
At the same time you’ll have to master somewhere around half of a standard keyboard to really achieve optimum combat performance.
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Despite having a full array of system control options, all the main controls are intuitive and in easy reach, and the HUD is completely customizable. With an expansive set of controls, Volition has done a solid job of making sure that the commands are still easy to get into.

The actual gameplay in FreeSpace 2 is exceptional. As the game progresses, you’ll end up flying quite a few missions in these space clouds, and the lack of reliable sensors, combined with the sometimes-fretful chatter of wingmen creates a surprising sense of tension. When a contact gets into close range, systems will analyze it normally, and the effect has let mission designers do things like hide capital ships in a cloud, revealing them at the very last moment. They affect ship sensors so enemies at long range won’t show up, and at medium range they will simply be vague intermediate blips on the radar. Beyond impressive visuals, the nebulae create an interesting layer to the gameplay as well. Seeing two of these monster ships blast each other into pieces is quite awe inspiring, and the impressive beam cannons that they use (alongside anti-fighter guns to repel pesky ships such as yourself) are both devastating and spectacular.Īnother major new addition are nebulae—these huge gas clouds enshroud you with an eerie, claustrophobic fog.

Wings of bombers are occasionally sent in to annihilate them, and you have a choice of either commanding them or partaking in the bombing run yourself, but many times they blast it among themselves. On top of that, as a fighter pilot, you seldom actually engage these huge ships. Indeed, the biggest craft in this game is ten times bigger than FreeSpace’s biggest super destroyer. While the ships aren’t much more advanced graphically, the engine can now accommodate more in a battle – and that includes huge capital and support ships. The enhancements in the game’s engine work well with the new focus on plot and mission developments. FreeSpace 2 uses a marginally improved version of the original 3D engine, with a focus on more impressive lighting and weapon effects.

Stellar Tune-Upįrom a technical perspective, not much has changed. Missions usually get much complex than the mere objectives you were assigned, and most of them are extremely exciting. Even more interesting is the way that the missions develop away from the bare outlines given in the pre-mission briefings. The plot is less “by-the-numbers” than what you find in most games, and develops throughout missions as the pilots talk among themselves and with commanding officers. The sub-space gate to Earth was destroyed and the survivors of the war have been cut off, but have learned to cope and rebuild society. The game takes place over three decades after the defeat of the Shivan capital ship “Lucifer,” which marked the end of the Great War. There are lots of loose ends should you pay any attention to the narrative, but the greatest focus remains squarely centered on the action, which shines remarkably. Ironically, the story seems pretty tattered and all over the place in this sequel, possible leaving way for a sequel to eventually clear things up (which of course never happened).
