This is a game I looked forward to playing, even though I was never a big fan of Wing Commander nor Privateer. The pre-release buzz seemed to indicate this was a space combat sim with a strong RPG element. I was hoping for a Baldur's Gate/Neverwinter Nights in space, with a strong main plot and lots of fun mini-adventures. This is sorely lacking.
The game is merely space combat upon space combat. When not flying around and fighting in the main campaign, you can take on contracts which require you, to, well, fly around and fight. The contracts never have a back story; you are always told to take on X pirate group or y pirate group. It is shocking there is any trade or organized government with the 1,000's of pirates around. No missions to recover medicines for an endangered world nor rescues nor missions that require diplomacy, just flying and fighting. The storyline is very linear so that you are forced to do all these missions to get experience before you can proceed.
The voice acting by the computer run characters is awful.  Apparently gajillion-aire Microsoft's voice acting budget was blown getting John Rhys Davies and George Takei, for the same man does all the male voices and same woman does the female voices.  With repitious dialogue, the same thin, annoying voices  gets to you.
I had hoped for something much better. For anyone with imagination, they will end up feeling disappointed. I am not saying the game is not fun nor the storyline somewhat interesting, just that if you don't like games where it is non-tactical, non-RPG combat, you will not be happy.
This is a game I looked forward to playing, even though I was never a big fan of Wing Commander nor Privateer. The pre-release buzz seemed to indicate this was a space combat sim with a strong RPG element. I was hoping for a Baldur's Gate/Neverwinter Nights in space, with a strong main plot and lots of fun mini-adventures. This is sorely lacking. The game is merely space combat upon space combat. When not flying around and fighting in the main campaign, you can take on contracts which require you, to, well, fly around and fight. The contracts never have a back story; you are always told to take on X pirate group or y pirate group. It is shocking there is any trade or organized government with the 1,000's of pirates around. No missions to recover medicines for an endangered world nor rescues nor missions that require diplomacy, just flying and fighting. The storyline is very linear so that you are forced to do all these missions to get experience before you can proceed. The voice acting by the computer run characters is awful. Apparently gajillion-aire Microsoft's voice acting budget was blown getting John Rhys Davies and George Takei, for the same man does all the male voices and same woman does the female voices. With repitious dialogue, the same thin, annoying voices  gets to you. I had hoped for something much better. For anyone with imagination, they will end up feeling disappointed. I am not saying the game is not fun nor the storyline somewhat interesting, just that if you don't like games where it is non-tactical, non-RPG combat, you will not be happy.