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Pics of your games: Reloaded

Bokishi

By Bokishi
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alanschu

alanschu

Posted
Posted (edited)

Soooo, if I like Freelancer, I should like Space Rangers 2?

 

Hmmm...interesting.

 

What's the game like, gameplay wise?

 

It looks sort of "mooish" at times, but Freelancer/Privateerish at others.

Edited by alanschu
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jaguars4ever

jaguars4ever

Posted
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Soooo, if I like Freelancer, I should like Space Rangers 2?

 

Hmmm...interesting.

 

What's the game like, gameplay wise?

 

It looks sort of "mooish" at times, but Freelancer/Privateerish at others.

Check your PM inbox. I just sent you my review. ;)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

EDIT: *sigh* I suppose you're all curious now, so here you go:

 

:D

 

It's the game of all games, so you'd have to be some sort of philistine to not love it. It offers something from virtually every genre so there's bound to be aspects which you enjoy.

 

The space galaxy itself is totally old skool (highly stylised 2d ala DOS), not dissimilar to such classics of yesteryear such as Solar Winds or Star Control. The combat in free-space utilizes a turn-based tactical system (you can 'plot' and judge your klicks & target your fire in advance kind of like Fallout's hex system).

 

The RPG elements in this game totally rock. The character creation system is that of a trimmed down RPG. You select your race and class, and each permutation has its own secondary effects! You also get to customize what starting equipment comes with your ship. But most important is what skills you select. Each skill (charisma, tech, etc) will pretty much effect how you play the game (which coupled withe your class) allows you to truly create a non-generic character. As you gained experience points (for completing quests, killing stuff..you know the usual), you can increase your skills and go up in rank. You can also gain some pretty nifty medals for helping certain races which is also cool. Did I mention that depending on your rank and leadership skill, you can also gain wingmen party members? Well, the really behave more like hench-men, but that's still pretty awesome.

 

The way you play is open-ended and completely up to you, and the maps, planets, systems, quests and what-not are randomly generated each time you create a new game. So feel free to team-up, trade, extort, kill anyone you meet in space...where no one can hear you scream. In fact, the game's NPCs will do stuff without you - mine, fight, trade, buy better equipment - so it feels like you're part of the game world, rathter than the gameworld's revolving around you. I particularly like the dynamic economy (unlike Freelancer's static version) where the prices of commodities are always in flux, so you'll have to stay alert to the news to where the best buy for your cred is at.

 

The interface when you're docked at a planet is similar to Freelancer (equipment store, trade center, mission place, hangar bay), but with one unique difference: The ability to partake in planetary battles! The land-based RTS part is actually not too bad (and it's completely optional). It works like your regular RTS. Gather resources (ore, energy, Jedi juice? What is it they use these days...), and you build your various robots/turets/killing stuff. The better upgrades cost more and what not. You give them orders, they defend, attack or capture or your take a more hands on micro-management approach. However there is a fun, neat twist (best used with a really uber robot) - you can manually take control of a robot, and the 3d-isometric RTS game sorta morphs into a third-person-over-the-shoulder Mech game! :lol:

 

Back to the space stuff. There's military centres (where you can fund military operations), science research posts (where you can research better technologies for upgrades) and even business centres. There you can fund developments in other systems, or even take personal loans. There's drugs that you can illegally smuggle...and then there's drugs you can take! The stimulants are class btw. They raise certain stats/skills by a certain amount (but they'll go negative in withdrawal), but be careful to not get addicted. I suppose you could always go to the medical center and get treatment for that, but it'll likely be costly - just like bribes. Another thing that was totally sweet and awesome, is if you becomes a wanted man (with a big fat price on your head...and you'd just know a pirate like me would), you can drop by pirate base and have extensive plastic surgery to change your race (or just do it for recreation like Michael Jackson).

 

The game itself is zany and almost has a Hitchhikers Guide style of humor...when it's not giving you giggles over it's Engrish style antics. What you say?! (I'm still unsure whether the mis-translations are intentional or not). Some of the missions are ridiculously funny, and there's even a Zork-esqe text adventure game. Hehe.

 

Wait - I almost forgot. There's another game: If you go into a worm-hole/black-hole thingy you get sucked into this old skool space arcade shooter thing. Nifty. To sum it up, this game's retro done right.

Edited by jaguars4ever
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Diogo Ribeiro

Diogo Ribeiro

Posted
Posted
Soooo, if I like Freelancer, I should like Space Rangers 2?

 

I'll answer that by making a small list of advantages Space Rangers 2 has over Freelancer.

