Amazing game, great control interface, amazing systems, great diversity. True doing missions gets old but thats once you get an elite ship you dont need to do missions then you can just explore the incredible game.

While this game was very innovative back in 2003, with it's realitme NPC conversations and well built multiplayer support, only today we can see some of it's major flaws. The lack of variety for such a game is rather amazing, which really becomes noticeable in both singleplayer and multiplayer missions, which are exactly a handful of Go-There-And-Kill-Target sequences. However, this is a very targeted game for third party modders, and with titles like the Discovery Mod, Shattered worlds, Monkey Universe, Flack and others, one might wonder if the Microsoft corp would finally make the game's source code public to enhance the experience of a 2003 game, which is still favored by a wide variety of players even now.

The game's best features is it's very simple, arcade-like control system, which allows new players to quickly master the movement of their ships, something not a lot of arcade games can boast about. Obviously calling Freelancer a space sim is rather odd, the odd scaling of ships and stations vs planets, lack of gravity, very odd distance measurement and broken physics give this game a clear arcade feel to it. An arcade game, which can keep you amused for a very long time.… Expand

Really, really sweat game. throughout the entire game there is action and a lot to do. only downside is, that when you finished the campaign, it quickly becomes repetitive.

Freelancer got a very unique control system that deserves a 9 for it, but then space sims may be disappointed by the absence of joystick support. The story missions are very interesting, but just when you are getting into it, you finds out the story is nearing the end. the story would require lenghtening IMO, i finished the game in 18 hrs and its back to the standard freelance missions where its always the same few types(once u done the few, u done them all). The motivation for playing them starts to fade away when u realize that all the credits u earn is only used to get urself a better reputation and ship which is in turn used to make ur freelance missions easier.… Expand

The Visuals are stunning and combat is fun, but the scripted talking in the bars, glued together partial sentences, is not what i had in mind with good speech. The story is ok but not nearly as good as id could be. Its one of the games that will get best reviews, but most of the people will be dissapointed. The trade-prices are static and you don't have the feeling you are in a big dynamic "alive" universe. The old privateer is much better in this terms. But have fun anyway!… Expand

It is a nice game to play for a few hours but there aren't many things to do except shooting pirates. It gets boring in the end. After that few hours i took up my previous games .

Stunning Visuals, Great Controls, Perfect Plot and intense action. Space gaming just doesn't get any better.

Awesome - everything about the game is exilirating, and the mods coming out is expaing the universe every day.

Wow ! This is a ( SIMULATON ACTION ADVENTURE RPG ) everything you need. FREELANCER... KICK YOUR ASS!!!

Incredibly compelling storyline and even when that's completed it's still fun. However, it can get boring after a LONG time...

This game is especially great on todays(2003-2005) video cards, just put it on 1600x1200 for some major sit backs..also with the TNG 2.7 mod you can have a totally better experience because they have ships from movies,starwars,startrek,babylon5..factions from babylon etc..really cool(and also multiplayer..sorry for the ad)

I have this thing about random mission generators. I'm addicted to them. Like Daggerfall. I still play Daggerfall and it's what? 10 years old? Needless to say, Freelancer is on my permaplay list, along with Dfall, EU2, Civ3, and the entire BF series

Hands down the best game I've ever played! If you have a Lan system this is the ultimate game to play with friends. Of couse they could have been more ambitious with perhaps battles on the planets but the graphics and sound effects make this the greatest game ever made to date.

A game that should get a 10 on intuitive controls, crunchy visual and sound effects, and an interesting backdrop of elective activities to a reasonably interesting storyline instead loses points. While a novice gamer might enjoy Freelancer a great deal for a time before moving on to another game, longtime fans of the genre had much higher hopes for the evolution of the space trading sim. While not game has quite come close to the magic of the legendary Elite that started it all with huge areas of space to explore, a variety of mission types, and a relatively high level of ship customization. Since we've seen Privateer, quite similiar to Freelancer, created by the same legendary designer of Wing Commander. Most notably were Terminus which featured detailed ship creation and modification, a dynamic economy and advanced, persistant, ship AI that could form ad hoc alliances or emnities with other vessels even to the point of posting bounties on each other or the player. X: Beyond The Frontier allowed the lone trader to create his own supply and distribution chains in space to the point of creating his own factories, stations and fleets while competing with other factions for resources. Freelancer brings us, once you step around the fairly interesting if rehashed linear storyline, a very static universe if a stunningly beautiful and visually varied one. While ships fly in formations and chat with each other and the station the economy they supposedly ply is static - prices never change. Hence once you learn a good route you're set for life. There are many factions but they're all but interchangable as they offer identical mission types (go there - blow that or them up). The relationships between them are as unchanging and void of surprises as the economy is. A player can never really get attached to his ship either as the 'rpg' based levelling system compels the player to buy a more powerful ship as soon as he gets to a high enough 'level'. Ship customization is woefully superficial and limited. Also, while there is a small variety of ship classes (Light Fighter, Heavy Fighter and Freighter) ultimately all players will end up with Heavy Fighters as all missions involve intense combat - even trade. Light Fighter and Freighter variants are unavailable at all for the highest levels of play. Multiplayer, while admittedly fun, does have many shortcomings. First, the static nature of the universe makes the natural tendancy of players to offer each other help a losing proposition. If the entire point of playing this style of game is exploration and discovery having that all handed to you on a silver platter ruins the game. Players have reported that, running the best routes, they can max out in power in a matter of hours. Once you're at the top of the food chain what's left to do? Static factions dictate you can't effect the various conflicts brewing. Ship vs. ship combat works much better in true sims than in arcade games in which turn, burn, and shoot are the only tactics available. There's not much of dogfight to be had. All this said, Freelancer still gets 6 out of 10 because there will be folks who will enjoy it. There's beauty and some crunchy gameplay in an evocative setting. Now, if only something this pretty had brains too. Wouldn't that be something?… Expand

