FreeSpace 2

Infobox VG
title = FreeSpace 2


caption = Box cover art for "FreeSpace 2"
developer = Volition, Inc.
publisher = Interplay Entertainment
designer = Dave Baranec
Jason Scott
Adam Pletcher
The FreeSpace 2 Team
license = Proprietary
series =
engine = Modified
version = 1.20 (December 3, 1999)
released = September 30, 1999
Sci-Fi Sim of the Year Edition
February 29, 2000
Interplay 20th Anniversary Edition
February 2, 2004
genre = Space combat simulator
modes = Single-player, multiplayer
ratings = ESRB: E (Everyone)
USK: 12+
platforms = Windows
media = 3 CDs
requirements = 200 MHz CPU, 32 MB RAM, 8X CD-ROM drive, DirectX 6.0, 400 MB available hard disk space, Windows 95, 3D accelerated graphics card
input = Keyboard, mouse, (optional) joystick

"FreeSpace 2" is a 1999 space combat simulation computer game developed by Volition, Inc. as the sequel to "". It was completed ahead of schedule in less than a year, and released to great critical acclaim. Engrossing gameplay, excellent sound effects in addition to the inclusion of vocal talent such as Robert Loggia and Ronny Cox led several gaming sites to have proclaimed it as the definitive simulation game for 1999.

The game continues on the story from "Descent: FreeSpace", once again thrusting the player into the role of a pilot fighting against the mysterious aliens, the Shivans. While defending the human race and its alien Vasudan allies, the player also gets involved in putting down a rebellion. The game features large numbers of fighters alongside gigantic capital ships in a battlefield fraught with beams, shells and missiles in detailed star systems and nebulae. Free multiplayer games were available via Parallax Online which also ranked players by their statistics. A persistent galaxy was also available as "SquadWar" for players to fight with each other over territories.

In 2002, Volition released the source code for the game engine to the public. This code became the core of the "FreeSpace 2 Source Code Project", which has produced several mods based on science fiction series such as "Babylon 5" and "Battlestar Galactica".

Gameplay

"FreeSpace 2"'s gameplay involves the player piloting a starfighter using mounted weapons to destroy enemy starfighters, or performing reconnaissance behind enemy lines, or escorting other starships. Its flight model is based on a looser interpretation of space physics instead of realistic Newtonian physics. Hence, the ships are weightless and feel more responsive, though they require constant application of engine power to move. [cite web
author = Kevin Rice
title = Reviews: Clusterball
publisher = GameSpy
date = 2001-12-11
url = http://archive.gamespy.com/reviews/december01/clusterball/
quote = The game would greatly benefit from a more space-sim feel like that in Freespace or Starlancer, where ships are far more responsive and essentially weightless.
accessdate = 2007-11-09 ] The result is that the game plays more like a "WWII dogfight simulator" unaffected by gravity. Although joysticks are the recommended controller for this game, the mouse is a viable alternative. [cite web
author = Jakub Wojnarowicz
title = Freespace 2 Demo Review
publisher = FiringSquad
date = 1999-09-05
url = http://www.firingsquad.com/games/freespace2preview/
accessdate = 2007-10-25 ] Single player mode is executed in the form of a , which follows a story as a linear sequence of missions are executed.

The pre-mission briefing stage is where the player gets information on the background and objectives, and selects the ship and weapons. The choices of ships and weapons increase as the player proceeds further along the campaign. Certain missions, however, will dictate certain ships and weapons to be used. Weapons can be classified into primary weapons and secondary weapons. Primary weapons are kinetic and energy weapons, while missiles and torpedoes are classified as secondary weapons. Each weapon has its own specifications such as its rate of fire. They also inflict different damages on s (body of the ships) or shields (the protective energy fields surrounding the ships), or possess special effects such as shutting down specific electronic systems or propulsion.

The player flies around in a fighter with a first-person, in-cockpit view with a fully customizable fixed head-up display (HUD) as the visual interface. The HUD displays video communications and relevant data on the ship's status and performance, weapons, objectives, and targets. It can also warn players from which direction missiles are locking onto them from, thus becoming an aide for launching countermeasures or taking evasive maneuvers. Players have to maneuver into position and shoot through both shields and hull to destroy enemy ships. While hull damage is unrecoverable, shields recharge over time. With the game supporting force feedback technology, joystick players will find their controllers vibrating or putting up resistance when they engage the afterburners or collide with objects. Similarly, certain events, such as engaging afterburners and firing powerful weapons, will shake the screen as a form of visual feedback.

