you're offered and the technology you have access to all depend on what kind of Freelancer you decide to become
* Play cooperatively or competitively over the Internet--bait and ambush pirates, flank trade lanes, and employ tactical complexity beyond the reach of the solo Freelancer
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