Descent FreeSpace: The Great War - PC Review - Gamecenter

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Descent FreeSpace: The Great War
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CNET Gamecenter Review
By Hugh Falk
(6/25/1998)

Game at a Glance
Recap: An excellent space-combat sim
Ups: Superb graphics, great scenario editor included
Downs: Isn't really a Descent game
Multiplayer: Excellent
Single player: Excellent
Demo: Available
Patch: Available
There's only one thing I dislike about Interplay's new space-combat simulation--the name. I dislike the word "Descent" because this game really has nothing to do with the classic cavern shooter. I dislike "FreeSpace" because it is a constant, painful reminder about how much hard disk I'm losing (over 400MB for the typical install--do you have enough free space?) Finally, I dislike "The Great War" because it makes the title too damn long for me to keep typing it. So I'll just call it "FreeSpace" for short. The rest of the game is such a pleasure that it's worth the painful reminder.
The Descent moniker is deceiving because the open combat of FreeSpace more closely resembles Wing Commander. The caverns and robotic enemies are replaced by nearly boundless battlegrounds and alien-controlled ships of gargantuan proportions. Given this new direction, FreeSpace still surpasses Wing Commander in many ways. The graphics and sound are excellent, the gameplay and control feel just right, there's an incredible scenario editor, and its multiplayer options are plentiful. I'd recommend Wing Commander over FreeSpace mainly to those who are looking for more plot (or bad acting, as is the case in the later installments). Descent: Freespace--The Great War FreeSpace has a good story, too, but it isn't as obtrusive as the Wing Commander series. Also, I'm admittedly biased in favor of games that use animation instead of FMV cut scenes, and FreeSpace has some of the best computer-generated animation I've seen.
Nearly as impressive as the prerendered graphics are the in-flight graphics. Using a Voodoo Graphics or Direct3D card, the effects are amazing, but even without a 3D card the game looks good. Lasers, rockets, and explosions are as good as anything Industrial Light and Magic has done on the big screen. While playing FreeSpace, I was often tempted to stop playing, flip to an external view, and just watch the huge battle scenes. And I do mean huge.
What really sets this title apart graphically is the scale of the ships. It is truly humbling when you can't even see the entirety of an enemy's battle cruiser from your single-person fighter or bomber. It's almost as fun to fly over (and even through) the motherships as it is trying to destroy them. I say almost because when they blow, it's great to see the persistent debris scattering throughout space. Perfectionists will also appreciate the ability to target specific subsystems (weapons, shields, engines, and so on) and disable ships.

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Descent FreeSpace: The Great War

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