"FreeSpace 2" has many helpful features available. The player can target enemies attacking a protected objective or match speeds with them. Power can be shunted between shields, engines, and weapons, thereby allowing faster recharge of shields, afterburners, and weapons at the expense of other subsystems. These features can be ignored without any detrimental effects on gameplay. The mission parameters are not rigidly fixed, as there is an allowance for the failures of some primary objectives. When the mission is concluded, a post-mission briefing will be conducted to discuss the mission, and the performance of the player, before the next mission can be taken on.

"FreeSpace 2" allows multiplayer player games to be played across a local area network (LAN) or over the Internet via the free services provided by Parallax Online (PXO). The player can communicate with the other network players vocally through "FreeSpace 2"'s own voice chat capability. LAN play allows the players to play the standard player versus player modes such as deathmatch, or cooperate to complete multiplayer missions. They can even join in games which are already underway. The same can be done over PXO but with the added incentive of having the players' statistics of kills and deaths being tracked on a ladder (ranking) system. Players can also form up or join squadrons in "SquadWar", an online persistent galaxy hosted by Volition on PXO, where squadrons fight each other for territories.

Plot and setting

s, etc. [cite web
author = Tal Blevins
title = Freespace 2
publisher = IGN
date = 1999-07-02
url = http://pc.ign.com/articles/132/132033p1.html
accessdate = 2007-10-25 ] cite web
author = Edward "Grendel" Zybul
title = FreeSpace 2 Review
publisher = Sharky Extreme
date = 1999-11-02
url = http://www.sharkyextreme.com/games/reviews/volation/freespace2/
accessdate = 2007-10-26 ] The implementation of nebulae as an interactive environment is one of the most distinctive and crowning aspects of "FreeSpace 2".cite web
author = Johnny B
title = FreeSpace 2
publisher = Game Revolution
date = 1999-10-01
url = http://www.gamerevolution.com/oldsite/games/pc/action/freespace_2.htm
accessdate = 2007-10-26 ] Flying through a nebula involves impaired vision, and occasional disruptions to flight electronics. The implementation of the nebulae has become known as an eerie and suspenseful arena of play.cite web
author = Alec Norands
title = FreeSpace 2: Sci-Fi Sim of the Year Edition
publisher = Allgame
date = n.d.
url = http://www.allgame.com/cg/agg.dll?p=agg&sql=1:23917~T1
accessdate = 2007-10-26 ]

Journeys between star systems are achieved by "jumping" through jump nodes and traveling through subspace, while shorter intra-system distances are done by "hopping" into subspace at any time. [cite web
author = Volition staff
title = Subspace Technology
publisher = Volition, Inc.
pages = pp. 4
date = 1998-02-26
url = http://www.volition-inc.com/fs/downloads/fsrefbible.zip
format = Word 97
work = FreeSpace Reference Bible
accessdate = 2007-11-09 ] All ships in a mission either "jump" or "hop" to make their entries and exits. The game's starship designs are clearly distinguishable between the three races. Terran starships tend to be plain and practical, the Vasudans' starships are artistic with sleek lines and curves, and the enemies' ships - the Shivans - are sharp and pointy in insidious black and red colors.cite web
author = Cory McGray
title = PC Reviews: FreeSpace 2
publisher = Realm of Gaming
year = 2002
url = http://www.realmofgaming.com/reviews/pc/freespace2.html
accessdate = 2007-10-26 ] "FreeSpace 2" also features humongous capital ships, thousands of times larger than the fighters, and armed to the teeth with beam weapons and flak guns. These ships are commonly scripted to seek each other out and engage in massive duels.