Extremly fun! But as with every game... it has its flaws.

I loved this game at first and was addicted to it. After I beat the single player I got sick of it. Sure there's reply value, but I got sick of it quick. Its the same thing over and over. With that said, I did spend hours touring each system. The graphics are very well done, but the repetitive bar scenes are annoying. Upgrading your ship is very simple and could be more elaborate (eg. colors, decals). This is a game like Max Payne, where the best of the game is brought out in modifications. I strongly recommend getting the demo to this game and going from there. Didn't care much for multiplayer since it was very easy for people to cheat and alter their ships. All in all, a solid game with a fairly good storyline and an exceptionally well done in the cockpit (easy to use, change radar, etc.).… Expand

This is my favorite game because The game play is never ending.

The best game available for PC. it may be a couple years old, but it still kicks ass harder than a monkey on crack.

Fantastic game. One of my all time favorites, because I can always come back to it. It has an engagin storyline for a great single player, and then there's the same universe, without the story, online for anyone to play, and it is fantastic to join up with freinds to play. Compat is fun, there is nice progression and variety of ships and weapons. The missions you can pick up for cash can be repetitive, but they're still fun, and they're not the only way to pick fights or make money. The galaxy is huge, and there is a lot of space to explore. It's really fascinating and great how you can go anywhere and know that you'll find something unique. There could be more detail, but to ask anything beyond the massive amount of space and locations provided is ridiculous. There is so much to do. And just flying around planets really gives you the feeling of existing in a world where interstellar travel is routine, and the dull repetitive communicatons you here turn out to be more realistic than repetitive. This is really a fantastic, expansive, immersive game. Pick it up.… Expand

Here we are, five years later, and I still remember this game well, partially due to the fact that this game has been one of my favorites this whole time if not my favorite. The depth of the story and quality of the game was unrivaled for years and still is. Ladies and gentlemen, you can't find another game like this, and you probably won't, ever. That being said, when you beat the game you get the excitement of exploring the galaxy and uncovering the mysteries of the outer factions, but sadly, after the hours and hours of entertaining play are over and you've done all that is able to be done, the game does get repetitive, praise the Lord there is a big modding community out there so the fun never stops! Microsoft really needed to make a sequel to one of the greatest games of all time. Did I mention the amazing voice talent? Watch the credits and be amazed.… Expand

The bar scenes suck, but the game plays nicely. Would have been nice to be able to use the joystick. Try to make the jump hole in the Outcast zone if you have a good rep. It's the run of your life! INCOMING!

The game was good until the end of the story, like all games, it has to end somewhere, they ended the story, but they didn't end the game, for you to explore what you didn't explore & do what you didn;t do. I think overall it was the best game i've played yet...

One of my favorites for the PC- an engaging single-player storyline, incredible scenery, and a soundtrack that really brings you out into the Freelancer universe. While the free-play mode could use one or two more notches of depth, the online multiplayer was unique and the simple controls let you hit the ground running. This game's shortcomings didn't stop me from falling in love with it, and i still play it from time to time.… Expand

Having spent far more hours playing this game than I probably should have I still have a craving to play through the single player campaign for a third time. Massive universe, great story, seamless controls, fantastic soundtrack.

I'm yet to get anywhere near as much enjoyment out of a game of the same genre as Freelancer. Needs a sequel.

My favourite space sim of all time. Huge universe to explore, dark, immersive atmosphere and a captivating storyline. Sure, it has its flaws - the freeplay after finishing the story is extremely repetitive, for example - but Freelancer is an incredible game that's aged beautifully.