seedy life of an underdog
[review based on original release, not GOG release]
Wing Commander was the undisputed king of PC space sims all the way until Freespace came along. The X-Wing series was a strong contender, but never dethroned WC.
Privateer takes Wing Commander combat away from the military soap opera, fleshing out the universe behind the battlefront. Your character is no Han Solo hero at heart, and no matter how big the stakes of a mission, he has no higher calling.
There is much freedom to travel anywhere between missions, to help or hurt any of a multitude of factions, to trade legal or illegal cargo, and so on. The heart of the game, though, is in the storyline missions. The most you can become outside the storyline is a very rich owner of a single, fully upgraded ship. This isn't a deep sandbox game.
However, the combat, ship shopping, and overall presentation are so appealing that the sandbox elements merely add to an already winning mix. Every ship upgrade is useful in some way, whether it's a stopgap or the pinnacle of technology. For much of the game, money is an issue, so missile and armor costs have the bite they ought to. There's a real sense of ownership here, reinforcing the lone wolf character of the hero.
Random combat and transport missions are always available (after paying a guild entry fee, of course). With luck, it's possible to combine a couple of combat missions with a transport run for quick if risky money. Even without missions, every nav point carries the possibility of a friendly or hostile encounter. Fighting is fast and fluid despite the sprite-animated ships and projectiles. Shields are just the right balance between fragile and invincible, with the exception of heavy ships that are meant to be resilient. Those usually demand power redistribution and massive firepower, or a quick jump away from danger. AI is skilled without being frustrating. Occasionally, light fighters turn too close in front of your ship and get smashed to pieces, but then again they're supposed to be nuisances. The game engine can't handle more than 4 or so ships at a time, so ships appear in waves. But combat is balanced appropriately to keep things fun. I have many memories of sitting with engines dead and the last few enemy shots clanging home.
The music and art are beautiful. Planets and huge space stations are atmospheric, ranging from pastoral to futuristic to Blade Runner-dystopic. The storyline passes the player through the hands of nearly every faction, including militia, pirates, smugglers, military, and even university professors. The opening cutscene sets up the game's ultimate mystery, which once again centers around the hero's own well-being rather than the survival of civilization.
The biggest weakness of this game is that you can only own one ship at a time out of the 4 available. The starter ship is eventually too outclassed. The heavy ship is nearly impervious much of the time, but it holds almost no cargo and is too slow to survive large enemy swarms. The freighter would be great for trading, except much of its firepower is concentrated in top and bottom turrets. The turrets can't autofire, the player can't steer while controlling them, and they have poor orientation assistance, making them nearly useless. So by the end of the game, the maneuverable, balanced fighter is really the only way to go.
Play the game as a combat sim with bonus trading, and you'll have no complaints whatsoever.
At this time, the large expansion pack Righteous Fire is not available on GOG. Normally this would bother me. I'm as much a completionist as anyone. However, Privateer tells a long, complete story by itself. Righteous Fire's upgrades are very nice, to the point where your fighter can defeat almost any opponent with ease. In other words, there's less overall challenge. The Righteous Fire ship upgrades aren't available in the main storyline anyway, and its story is independent of Privateer's. It's a true expansion pack; though excellent, it's not necessary for complete enjoyment of the original.
¿Te resulta útil?