Characters

The player takes the role of a pilot in the ranks of the Galactic Terran-Vasudan Alliance (GTVA). While the appearance and name of the pilot can be customized by the player, the player never gets to personally interact with other characters in the game. The pilot is also never shown in the game's cinematics or any other media. This distant approach led to complaints of the game failing to motivate the player into the story. However, the game's writer, James Scott, has stated the approach was to preserve the feeling of being a "nameless cog in the great machine" as per the first game.cite web
author = Volition Watch staff
title = Interview with Jason Scott
publisher = Volition Watch
month = September
year = 1999
url = http://www.volitionwatch.com/interviews/js_interview.php
accessdate = 2007-10-30 ]

Just like the player's pilot, most of the other characters are . The non-player character Admiral Aken Bosch, however, plays a crucial part in moving the story. As a prominent antagonist from the start, he sparks off a rebellion which escalates the scale of action, and brings in the other antagonist force, the Shivans, into the story. The storytelling took on a character-driven approach with expositions taking the form of cutscenes in which Bosch gives out monologues, revealing the purpose and driving forces behind his actions. A few established voice actors were brought in to give a polished touch to the voices in the game. Academy Award winner Robert Loggia voiced the player's commanding officer, Admiral Petrarch, and Admiral Bosch was voiced by Ronny Cox. Kurtwood Smith and Stephen Baldwin participated in bit roles as well.

tory

"FreeSpace 2"'s story is brought out via pre-rendered cutscenes, the pre- and post-mission briefings, as well as in-game chatter between non-player characters, and scripted mission events. The structure for the story is linear without any branching paths for alternate storylines, though there are optional covert missions which can further flesh out the story.cite web
author = Richard "KZ" Knight
title = FreeSpace 2 - Review
publisher = MakeItSimple.com
date = 1999-01-31
url = http://www.makeitsimple.com/gaming/game_reviews/free_space2/
accessdate = 2007-10-26 ] The story can only be continued by clearing missions and progressing through the campaign. However, players are given the option to skip a mission if they have failed it five times in a row. This gives those who are interested in the story, but less skilled, the chance to continue on with the story without frustration.

The game begins 32 years after the events in "Descent: FreeSpace". The player is a pilot in the Galactic Terran-Vasudan Alliance (GTVA), a single entity formed to cement the alliance between the Terran and Vasudan races. However, opposition still exists to this union, and a faction of Terrans led by Admiral Bosch formed the Neo-Terran Front (NTF) and has rebelled, taking over several star systems. The player's early missions are to quell these rebellions and bring in Admiral Bosch. Eventually the Shivans are encountered in the Gamma Draconis system, where an artificial jump gate had been activated by the NTF, allowing the Shivans access into GTVA space.

A hook is introduced with the introduction of the GTVA's latest ship, the enormous capital ship, the GTVA "Colossus". Dwarfing all other capital ships, this juggernaut class ship's power is exhibited to the player as it easily destroys the NTF's fleet. The high tone of the story is maintained as missions keep showing off the "Colossus"' victory after victory, climaxing with its victory over the Shivan juggernaut equivalent, the SJ "Sathanas". [Vasudan Commander: At 0345 hours, the GTVA "Colossus" destroyed the Shivan juggernaut "Sathanas" near the Gamma Draconis jump node in Capella. This victory proves without a doubt our technological superiority over our Great War nemesis. For the second time, the Alliance defeated a species which has annihilated entire civilizations across this galaxy. With the "Colossus", we will have nothing more to fear. cite video game
title = FreeSpace 2
developer = Volition, Inc.
publisher = Interplay Entertainment
date = 1999-09-30
platform = PC ] There is a sudden reversal of fortune as it is revealed there are many more "Sathanas" juggernauts, and the GTVA is forced to retreat. [Admiral Petrarch: Nine "Sathanas" juggernauts have now entered the Capella system, and Intelligence has sighted even more in the nebula, converging on the jump node to Terran-Vasudan space. We are on the threshold of a new apocalypse. Though the juggernauts have not engaged our warships, they have set course for the Capella star. We can only speculate about their intentions, but this development cannot bode well for the Alliance. cite video game
title = FreeSpace 2
developer = Volition, Inc.
publisher = Interplay Entertainment
date = 1999-09-30
platform = PC ]

