Privateer 2: The Darkening
Description official descriptions
Privateer 2: The Darkening is a follow-up to Wing Commander: Privateer. The player takes control of Ser Lev Arris, who is searching to regain his identity and memory. Like its predecessors, the game combines space combat simulation with exploration and trading. Along the way, the player can trade commodities, go on missions, attack strange mutants, rescue damsels in distress, meet weird characters, and visit unusual planets. It is possible to hire wingmen and cargo ships, as well as upgrade the current ship or buy new ones. Live-action movies advance the story.
Spellings
- 银河私掠者2:黑暗之渊 - Simplified Chinese spelling
Groups +
- 3D Engine: BRender
- EA Classics releases
- Gameplay feature: "Simon says"
- Gameplay feature: Slavery
- Genre: Simulation - Space trading and combat
- Live action cut-scenes
- Merchant / Trade-oriented games
- Privateer series
- Sound engine: AIL/Miles Sound System
- Theme: Amnesia
- Wing Commander spin-offs
- Wing Commander universe
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Videos
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Credits (DOS version)
262 People (253 developers, 9 thanks) · View all
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[ full credits ] |
Reviews
Critics
Average score: 82% (based on 17 ratings)
Players
Average score: 3.6 out of 5 (based on 65 ratings with 10 reviews)
William Hurt, Amanda Pays and Clive Owen IN A FREAKIN' GAME!!!
The Good
The opening sequence in this game is 20 minutes of what could have been a fantastic film. The effects, acting and overall 'feel' of the game were so well integrated into the actual gameplay that I really got lost in this one. The reviews for it were so-so, (I think because it was such a departure from the original Privateer), and the criticisms were handed out, I think, by players who didn't persevere and play out the entire game. The gameplay was incredibly open and the graphics were fantastically beautiful for it's time.
Did I mention the acting? Origin must have had a few bucks to throw around and made some great decisions in the casting. When other game developers were getting Uncle Fred or their girlfriends to do the acting in their products, this group knew that they needed to create a believable universe for this game to succeed...and to do that they used some of the best in the business. (Not just the game business...but in ACTING PERIOD).
Anyway, this game and Wing Commander IV heralded the end of the FMV "craze" in computer games and that was probably a good thing.
Still, it shines as a very sound game with some breathtaking moments.
The Bad
Bugs. Yep, it had more bugs than your average underside of a rock. And it was HUGE!
The Bottom Line
I would just show them the first 20 minute intro film and they would be hooked.
DOS · by Michael McKinlay (4) · 2002
The Good
The CD had many uses:
-- Throw it like a frisbee (It could also be turned into one of those Chinese throwing stars with a little modification).
-- A coaster to set your coffee cup on while playing a good game.
-- If you're strapped for cash this holiday season, the CD makes a nice, shiny tree ornament.
-- If you're lost in the wilderness, you can use it as a signal mirror... it might save your life.
The Bad
CDs thrown like frisbees or throwing stars tend to shatter on impact, but there are two of them, so you'll have a replacement.
Seriously, though, this game is really, REALLY bad. The cut-scenes, although of decent cinematic quality, are cheesier than Monterey Jack. The game has absolutely nothing to do with the Wing Commander universe (the setting for the original Privateer). Instead, it's like a leech sucking up Privateer's good reputation in order to survive.
It didn't work.
The Bottom Line
In a word: crap.
DOS · by James Hicks (8) · 2000
Decent space trade/combat sim with decent FMV
The Good
For once, a full motion video game with decent actors. You've got John Hurt from Alien, Jürgen Prochnow from das Boot and even Christopher Walken. It's got a nice range of ships and weaponry (except perhaps for the Nuke'Em device which is a bit of an overkill) and an interesting plot-line.
The Bad
The game is not completely free of bugs, sometimes escort missions are virtually impossible to carry out and you run the risk of gnawing your own leg off in frustration before you manage to actually get it right. Also, the sound engineering/leveling is off the scale, it's often hard to hear what people in the game are saying because there's just too much background noise/music.
The Bottom Line
If you're into either space sims or full motion video, this game is something you should try to get hold of.
DOS · by mobster_lobster (24) · 2003
Discussion
Subject | By | Date |
---|---|---|
Will editing money make you skip side quests? | Kreshna Aryaguna | Aug 15, 2012 |
Trivia
For as much of a new game as it is, there is at least one nod to the original Privateer in the sequel. There's a random mission in which you have to approach and identify a derelict starfighter. Nothing major, but upon contact with the ship you'll see that it's a 3d-rendered version of the Talon, the singlemost common ship in the original Privateer. Look for it in the manual also.
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Related Sites +
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IMDb page of Privateer 2: The Darkening
The IMDb page of the game. Here you can see in which movies the actors played
Identifiers +
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Contributors to this Entry
Game added by Raphael.
Windows added by Reptil3.
Additional contributors: Zovni, Silverblade, CaesarZX, SGruber.
Game added November 2, 1999. Last modified March 26, 2024.