Freespace 2

As other reviewers have suggested, go to www.hard-light.net to get FSO graphic/sound improvements and to have access to more than twenty additional user-made campaigns, and also to other spin-offs like the Babylon 5 and Battlestar Galactica universes. User-made campaigns can be found at www.hard-light.net/wiki/index.php/Main_Page and are set in eras that span the first and second Great Wars, and beyond. I highly recommend getting Freespace 1 as well to complete the experience. And what an experience! Your ship controls can be customized, and are broken down to Ship, Weapons, Targeting, Shield, and Squad Command controls. Missions seem to be based on a combination of simple objectives such as Destroy / Defend / Recon or Stealth but these objectives create an atmosphere of variety and plot twists. One of the high-points of the game is the ability to destroy Capital Ship subsystems and turrets along with the extreme ship to ship dog-fighting. Another great feature is the ability on most missions to customize your and squad-mate ship and weapons loadout. This game is also missile-intensive, which creates an atmosphere of large explosions, and you constantly find yourself spinning, using afterburners and launching countermeasures to dodge the enemy. The ability to create a player that earns stats, badges and promotions gives the game an epic feel from campaign to campaign, that you will have fought in every major battle. As a whole, Freespace 2 and the FSO universe is a must for space-sim combat fans.

I believe that Freespace 2 is the best space-sim series, and one of the best games ever made. While Freelancer had many good qualities too, I believe nothing can beat the epicness of what Freespace 2 achieves. With the SCP upgrade, around 300 vessels now are allowed to be in the game at once, giving many more options for mod development and amazing missions. I'm experimenting and playing with the editor to create good quality battles, but it's definitely not hard to pick up, but hard to master. ;) If anything's worth your 6 bucks, it's this game. - JC

This game is touted as 'the' great space flight sim, but I would go so far as to argue it's 'the' great flight sim, space or otherwise. Few games can really pull me in like this one and provide such a rewarding play experience. If you really want to take this to another level, get your hands on the work the Freespace 2 SCP guys have been doing. Running this game at 1920x1200 with high res textures, it's easy to forget this game is 10 years old. The gameplay just holds up that well.

I still remember feeling dubious about buying this back in (99?) 2000, thinking "well, this won't be as good as Privateer or the Wing Commander series, or X-Wing, but it looks like it should be something..." Absolutely blown away by this game. Here we are 20 years later and I'm buying a Saitek just so I can play this game again. I remember the thrill of flying and blasting fighters while in the midst of huge capital ship battles where their batteries literally lit up space around you (great sound and effects) making you feel the passage of those weapons. If you've ever liked a space flight combat sim - you'll LOVE this game.

Before the endless wait for Half Life 3, there was the endless wait for FreeSpace 3. Download Knossos and update the game files. It's amazing seeing my childhood in HD. I fly the GTF-05 Valkyrie, full Fury loadout; my black glass cannon. Mods: I own the original GOTY game disks.