Freespace 2

One of my most played and most loved games back in the day! No other space simulator came even close to this beauty. Such a simple concept with a fantastic story! I loved every minute of it. I felt like a true pilot fighting evil Shivans. The missions, the dogfights, the starships, the immersion...man, the Nebula mission is so well designed you really feel the loneliness and eeriness of it. This game is gameplay perfection. At least for me. 10 out of 10.

However, this lacks the storyline that Freespace 1 gave you. This game cannot compare to the first in that category. The graphics are a bit better and you cn also download Freespace 2 Open for even better mods. Both are worth buying merely for Nostalgia.

Get yourself Freespace 2 and load the SCP-installer. I have got myself a Retro-PC including a Microsoft Forcefeedback Pro (1) to revive the old school VR-experiance I have got in the 90s - and it is still unbeatable- yesss! (no see-VR but touch-VR) It still requires a lot of skill even when you have catlike reflexes, at least when you boost the level of difficulty. Get your self a load of Fun and some (still impressive) eyecandy - get Freespace 2!

I never played this game first time round in 1999. I do remember it though, and the predecessor Conflict: Freespace - The Great War from the previous year. I was (and still am) a devoted fan of Descent, which was made by the same people. I'm using the fantastic Freespace Open mod which updates the graphics and textures to more modern standards while still using the base engine. Irrespective of the remarkably pretty aesthetic furnishings, which are indeed great, the gameplay at the core of Freespace 2 is just fantastic. Why I never got this back in the day is beyond me as I know I would have loved it. One can clearly trace the influence of past flight sims, such as the X-Wing series (namely the energy/target management technique which brings it more in line with a proper flight simulator and less like an arcade space shooter) , and the trajectory of influence this must have had on later games, such as the X/X2/X3 series or Eve Online, mainly in the sense of scale. Freespace 2 is BIG. You'll engage in vast open conflicts against enemy fighter wings, darting between massive capital ships and hopefully avoid the devastating crossfire of their beam weapons while they cut each other to pieces. You'll manage shield, engine and weapon energy to best suit the present situation. You'll deploy countermeasures to hopefully deflect enemy missile locks at the exact right moment. You'll direct your wingmen to attack, defend, reinforce, and other commands. You'll be paying attention to several crucial targets to be attacked or defended which will affect the outcome of your mission. All at the same time. Its not excessively complex, but requires you to be on the ball if you want to survive. Featuring voice acting from established actors (including Star Trek alumnus Ronny Cox, and Star Trek/Robocop alumnus Curtwood Smith), an immersive campaign and plot that I am getting quite stuck into, and everything else I've mentioned, is it really any surprise this game is as revered as it is? I'm aware that I'm playing in reverse order here, but it doesn't seem to be much of an issue. Once I'm done with this, I'll only go and get the first one and play through that on FSOpen also.

One of the most realistic space simulator games. you start as a low level soldier, going trough training, then your first assignments, as you scale up the ranks. Nice story, fast paced gameplay