We thought StarLancer was a competent but uninspired debut for the Digital Anvil/Microsoft team, but what we're hearing about FreeLancer is more promising. Gamers have waited a long time for a good sequel to the original Privateer, and FreeLancer looks like it's got the right stuff. Aside from great graphics and space combat, the game intends to give players a choice in their star pilot careers, whether it's as a trader, pirate, or mercenary. Digital Anvil promises the world will monitor dynamic conditions like the player's reputation, the universal economy, current events, and their overlap. For example, if you take out pirates in a sector, it's possible the economy there will change or stabilize. If you hit popular trade routes as a pirate, expect mercenaries to start sniffing you out.

To keep things interesting, there is a scripted plot, and Digital Anvil says players may receive selections of missions from a pool of 300 assignments, making each player's experience in the solitaire mode of the game unique. There will also be multiplayer support so gamers can test their ship designs against others. It sounds great, but will FreeLancer be simply be Privateer with a face-lift? We'll find out next year.

Genre: Action
Developer: Digital Anvil
Publisher: Microsoft
Web: Microsoft MechWarrior 4 Site
ETA: 2001