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***FREESPACE 2***
FreeSpace 2 is a 1999 space combat simulation computer game developed by Volition, Inc. as the sequel to Descent FreeSpace -- The Great War. 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.
Story
FreeSpace 2's story is brought out via narrative 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. 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 after loss of communication with Earth. 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. There is a sudden reversal of fortune as it is revealed there are many more Sathanas juggernauts, and the GTVA is forced to retreat.
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. 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 finale 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 attacked by numerous Sathanas-class ships and going supernova, and the player can choose to flee the scene. 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.
Developer(s) Volition, Inc.
Publisher(s) Interplay Entertainment
Designer(s) Dave Baranec
Jason Scott
Adam Pletcher
The FreeSpace 2 Team
Series FreeSpace series
Engine Modified FreeSpace engine
Version 1.20 (December 3, 1999)
Platform(s) Windows
Release date(s) September 30, 1999
Sci-Fi Sim of the Year Edition
February 29, 2000
Interplay 20th Anniversary Edition
FreeSpace 2 is a 1999 space combat simulation computer game developed by Volition, Inc. as the sequel to Descent FreeSpace -- The Great War. 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.
Story
FreeSpace 2's story is brought out via narrative 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. 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 after loss of communication with Earth. 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. There is a sudden reversal of fortune as it is revealed there are many more Sathanas juggernauts, and the GTVA is forced to retreat.
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. 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 finale 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 attacked by numerous Sathanas-class ships and going supernova, and the player can choose to flee the scene. 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.
Developer(s) Volition, Inc.
Publisher(s) Interplay Entertainment
Designer(s) Dave Baranec
Jason Scott
Adam Pletcher
The FreeSpace 2 Team
Series FreeSpace series
Engine Modified FreeSpace engine
Version 1.20 (December 3, 1999)
Platform(s) Windows
Release date(s) September 30, 1999
Sci-Fi Sim of the Year Edition
February 29, 2000
Interplay 20th Anniversary Edition