Additional Info
Hard drive space
Full download: 2.38 GB
Initial download: 0.79 GB
Download time
| Kb/s | 20 MB | 8 MB | 512 KB |
|---|---|---|---|
| Time | 3mn | 9mn | 2h 33mn |
System Requirements
- Operating System: 2000/XP,
currently Vista testing - Processor: 266MHz
- OS: Windows
- RAM: 64MB
- Video RAM: 8MB
Copyright
© 1999 Volition, Inc. ⢠Interplay Entertainment Corp. All Rights Reserved.
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Overview
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Instructions & Tips
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Screenshots & Video
Weapons
There's also a huge collection of weapons and missiles to outfit your fighter with -- everything from laser beams to cluster bombs, many of which aren't available until later missions. As with the ships, experimenting with all of them is the best way to pick your favorites. Some enemy craft are more susceptible to certain types of weapons than they are to others. You make weapon selections after briefings, at the same time as you pick your craft for the mission.
Basics
Freespace 2 is the sequel to Descent: Freespace -- the Great War. You play a space fighter pilot locked in a struggle with human separatists and vicious aliens, fought in the darkness of interstellar space. You don't need to have played Descent: Freespace to enjoy this game, though some story points might be confusing if you haven't. The first time it starts, the game runs a setup routine to test your system hardware. Then you can start a new game and enter a callsign for your character.
Story
32 years have passed since the events of Descent: Freespace. The alliance between the Terrans and Vasudans is still in place, but a breakaway group of humans now threatens the peace. Earth remains unreachable, thousands of light years away, now just a memory. Worse still is the return of the Shivans, a mysterious and hostile alien race with vastly superior technology and a distinctly genocidal attitude. Once again the alliance must gear up for war, this time on two fronts.
Controls
Freespace 2 is best controlled with a combination of the keyboard, mouse and a joystick, though the joystick isn't strictly necessary. The game includes a series of tutorials that will guide you through the controls, and you can also reset and customize keys and buttons to your liking. For a game as detailed as this one, piloting your ship is surprisingly easy. Once you've got a few missions under your belt, you'll be familiar with the keyboard controls and it will be second nature.
Missions
The 30-plus missions are the real core of the game. Prior to each combat flight, you'll receive a detailed mission briefing that outlines your objectives, targets, and potential hazards. Then you can select your ship, customize a weapons loadout and launch from the carrier. Pay close attention to briefings, because they often contain clues about the best path to victory. Be aware that objectives and parameters may change, sometimes drastically, in the middle of a mission.
Ships
Freespace 2 includes several fighter and bomber chassis to choose from. Each has its own unique strengths and weaknesses associated with speed, maneuverability, armament and so forth. You'll develop favorites as you play, but it's also wise to select a ship based on your role in the next mission. A light fighter won't be very useful if your job is to bring down a destroyer, while a torpedo bomber isn't designed for dogfighting. Not all ship chassis are available at the beginning of the game.
Tip: Database
If you didn't play Descent: Freespace or need a refresher on its storyline, visit the database in Freespace 2. It'll bring you up to speed on all the plot points.
Tip: Beam Weapons
Capital ships are now equipped with monstrous beam weapons capable of tearing enemy cruisers apart. It goes without saying that if your puny fighter gets caught in a beam, your day is pretty much ruined. The larger ships also have batteries of anti-fighter beams, which are just as deadly.
Tip: Wingmen
You fly in a wing of fighters, and your wingmen will follow your commands. Just open the communication interface (default "C") and pick what you want them to do from the list. If you don't give them orders, they'll engage as they see fit. They're smart, but not really smart, so your guidance is important.
Tip: Skipping Missions
Freespace 2 is best controlled with a combination of the keyboard, mouse and a joystick, though the joystick isn't strictly necessary. The game includes a series of tutorials that will guide you through the controls, and you can also reset and customize keys and buttons to your liking. For a game as detailed as this one, piloting your ship is surprisingly easy. Once you've got a few missions under your belt, you'll be familiar with the keyboard controls and it will be second nature.
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