Space Sim Previews

The milestone space sim game must be elite, the one that really set the ball rolling. Since its release developers have been striving for the classic game where there is fun for both the novice and the expert alike. After a few lean years for space simulation fans the genre seems to be back with a vengeance. This week 3D Action Planet takes a quick at the genre and at some of the best upcoming titles.

Two of the more interesting games covered in the article are Freelancer and Jump Gate. The online only Jump Gate brings the idea of Ultima Online into space. Simply, you have roles you can take on and you basically you act them out. Its impressive in that you download it and play for free for a introductory period of time, from there you pay a monthly fee to continue playing. Another game, Terminus is set in a persistent universe, you can choose to thwart the bay guys or do nothing, the game goes on whatever your choice which should make it very playable both on and off line. Freelancer, published by Microsoft will be a resource strategy game. It has been turning heads for some time, and is looking to rewrite the who space sim genre and is one title to keep tabs on. Shown at both E3 1999 and E3 2000 its concept and graphical prowess are quickly becoming the thing of legend in the industry.