The plot device of using a tremendous explosion within a jump node to seal it off in "Descent: FreeSpace" is re-used here near the end of the campaign. [Admiral Petrarch: Preparations are now underway to collapse the Epsilon Pegasi jump node. A Great-War-era destroyer, the GTD "Bastion", will contain multiple meson warheads that will detonate inside the node. Scientists believe an explosion of sufficient magnitude will cause this node to collapse, as evidenced by the destruction of the "Lucifer" 32 years ago. The detonation of the "Lucifer"'s reactors sealed off the Sol jump node in Delta Serpentis and severed all contact with Earth. cite video game
title = FreeSpace 2
developer = Volition, Inc.
publisher = Interplay Entertainment
date = 1999-09-30
platform = PC ] The GTVA has decided to seal off a node to stop the "Sathanas" horde's advance. Their plan is to send in a bomb-laden ship into the only node in the Shivans' path and remotely detonate it. This becomes a pyrrhic victory, as the GTVA loses the "Colossus", their only match for the Sathanas. The of the game features the player in a mission to defend the fleeing ships from Shivan attacks. In the midst of the fighting, the system's star is detected to be going supernova, and the player can choose to flee the scene. [Terran Commander: We are detecting a massive shockwave emanating from the Capella sun! All units, proceed to the Vega node! You are advised to leave the system immediately! cite video game
title = FreeSpace 2
developer = Volition, Inc.
publisher = Interplay Entertainment
date = 1999-09-30
platform = PC ] If the decision is to stay and die defending the remaining ships, a small heroic tribute is paid to the player's character in the ending.

Development

The news of "FreeSpace 2" being in development was confirmed in a chat on November 6, 1998. The Volition team revealed they have written up a deep story and will be targeting high-end hardware with dogfights for a greater number of ships and even larger and more deadly capital ships.cite web
author = Michael Diedrich (Zarathud)
title = Chat with Volition
publisher = FreeSpace Watch
date = 1998-11-20
url = http://freespace.volitionwatch.com/editorials/11-20-98.shtml
accessdate = 2007-10-30 ] The team set themselves the goals of setting new standards for both single-player and multiplayer space combat simulations,cite news
author = JB
title = Interplay Announces FreeSpace 2
publisher = IGN
date = 1999-04-19
url = http://pc.ign.com/articles/067/067746p1.html
accessdate = 2007-10-25 ] and started to modify the FreeSpace game engine for "FreeSpace 2".cite web
author = Ryan Wissman
title = Lisa Bucek on Freespace 2
publisher = Speedy3D
date = 1999-08-22
url = http://www.speedy3d.com/interviews/lisa_bucek_fp2/01.shtml
accessdate = 2007-10-25 ] This team was comprised of the same team which had worked on "Descent: FreeSpace" and several new members. In order to flesh out the story, Volition hired Jason Scott as a full-time writer before work even started. [cite web
author = Ron Dulin
title = Freespace 2
publisher = GameSpot
date = 1998-12-31
url = http://web.archive.org/web/20030415220433/http://www.gamespot.com/features/gs/freespace2_pre/index.html
accessdate = 2007-10-25 ] The linear mission structure was adopted as it was decided it would help the immersion factor of the story greatly.cite web
author = PC Paradox staff
title = Freespace 2 Interview
publisher = PC Paradox
date = 1999-07-16
url = http://web.archive.org/web/20000530133027/http://www.pcparadox.com/Interviews/Freespace2/Freespace2.shtml
accessdate = 2007-10-25 ] As the relations between the Terrans and Vasudans dominated the first game, it was decided to scale the focus down to a personal level with Admiral Bosch and his decisions to rebel. Scott's close work with the designers, and co-ordination of the voice recording process helped to tightly integrate the story into the missions, giving a more sophisticated feel to the story.

