Freespace 2 Demo

Space-themed video games have always pushed the boundaries when it comes to gameplay and graphics, but only a handful managed to set themselves apart from the rest of the crowd. However, the first Freespace release did manage to attract a lot of attention and create a decently sized fan base for itself, which is why the sequel announcement created quite the hype at the time.

Freespace 2 managed to keep most of its promises and delivered a much more refined experience this time around, with far more content, an improved set of gameplay mechanics and incredible graphics. However, the pride and joy of the franchise remained the actual space fights, since they were the main component in the original release as well and they were certainly not ignored in this sequel either.

To start off with, it is worth noting that the story continues the events from the first episode too, with the evil Shivan aliens still trying to destroy basically everything they lay their eyes on. In order to save humanity and the universe from perdition, you must take on the role of a ship pilot and do your best to bring down as many aliens as possible. Naturally, along the way, you also get to toy around with dozens of different space ships and weapons, each one of which is more or less effective against certain kinds of enemies.

Since the action takes place in space, you would expect it not be any kind of invisible obstacles blocking your way. Although the world is not infinite, it is big enough in Freespace 2 to offer you the illusion that it is, especially since it is filled with all kinds of interesting planets, asteroids and nebulae to keep you company. Speaking of which, the latter have the most curious effect on your ship, since they are liable to cause electronic malfunctions and they certainly affect your vision range.

In order to render all of these effects and still look convincing, the game uses a pretty powerful engine for its time, which is quite capable of handling a lot of detail on screen. Moreover, the ships themselves are packed with a lot of detail and the special effects deserve a mention of their own, especially during combat. Since you control the ship from a first-person-like perspective, you get the chance to witness the beauty from up close.

Lastly, Freespace 2 incorporates everything you might ask for from a space simulator, plus a few things you didn't think were possible. Hence, whether you are a fan of the genre of just a curious bystander, the game at hand is certainly worthy a try either way, since it is hard not to be impressed by it.