1999: The End of Space Combat Simulators
You know what’s awesome, guys? I posted another piece of GameSpite Quarterly 4, that’s what. Also, the article itself is pretty awesome. You should read it. It’s about outer space! Also, if you’re a new visitor here from Penny Arcade or some such, please be aware that you can acquire many more excellent articles like this in print form. Yeah, OK, I’m done shilling now.
5 thoughts on “GSQ4: Ends in space”
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There was also a Privateer 3 in development, one that had the Kilrathi and whatnot in it, unlike the shoehorned sequel(which was a separate title given the Privateer moniker). I remember there was a cover story in a long-defunct game magazine, Pirates! was one of the designers inspirations.
Oh, man, this is my most-missed genre by far, and long overdue for a revival.
Freelancer rates higher than “scraps,” though. Sure, it was mouse-controlled and the voice acting and planetside visuals don’t hold up, but it was a better-than-decent game.
Great article, and I agree–Freelancer was a darned good game, along with Privateer. I guess I just like those open-world, sandbox-y space sims. Also, I have to throw out a plug for one of my all time favorite: Space Rogue. A little old to make this article, but man that was a good game.
Agreeing on Freelancer, though I am far from an objective observer on that one (I was part of a mod team for that). In fact, I now can barely picture playing a space sim with anything besides a mouse in a third-person view. Going back to Starlancer after Freelancer was a bit of hard time for me, control-wise.
I have very fond memories of TIE fighter because to me it was definitely more fun to play a side where I didnt exactly know where the missions would lead. I mean, we all know the Empire loses in the end, but for a game they have to let you win somehow!
Also I feel like a bad person for letting Freespace 1 & 2 sit on my hard drive here forever since I bought them online. For some reason the controls for Freespace 1 felt kinda odd so I havent gone back to it.