Given a year as the project deadline, [cite web
author = John Callaham
title = FreeSpace 2 Leads
publisher = Stomped
date = 1999-10-06
url = http://web.archive.org/web/19991012175857/http://stomped.com/interviews/volition.html
accessdate = 2007-10-31 ] the team persevered for long number of hours without sleep (Baranec was said to have gone 700 hours without sleep). Due to the time constraint, a lot of the initial ideas were dropped from the final version of the game, such as atmospheric battles, and new weapons types like a "subspace missile artillery strike". The team made major improvements to the same FreeSpace engine from the first game. By revamping the core of the graphical engine, and adding 32-bit support, they sped up the interface screens and graphic processing. [cite web
author = Ed Finkler
title = Interview with Dave Baranec
publisher = Freespace2.org
date = 1999-08-20
url = http://web.archive.org/web/20000311035615/http://www.freespace2.org/articles/interview_dave.php
accessdate = 2007-10-25 ] Hardware acceleration for the graphics was also decided to be a requirement to target the high-end machines of 1999. This allowed for a greater number of ships visibly active on the battlefield, satisfying the team's penchant of having great numbers of fighters and capitals ships duking it out in a big battlefield, instead of "multiple small-ass" battles. The shifting of their target focus to higher end machines also fulfilled their top priority of having capital ships many times larger than fighter crafts. The team also followed real world concepts for some of their designs. The Pegasus stealth fighter was modeled on the stealth technology of the 1990s for people to relate to it easily. The game was restrained from becoming too realistic by the team's recognition that most gamers only want believable worlds to have a blast flying around in and blowing things up.cite web
author = Volition Watch staff
title = Interview with Philip Holt
publisher = Volition Watch
month = September
year = 1999
url = http://www.volitionwatch.com/interviews/ph_interview.php
accessdate = 2007-10-30 ]

Compared to the graphical changes, the artificial intelligence (AI) of the computer-controlled characters was only slightly changed. The justification given was that the team felt the AI worked very well for the first game. All they had to do was to tweak it a little and fix some bugs. There was, however, a lot of work done in improving the multiplayer portion of the game. For "FreeSpace 2", the player's personal computer was assigned a greater role in predicting the possible consequences for other players' actions. This reduced the amount of data needed to be transferred between the computers, which would result in a smoother playing experience. Beta testers were recruited to stress test and troubleshoot the multiplayer mode as well. [cite news
author = Blue's News staff
title = Serious FreeSpace2 Beta Testing
publisher = Blue's News
date = 1999-08-25
url = http://www.bluesnews.com/cgi-bin/board.pl?action=viewthread&threadid=4972
accessdate = 2007-10-25 ] "SquadWar" was implemented as an attempt to establish a sense of continuity among the players in the form of a persistent online territorial fight, along with pilot statistics and ladder rankings. Volition hoped this concept would help to establish a strong, online community and build up the game's lifespan. [cite web
author = Volition Watch staff
title = Interview with Nathan Camarillo
publisher = Volition Watch
month = August
year = 1999
url = http://www.volitionwatch.com/interviews/nc_interview.php
accessdate = 2007-10-30 ] The process of fixing the bugs detected was even publicly published on the game's official website as the "Bug Fix of the Day" feature.

"FreeSpace 2" was released on September 30, 1999, one month ahead of schedule. [cite web
author = Volition staff
title = Learn the history of Volition, Inc.
publisher = Volition, Inc.
year = 1999
month = September
url = http://www.volition-inc.com/History/1999
accessdate = 2007-11-01 ] However, the team had to quickly come up with and release a patch (version 1.01) for a software bug which prevented recognition of a CD during the installation process. [cite web
author = Volition staff
title = FreeSpace 2 Patch 1.01
publisher = Volition, Inc.
date = 1999-10-05
url = http://www.volition-inc.com/fs/
accessdate = 2007-10-31 ] Three months later, they released the next and final patch (version 1.20) to fix several other bugs. [cite web
author = Volition staff
title = FreeSpace 2 Patch Version 1.20
publisher = Volition, Inc.
date = 1999-12-03
url = http://www.volition-inc.com/fs/
accessdate = 2007-10-31 ] The release of "FreeSpace 2" was considerably muted compared to its predecessor "Descent: FreeSpace".cite web
author = Michael Diedrich (Zarathud)
title = Freespace 2 - In Need of Support From Its Publisher
publisher = FreeSpace Watch
date = 1999-11-08
url = http://freespace.volitionwatch.com/editorials/11-08-99.shtml
accessdate = 2007-10-30 ] Its publisher, Interplay, did not organize contests for it, nor did they generate pre-release hype up with the same drive as before. They also posted the incorrect system requirements for the game on their site. "FreeSpace 2" was also placed on less-visible shelves than "Descent³". However, when GameSpot awarded "FreeSpace 2" the "Sci-Fi Simulation of the Year" award, Interplay pushed out the "Sci-Fi Sim of the Year Edition" to capitalize on it.

