Freespace 2

The Good
Freespace 2. Wow. A game that has almost everything going for it and then some. Let's start in the eye candy department. Stunning, simply, stunning, in recent memory only in Homeworld and Freespace 2 have I liked to look at space battles. Some missions feature your squad going through a nebula cloud so you cannot see more than three to four meters in front of you. But to add to this effect, lighting crashes around you while you fly in this death trap. And the explosions and the weapon effect are well, out of this world. Beam cannons rip ships in half and send chunks of scrap into the void. The sound in Freespace 2 is right on, the EAX effects work great so you can hear where ships are coming from. While the music may not be a thumpin' techno soundtrack, it does work well and bring you into the game. The AI in Freespace 2 is greatly improved over Freespace: The Great War, the ships try to dodge your fire and will always seem to be one step ahead of you.

The Bad
Although the AI is improved it still leaves something to be desired. The controls may seem complex to the beginner, but spend some time with Freespace 2 and you will be shooting down ships left and right (up and down too...).

The Bottom Line
Overall Freespace 2 plays well, looks good and sounds great making Freespace 2 one of the best of 1999.