Freelancer

"Simplicity is king."

While most people would expect a space-flying simulation computer game to delve into extreme complexity filled with technical data and all the whatnots of the ship's handling, or maybe even how the ship's driving and shooting be controlled, Digital Anvil decides to keep it simple to appeal to a broader range of audience, while still delivering a promising game for fans of the genre. Freelancer is no pushover; it is a game that promises a rich and dynamic environment to explore in, a very effective combination of the mouse and keyboard to move around the different galaxies (or systems, as they call it), a solid single-player campaign and an even more promising and re-playable feature would be the multiplayer servers. In short, Freelancer is a game that proves the old-time phrase "simplicity at its best", and it has lots more to boot as well.

The single-player storyline throws you into the shoes of a Freelancer named Trent. For a long time in the galaxy, the world has been at peace with all the major powers establishing thriving, prosperous societies in their own galaxies. The presence of troublemakers like the Outlaws or Rogues has always been around, but they have been kept at bay due to the effective security system of each and every of the major powers. This all turns sour after an outpost that Trent was on got destroyed, and suddenly the world turns chaotic over a mysterious artifact that someone has possession of. The story gets told in forms of very nicely rendered cinematic scene with commendable voiceovers, and this effectively carries on with the interesting plot twists that you will experience throughout your play of the game.

Freelancer is a game that boasts non-linear gameplay. If you do not feel like it, you do not have to progress the single-player campaign. Of course, sooner or later you would want to do that or else you would be left with nothing but the missions they offer in the local bars. These non-storyline missions are relatively simple and direct; most of them would require you to go to a certain sector directed by a mission waypoint, clear up some enemy ships that you are supposed to clear, and then the cash transaction follows. Most non-storyline missions can be initiated through the job boards or by having conservations with the NPCs, which are very poorly scripted and most of them would be repeated numerous times throughout your journey in the interstellar plane. Fortunately, they can be fast-forwarded with a simple push of the ESC button.

The campaign missions, which you will have to undertake sooner or later, are far more complicated and tedious than the non-storyline missions. They are usually divided into several parts, each part usually consisting of one major objective such as travelling to a certain location, or protecting a certain base. They are usually quite lengthy but the good thing about it is that storyline missions are fun. Freelancer boasts an auto-save feature that saves your game almost after every major event and whenever you leave a planet, which eliminates the hassle of restarting from square one, should you blow up your ship one way or another. While undergoing missions, more often that not you would be accompanied by companions and allies, and whenever a huge galactic battle between ships is underway, it is both spectacular to watch and satisfying to be part of the bloodshed.

It is engaging to fly around the galaxy and battle ships because of the very effective control system designed by Digital Anvil. While travelling in space, there are two main modes to travel and that is by auto-pilot or by mouse. Auto-pilot is easy to work out and effective. All you need to do is pinpoint your final destination and choose Go-To (F2) by the interface within the game, and somehow you will get that eventually. Of course, that would be pretty boring. The other more innovative approach is the mouse-look system, in which you control the direction of where the ship flies to with your mouse. Then with right-clicks, you fire your weapons where you assigned to be fired under the right-click button on the weapon interface screen. While all this sounds complicated, it actually isn't as everything is very coherent and clearly presented to you in-game. This control system elegantly moves your ship throughout the galaxy and ensures that you will have a part to play in galactic ship battles.

Battling is also made much more direct and simple. There is no radar to look out for and no complicated manoeuvres. It's only you, your crosshair, and your hull ship bar and shield batteries bar. Even if that sounds like there are a lot of things to look out for, it is actually untrue. The simplicity is done till the extent that as long as you have the required supplies in your inventory, it is possible to recover and repair your damages with an instant push of a button. And this instant repairing factor is vital, especially in major galactic combat, where you will find yourself constantly being drilled by the cannons that are rapidly being fired at you. While battling, there would be numerous arrows stuck on the edge of your screen, green indicating something of interest (either ally or destination point) and red indicating something that's out to get you. While battling, time and time again you will find yourself oblivious of their existence while you chase down one single enemy ship that you have your eyes locked on. Then with the innovative crosshair design system which shows a recommended firing spot with a rotating square, one would just simple fire in that square and hope for the best. Missile/Torpedo launchings are also the simplest matters to do. All the player has to do is to maintain a relatively close distance with the enemy, and launch the missile while hoping that the effectiveness of the missile would be good enough to hit the target.