Despite Volition's interest and desire to develop add-ons and expansions for "FreeSpace 2", Interplay told them to stop. Volition was then acquired by THQ in 2000. As Interplay owns the rights to the "FreeSpace" series (as well as the "Descent" series) and Volition's owners, THQ, is only interested in pursuing development on what they own, Volition was unable to continue developing the "FreeSpace" franchise. [cite web
author = Mike Kulas
title = Volition Interview
publisher = Volition, Inc.
date = 2000-09-08
url = http://www.volition-inc.com/fs/
accessdate = 2007-10-31 ] Faced with source codes which became practically useless to them, Volition released the source code for only the game engines to the public under a noncommercial license on 25 April, 2002. [cite news
last = Sulic
first = Ivan
title = Freespace Source Code
publisher = IGN
date = 2002-04-25
url = http://pc.ign.com/articles/358/358017p1.html
accessdate = 2007-10-25 ] [cite web
title = Volition Copyright
publisher = Volition, Inc.
date = 2003-09-07
url = http://fs2source.warpcore.org/cgi-bin/cvsweb/cvsweb.cgi/fs2_open/COPYING?rev=1.2&content-type=text/x-cvsweb-markup
accessdate = 2007-11-02 ] Mike Kulas, the President of Volition, said this was to give those outside the game industry a chance to look at the code of a commercial software, a desire he and Matt Toschlog had when they were not yet in it. In the years since, no sequels to "FreeSpace 2" were made and Interplay has only published a limited re-release of it on February 2, 2004 to commemorate the company's 20th anniversary. Interplay went into financial troubles and was forced to close in 2005. It is currently in the process of discharging its debts, partly by selling off its licenses. No one has yet picked up the "FreeSpace" license. Derek Smart, creator of "Battlecruiser 3000AD", had casually mentioned his interest in it, but nothing significant came out of this. [cite news
author = Blue's News staff
title = Derek Smart and Freespace 3?
publisher = Blue's News
date = 2004-07-15
url = http://www.bluesnews.com/cgi-bin/board.pl?action=viewthread&threadid=50097
accessdate = 2007-10-25 ] [cite news
last = Thorsen
first = Thor
title = Rumor Control: $179 DS in November and $29.99 GameCube games
publisher = GameSpot
date = 2004-07-16
url = http://www.gamespot.com/pc/sim/freespace2/news.html?sid=6102932
accessdate = 2007-10-25 ]

Reception

"FreeSpace 2" has garnered high praise from most established reviewers. "FreeSpace 2" has gone on to receive numerous "Game of the Year" awards for 1999, and was nominated for "Computer Simulation Game of the Year" in the 3rd Annual Interactive Achievement Awards, 2000. [cite web
title = 3rd Annual Interactive Achievement Awards
publisher = The Academy of Interactive Arts & Sciences
date = 2000-05-11
url = http://www.interactive.org/awards.php?winners&year=2000&cat=200018#200018
accessdate = 2007-11-03 ] Every review has had high praise for "FreeSpace 2"'s graphics. From the ships to the backgrounds, the reviewers were pleased with the details Volition had paid attention to, such as the thematic differences in the ship designs between the races, the textures and clarity of the backdrops, and even the realism of the explosions, though FiringSquad pointed out explosions from torpedo strikes were lower in quality. The nebulae feature was also praised for its rendered atmosphere, which reviewers described as tense and paranoia-inducing as they keep expecting enemy ships to appear out of the gases in a deadly ambush. Even though a couple of reviewers pointed the nebulae out as making them dizzy, they still liked the feature.cite web
author = Mark 'KILLZAT' Jackson
title = FreeSpace 2
publisher = Speedy3D
date = 1999-11-12
url = http://www.speedy3d.com/reviews/freespace2/index.shtml
accessdate = 2007-10-26 ] cite web
author = Byron Hinson
title = Freespace 2 - Review
publisher = ActiveWindows
date = n.d.
url = http://www.activewin.com/reviews/software/games/f/freespace2.shtml
accessdate = 2007-10-26 ] Combatsim even claimed "FreeSpace 2" was unrivaled among its space combat peers in the graphics department. The graphical standards were such that when XGP reviewed the Anniversary Edition in 2004, Wehbi found the graphics to stand up quite well with the recent games then.cite web
author = Khalil "SniperCloud" Wehbi
title = Freespace 2: Interplay 20th Anniversary Edition Review
publisher = XGP
date = 2004-05-12
url = http://www.xgpgaming.com/content.php?category=DeskPC&id=265&type=review
accessdate = 2007-10-26 ]

