As a child I loved the game Colony Wars, and I spent years looking for another space sim that could match those memories. The Freespace series has certainly proven to be one of the best experiences I could ask for in this genre, and is indeed a Good Old Game.
But even a top notch game like this has flaws, and the most glaring one is in its controls. The game is playable with a keyboard and mouse, but there are times when one needs to dogfight hordes of enemy fighters and a mouse just can't cut it. The game recommends a joystick and that should be taken as a warning. If you don't have a joystick, then be warned. The game will still be immersive, it will still be one of the best games ever, but you will die painfully in certain heartless missions (less so than the first game thankfully.)
The game also suffers from some cliches, but it's difficult to make a great plot for a genre (sci-fi) that's kind of over-saturated overall. Sci Fi plots are everywhere, and a space sim like this just has to deal with the territory.
But if you do have a joystick, then it is criminal for you not to buy this game! If you don't have a joystick, you should still get this game. This is one of the brightest gems of GOG's catalogue by far!