With all these in mind, it's now possible to indulge in the satisfying experience of exploring in this massive space system. Freelancer boasts a gaming world that's truly massive beyond belief comprising of numerous systems and each system comprising of one or two key planets that can be docked at, along with numerous space stations, battleships and mining stations littered throughout the galaxy. The best part of it is that the entire galaxy is done beautifully. There are numerous different kinds of systems to fly in, with some being all clear and beautiful with the Medium Blue shining brightly in the background, while some would require you to transverse in potentially dangerous ice fields that might result in your ship hull being damaged from the wandering rocks. Freelancer doubles as both an enriching space-simulation exploration game, while also offering the fun and enjoyment of good ol' arcade action ship battles.

As mentioned earlier, Freelancer offers extreme non-linear gameplay. While you are not involved in the storyline missions, it is possible to transverse across different systems doing whatever you want. Of course, this is limited to the systems that you have already explored, along with the reputation you have with the people colonising that system. Sometimes if your reputation proves to be too bad till they turn hostile on you, it's impossible to even get out of the system in one piece. With the impressive amount of different planets and places you can dock at, there is also an impressive amount of commodities that are present in Freelancer. While offering nothing of benefit to your ship, they can be worthwhile to take an extra look at, especially at those which can be sold for tons of money. Money in Freelancer is especially important, as it determines your level and of course, the ship parts that you can afford. With that, while not undertaking storyline missions, it is possible to do some lucrative business buying commodities and selling them at another system for a profit.

To make things interesting, Freelancer spawns a few RPG aspects within the game. Your "experience" in this game is measured by the amount of wealth you have, pretty superficial in the real world but it works in interstellar galaxies. As you acquire more money through completing missions successfully, trading commodities or smuggling drugs, your level will eventually increase. By increasing your level, you open up paths to purchase more powerful ships, and hence also be able to enhance your ship's firing capabilities. All ship arms and equipment are categorized by different classes, and to mount them successfully, you would need to have both the capital and ability to do so. To keep you in track of the game, Freelancer also keeps a steady check on your level increments, such that you are only allowed to advance one level and then forced to undertake a storyline-mission, or else it will be impossible to advance further.

While playing in multiplayer servers, the environment takes a huge shift from the original. Immediately, the entire gaming world is free for you to explore with all the jump gates being accessible. Also, there are no level restrictions and no story-driven missions to follow by, you are free to roam about anywhere you want. Freelancer offers a heavily editable server files with .ini extensions that allow players even up till date to create mods for this game. There are several popular mods out there available for download for a complete new experience in this game. One downside to the multiplayer playing is that each server only retains the information of your character in an isolated manner. In other words, whatever stats and attributes your character has possession of in one server will be completely different from the other, that is you have to start from square one should you participate in another server. This, along with the flexibility of the servers and the availability of mods ensures that Freelancer will have a great deal of re-playability value even after completing the main single-player campaign.

Graphically, Freelancer maintains a beautiful and smooth environment for the player to roam around in. The different environments are customized to fit the different systems that the player flies in, and each planet has a different unique look to it that makes it stand out from the numerous amounts of planets scattered in the galaxy. There are a lot of audio being recycled in this game with the same script being repeated over and over again while docking or while engaging conversations with NPCs, but the story-driven cinematic are commendable. For a game that promises this much quality, it is even more satisfying to know that the requirements of this game is reasonably low at this time and age.

All in all, Freelancer aborts the common error of games being too complicated for the casual players and instead chooses to adopt the simplistic manner of doing up a space-simulation action-oriented game. Along with a solid single-player mission that promises an enriching time exploring the different galaxies and the different factions that reside in the world, a promising multiplayer feature that promises endless re-playability value, Freelancer boasts one of the more innovative and efficient control scheme to suit the needs of almost every player, and coupled with an extensive and artistic galactic world to explore in, it is no doubt that this game will prove to be a solid addition to any gamer's shelves.

Reviewer's Score: 9/10, Originally Posted: 09/14/06