Product: Freelancer Publisher: Microsoft Pros: Space sim with great graphics and shipwrecks Cons: Needs joystick support, campaign game too linear
The open-ended space-faring game Freelancer has its roots in similar space games such as Privateer and Wing Commander. This game has been in development for a long time but has finally taken flight.
The Freelancer galaxy is made up of a group of colony ships that left a common home-world to inhabit a new section of the universe. Each of the ships colonised nearby settlements. Travel is via trade lanes, space highways that enable ultraquick journeys to distant locations, but it is not exactly safe as pirates and bandits can attack ships traversing the highways. Have no fear, though, you are a freelancer and some quick laser blasts will turn those pirates into chunks of stellar debris.
The campaign is twisty and mysterious as you can never tell who you can trust. You can ally yourself with any faction you like, but the plot twists and turns so today's enemies could become tomorrow's friends. When they are your enemies, they will attack on sight, when they are your friends, they will trade you some of their high-technology weapons and equipment.
The open game play allows you to follow your own destiny and become a pirate, trader or asteroid miner. But if you want access to the nicer equipment, you will have to follow the rather linear storyline.
The news broadcasts and rumour mills at the bar add to the flavour of the game, but you can also play without paying attention to those things.