Home of the Underdogs
About News FAQs Contact HOTU GoogleGroup Music Manuals
Category Applications Action Adventure Education Interactive Fiction Puzzle Role Playing Games Simulation Special Sport Strategy War




Support the EFF
Welcome How you can help
Browse Games
Welcome Random Pick
Welcome By Company
  Welcome By Theme  
Welcome By Alphabet
Welcome By Year
Welcome Title Search
Welcome Company Search
Welcome Designer Search
Recommended
Welcome Freeware Titles
Welcome Collections
Welcome Discord
Welcome Twitter
Welcome Facebook
Welcome File Format Guide
Welcome Help: Non PC Games
Welcome Help: Win Games
Welcome Help: DOS Games
Welcome Recommended Links
Site History Site History
Legacy Legacy
Link to Us Link to Us
Credits Thanks & Credits
Abandonware Ring

Abandoned Places

dungeoncrawlers.org

Creative Commons License


Game #4090
Hall of Belated Fame Inductee  Privateer 2: The Darkening    View all Top Dogs in this genreCollection: Post-patch Classics
Action   Space combat

Rating: 8.92 (256 votes)

Privateer 2: The Darkening box cover

Privateer 2: The Darkening screenshot
Privateer 2: The Darkening is an excellent sequel to Origin's classic Wing Commander: Privateer, although Origin made the unfortunate decision to sacrifice gameplay depth in favor of slick full-motion video sequences a la Wing Commander III. Which is not to say the The Darkening is a bad game. Far from it: it is fun, it has the best flight engine thus far in a Wing Commander game (held true until later releases like Prophecy anyway), it boasts excellent production values including an impressive cast (including Christopher Walken and John Hurt), it has an intriguing 'space opera' plot, and it offers dozens of challenging and lengthy missions.

So why is The Darkening inferior to Privateer? The answer, I think, is that the game loses the carefree, go-anywhere-you-want feel of the original game. Since Origin went the FMV route, where most missions are introduced and the plot unfolded via movie clips, this means the gameworld is much smaller than in Privateer, and the game much more linear. This limited freedom makes the game feel much more like a Wing Commander game than a Privateer game. Which is not a bad thing, except that one would expect the game titled Privateer 2 to be a true sequel to Privateer and maintain its freelancing spirit. There are still enough profiteering opportunities (buying & selling cargo between planets, for example), but much less compared to the original.

There are also other oversights that will irk fans of Privateer. One big blow that significantly reduces the replayability of Privateer 2 is the absence of the RMG, Random Mission Generator. This feature is part of what makes the first Privateer so replayable. The game is also plagued with more than a few bugs, a sign that Origin rushed it out the door before it was 100% ready.

The Darkening does offer the expected technical overhauls. You will be treated with great-looking 3D graphics, and the aformentioned flight engine. Despite a smaller gameworld, there are more ships to pilot and destroy, and more planets you can land on. Overall, The Darkening is a great game with top-notch graphics and acting. If you regard the game as a plot-driven Wing Commander game than a true heir of Privateer's free-wheeling spirit, you will have a blast. Highly recommended.

Reviewed by: Underdogs
Designer: Erin Roberts
Developer: Origin Systems
Publisher: Electronic Arts
Year: 1996
Software Copyright: Origin Systems
Theme: Science Fiction, Freelance
Multiplayer:  
None that we know of
System Requirements: DOS
Where to get it:
Related Links: Game Stuff: Privateer 2, Ser John's Privateer 2 Page
Links:    
If you like this game, try: Wing Commander: Privateer, Darklight Conflict, Frontier: First Encounters

© 1998 - 2024 Home of the Underdogs
Portions are copyrighted by their respective owners. All rights reserved. Please read our privacy policy.