  • You're not forced to follow the main storyline. You can follow it or not.
  • You have the ability to block scanners from detecting your cargo.
  • You can have a fleet, based on your leadership skill and funds.
  • You can explore uncharted planets with probes. You can also somewhat customize how the probes will scour for information.
  • Your dealings with other races aren't as easilly reversible as faction dealing in Freelancer. If you considerably pissed off some planet's inhabitants or government you wmay be arrested next time you land on it. That is, if you're not blown away by ships scouring for you when you're in the vicinity.
  • There are more than kill missions, or not so subtle variations thereof, available to you in planets.
  • 5 races and five classes.
  • Character skills you can develop.
  • You can fight the story's main baddies in your ship and in a Mechwarrior-styled RTS subgame on planet surfaces.
  • The gameworld is actually dynamic. Supply and demand is actually factored in, so you can forget about getting rich easilly by buying and selling out static priced goods.
  • Some quests are text-based, more akin to adventure games. These are based on several things that happen to you - like getting arrested - and can have all sorts of outcomes depending on what you do.

The only thing that's unfortunately missing is boarding other ships but that's what Escape Velocity: Nova is there for.

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jaguars4ever

jaguars4ever

Posted
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I too like the dynamism, RP. I was a little surprised when my ranger wingman landed on a planet and undocked with new uber weps. I know he's there to help me, but that's just showing me up dammit!

 

--

 

Also: I wanted to play paratroopers. ;)

 

sp2para.jpg

Edited by jaguars4ever
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Diogo Ribeiro

Diogo Ribeiro

Posted
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One advantage Freelancer has over Space Rangers 2:

NO BLOODY STARFORCE

 

Well, it's also got multiplayer, available mods (for those that care about them), an incredibly intuitive control style and a genuinely spiffy graphic engine. But frankly, I don't care much for graphical quality, the mods or the multiplayer so Space Rangers 2 wins out for me. Besides, SR2 has very competent graphics as well and they don't detract a bit from gameplay.

 

I understand the multiplayer component of Freelancer is an attractive option, judging by alanschu and jags' ocasional screens. I would be tempted to join them were it not my computer suffers from random bursts of a digitial version of PMS. That, and I don't have the game.

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Llyranor

Llyranor

Posted
Posted

Okay, I just verified that the Direct2Drive (North America only, dawgs) version of SR2 will NOT USE FREAKING STARFORCE. I might actually get it now.

 

Question: SR2, or Mount and Blade? I had fun with the latter, but the only real draw comes in the combat system. The shareware version was very cool, but not something I'd buy. How does SR2 compare in terms of 'sandbox' material?

Hadescopy.jpg

(Approved by Fio, so feel free to use it)

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alanschu

alanschu

Posted
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OMG OMG OMG Multiplayer!!@!?@?!?!?!?!?

 

 

As for Freelancer, I'm a big believer that playing even the worst games is still a lot of fun if done multiplayer.

 

It is fun star treking across the universe in FL.

Edited by alanschu
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Llyranor

Llyranor

Posted
Posted
OMG OMG OMG Multiplayer!!@!?@?!?!?!?!?

 

 

As for Freelancer, I'm a big believer that playing even the worst games is still a lot of fun if done multiplayer.

 

It is fun star treking across the universe in FL.

You mean, COOP specifically.

 

I find multiplayer in and of itself irrelevant nowadays.

Hadescopy.jpg

(Approved by Fio, so feel free to use it)

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karka

karka

Posted
Posted
Okay, I just verified that the Direct2Drive (North America only, dawgs) version of SR2 will NOT USE FREAKING STARFORCE. I might actually get it now.

 

Question: SR2, or Mount and Blade? I had fun with the latter, but the only real draw comes in the combat system. The shareware version was very cool, but not something I'd buy. How does SR2 compare in terms of 'sandbox' material?

 

 

Don't forget lots of great mods that you can play when you buy M&B. And game becomes really enjoyable after level 10. And of course it is cheaper.

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jaguars4ever

jaguars4ever

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The version I have doesn't use the Starforce. Just so you know, I bought/downloaded it directly from direct2drive (which I also used for Beyond Good and Evil and Oblivion).

 

And since my local games stores sell jack for the PC these days, I figured I may a well buy it online and be playing it in 20 minutes, rather than buying off eBay/Amazon and waiting.

 

Also, the thing I like about my direct2drive downloads it that my CD/DVD drives can be free for music/movies etc. Disc tray switching = sux0rz!1

 

One disadvantage however, is that the download does not come packaged with SR1, as opposed to the North American retail box. <---Apparenty those things exist. :thumbsup:

Edited by jaguars4ever
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jaguars4ever

jaguars4ever

Posted
Posted
OMG OMG OMG Multiplayer!!@!?@?!?!?!?!?

 

 

As for Freelancer, I'm a big believer that playing even the worst games is still a lot of fun if done multiplayer.

 

It is fun star treking across the universe in FL.

This is true (both points in fact).

 

I remember a bunch of my friends and I having an absolute blast with this otherwise DREADFUL Ninja Turtles rental for the XBOX. Nexus or somethng?

 

Don't get me wrong - this game was DIRE...but we made it fun!

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mkreku

mkreku

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Posted

I'm supposed to be getting Ghost Recon Advanced Warfighter for the PC one of these days. I've heard there's co-op in it! :ermm:)

 

Haven't gotten it yet though.

Swedes, go to: Spel2, for the latest game reviews in swedish!

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