GameSpot felt "FreeSpace"'s story was "both deeper and darker" than either the "Wing Commander" and "" series, establishing invincible foes who never lost their stature despite the player learning plausible ways of defeating them. Game Revolution felt the story was "first rate" for being able to "build several different conflicts into an unforgettable climax", nicely presented by the emphasis of story telling by means of in-game events. While Eurogamer supported the story as intriguing, it also marked down its rating of the game for the way the story was told. The reviewer felt the "just a cog in the machine" story-telling approach left him towards the non-player characters and missions in the game. FiringSquad, however, said it created a "very believable military atmosphere," which helped to show how things revolve around big events, instead of just around a single person. Combatsim.com offered another angle; Reynolds said the gameplay elements of "FreeSpace 2" are "light years beyond the competition" and more than offsets the loss of being personally immersed in the game's universe.cite web
author = John Reynolds
title = Descent Freespace 2
publisher = Combatsim.com
date = 1999-11-02
url = http://www.combatsim.com/memb123/htm/nov99/freespace.htm
accessdate = 2007-11-10 ]

"FreeSpace 2"'s key attraction is its dogfights. CNN.com said the close-ranged dogfights make for engrossing, and exciting skirmishes. [cite web
author = Thomas Crymes
title = Can FreeSpace II fulfill the hype?
publisher = CNN.com
date = 1999-07-22
url = http://www.cnn.com/TECH/computing/9907/22/freespace.idg/
accessdate = 2007-10-31 ] FiringSquad described it as a "total thrill" to be among 20 fighters flying in between opposing capital ships with beams, missiles, and flak all around, while warnings are going off as they try to seek out and destroy their opposite numbers, a view which GameSpot agreed with. The game's AI was judged adequate to provide for such fights, being cunning enough to trick others to crash into the walls of narrow openings, or good enough to detect and warn their wingmen of enemies coming up directly behind them. There are those who expressed minor disappointments with the AI tending to collide too often with other objects. While the dynamic mission objectives were celebrated for coming up with twists and turns to spice up the story, there were a few opinions who found these "in-game red herrings" as being overused instead.Sharky Extreme praised "FreeSpace 2" for having the enormous capital ships, as this burst the "trapped in a bubble" trend in "Wing Commander"- and ""- type games. Instead of the action simply coming to the player, it flows all around, and the player is the one having to go and seek it. The scenes of these giant ships duking it out, with many gnat-like fighters swarming around in their little dances of death, have led to reviewers having a sense of epicness, comparable to reliving battles in science fiction series like "Babylon 5" and "Star Wars". Few were left unimpressed by the scale of the capital ships; Noel Wade of The Top Shelf was one who felt while the big ships were visually impressive, they had no impact on the player's style of play.

Opinions were generally favorable towards "FreeSpace 2"'s multiplayer implementation. "SquadWar" received favorable responses from the reviewers who were impressed by its persistent nature and statistics tracking. While the required registration with PXO was considered a troublesome process by a few, the Internet gameplay was a smooth experience with no lag at all. Other reviewers' experiences with lag were different. Reynolds of Combatsim.com said Internet gaming was laggy with ships jumping places, but LAN gaming was smooth sailing. GameSpy's reviewer said lag became more apparent on a dial-up connection during a multiplayer mission with four or more players. FiringSquad's reviewer's experience was similar but he said the lag was not enough to hinder his enjoyment of the multiplayer action.

