If there's one campaign I'd absolutely recommend playing after Freespace 2, it's this one some other projects such as Wing Commander Saga might have slightly higher production values, but this stands well as a successor to the original. Their ships are vastly more detailed than anything in the original game, full of moving parts to ogle as you fly by. While some of its story choices (such as the new mysterious alien race) are divisive, the new ships and factions help to spice up the combat a lot, and there are some spectacular battles to be had once the new Terran forces get involved. A modern PC should have no trouble with them, but when Blue Planet's first iteration released over a decade ago (it has since been remastered), it pushed most machines a bit too hard. The final battles of each chapter are gruelling, but spectacular. Its creators hope to some day finish the story, and only the first two of three acts are voice-acted at present, but there's an enormous amount to chew on despite that, including a decently written story, a diverse cast of characters and over fifty missions. Knossos is packed to the gills with enormous new campaigns for Freespace 2, but Blue Planet is the closest, I feel, that modders have come to producing a proper sequel. Some of those old effects still hold up to this day, like beam weaponry punching clean through a capital ship's hull and out the other side. What worked best for me is an FPS-like control scheme centred around the WASD keys, with basic targeting and weapon switching buttons closest.īetween the visual upgrades and fiddling with the controls to get a more modern layout, Freespace 2 holds up really well, and has some surprisingly quotable dialogue and battle-chatter. Make like Marie Kondo and clear out the clutter - don't be afraid to just delete every binding (F2 opens up the options menu mid-mission) and add controls as you need them. Some folks are great with other controllers and more power to them, but when I need to fire pinpoint shots at distant pixels in a hurry, mouse is the only option for me.Ģ. In my opinion, it's far easier to aim and shoot with mouse and keyboard than a joystick, especially when intercepting torpedoes and bombs, which you'll be doing a lot. Some more old-school space-aces may disagree, but I've two things to say about Freespace 2 that may help new players:ġ. Switch over to the Home tab and click 'play' on MediaVPs, and away you go. Tick any and all boxes when prompted to get every upgrade. When you first set up Knossos, it'll ask for the installer location, and extract any files from it as needed - it's a rather clever piece of software.Īll there's left to do after that is launch Knossos, go to the Explore tab, and grab 'MediaVPs' - a dry name for a great HD overhaul. If you have the GOG version of the game, you don't even need to install it. To play Freespace 2 upgraded with shiny new 3D models, nicer effects and remastered cutscenes and music, you need just two things: A copy of Freespace 2 (from GOG or Steam), and Knossos. Here's some the best that you can play today, plus a quick guide on where to start for absolute rookies and old aces alike. Your one-stop shop for space dogfights is now Knossos, a fan-made launcher app just for Freespace 2 mods and free standalone fan-games. Fans have been polishing up and fine-tuning Volition's old workhorse for nearly two decades, and have been exceptionally organised about it. Every other Monday, Dominic gives you a reason to dust off one of your old games and dive into its mods with Modder Superior.įreespace 2 remains one of the best space combat sims around thanks to its dedicated modding scene, mostly centred around the Hard Light Productions forums.
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