GameSpot in electing "FreeSpace 2" as one of the "Greatest Games of All Time" pointed out that while most of the game's features could be found in its predecessor or peers, its "sheer quality of presentation and gameplay" was the key reason for their choice. Computer and Video Games has acknowledged it as offering the best dogfighting among the space combat classics. [cite web
author = Martin Korda
title = Edge Of Chaos: Independence War 2
publisher = "Computer and Video Games"
date = 2001-08-13
url = http://www.computerandvideogames.com/article.php?id=3771
accessdate = 2007-11-10
quote = Imagine the best of X - Beyond The Frontier (trading, fighting and building up an empire), Wing Commander IV (a superb FMV-driven storyline) and FreeSpace 2 (the best space-based dogfighting around) all bought together in one game. ] Ars Technica also posed "FreeSpace 2" as the last significant stage in evolution of the space combat genre as of 2005. [cite web
author = Jeremy Reimer
title = The evolution of gaming: computers, consoles, and arcade
publisher = Ars Technica
date = 2005-10-10
url = http://arstechnica.com/articles/paedia/gaming-evolution.ars/1
accessdate = 2007-10-26 ] Despite all the glowing reviews, "FreeSpace 2" sold poorly. The April 2000 issue of PC Gamer stated only 26,983 copies had been sold in the first six months of its release.. [cite web
author = Orange
title = Freespace 2 Sales Numbers
publisher = FreeSpace Watch
date = 2000-04-14
url = http://freespace.volitionwatch.com/editorials/04-14-00a.shtml
accessdate = 2007-10-30 ] These figures were acknowledged as disappointing, and described as awful by Kulas. [cite web
author = Volition Watch staff
title = Interview with Mike Kulas
publisher = Volition Watch
month = November
year = 2000
url = http://www.volitionwatch.com/interviews/mku_interview.php
accessdate = 2007-10-30 ] He, however, stated that as the team had stayed within budget by sticking to schedule, Volition should at least be breaking even with the estimated final sales of the game.

Fans of the "FreeSpace" series have created modifications (mods) of "FreeSpace 2". The first mods were just custom campaigns, with series of missions created through FRED2, the mission editor freely packaged with "FreeSpace 2". One such mod which has gained notability is the "Inferno mod"; a custom campaign, by Steven Woosey, which takes place decades after the conclusion of "FreeSpace 2". Released in July 2003, it is now even hosted on established sites, such as GameSpot and CNET, as part of their "FreeSpace 2" contents. [cite web
title = Freespace 2 Inferno Mod
publisher = GameSpot
date = 2004-07-07
url = http://www.gamespot.com/pc/sim/freespace2/download_6102115.html
accessdate = 2007-11-03 ] With the release of the game engine's source code, the possibilities of changing their beloved game greatly opened up, and the fan community rallied to make use of the code to update the game with later technologies. Led by Edward Gardner and Ian Warfield, the "FreeSpace 2 Source Code Project" was formed to standardize the changes and maintain a core engine for others to take advantage of. Using the new fan updated engine, projects such as "Beyond the Red Line", based on the new "Battlestar Galactica", and "The Babylon Project", based on "Babylon 5", have become possible. [cite web
author = Joe Blancato
title = Gaming's Fringe Cults
publisher = The Escapist
date = 2007-06-19
url = http://www.escapistmagazine.com/articles/view/issues/issue_102/565-Gamings-Fringe-Cults
accessdate = 2007-10-25 ] PXO, the free Internet gaming service handling "SquadWar", was initially acquired by THQ in their 2002 acquisition of Outrage Entertainment (renamed as Outrage Games). [cite press release
title = Outrage acquired by THQ
publisher = Business Wire
date = 2002-04-04
url = http://web.archive.org/web/20030805051659/http://outrage.com/
accessdate = 2007-11-03 ] The service still continued on until July 2003, when Outrage Games was dissolved and PXO terminated. The components of its website were, however, later handed over to the "FreeSpace 2 Source Code Project" to help them create a similar service in tracking statistics and rankings. [cite web
title = PXO.NET - A Free Internet Gaming Service From Parallax Online
date = n.d.
url = http://www.pxo.net/
accessdate = 2007-11-03 ]

References

External links

* [http://web.archive.org/web/20070809100035/http://www.freespace2.com/ Official "FreeSpace 2" website] archived by Internet Archive
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