The best game in the world ever? (Frontier - Elite 2 (PC))

Member Name: rob_writer

Product:	Frontier - Elite 2 (PC)
Date:	21/03/02 (508 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Its one of the best

Disadvantages: But is it better than the first?

Many moons ago there was a game called Elite, released on such machines as the BBC Micro, and what a game it was! Modern gamers may wonder what on earth I'm talking about, but to other, older members of the gaming society, Elite may well be ranked as one of their favourite games. The magic of the game has never quite been matched, and although technology wise it is very basic, Elite is an all time classic.

It was a hunt for a modern day version of Elite that led me to this game, Elite 2 - Frontiers. Even this game isn't particularly modern, first being released in 1993, and although there is another later game in the Elite series, it is generally accepted that Elite 2 - Frontiers is better than the third game, although debate rages over which of the first two is best!

The Elite idea is quite simple - you are the captain of a spaceship, somewhere in our galaxy. And that's about it! You can then proceed to do what you want. You can carry cargo between planets, work for the military or carry out freelance hits, search for missing people - the choice is yours - as is how you go about your business. Do you carry legal cargo from planet to planet, or carry banned black market goods which may earn you more money but run the risk of being caught by the police. Then you can upgrade or sell your ship, you could have a supreme fighter, or expand the cargo bay allowing you carry more cargo. Add some passenger bays and you can ferry people around, becoming in effect an interplanetary taxi driver!

The elite world is massive, recreating the galaxy in which we live. Our solar system is there, but so are thousands more, all with star ports and surface colonies. Different planets have different alliances, some are freelance, some are outside the law.

What you do is entirely up to you, which is what makes Elite a unique experience. There are no set rules to follow, no set places to go - if you want a career in the military then you can
have it, if you want to be the next Hans Solo you can do that too. Either way, new ships, and more upgrades are sure to keep you coming back for more time and time again, as well as the chance to earn that elusive and legendary Elite rating in the game!

Controls are quite easy to use, with hyperspace and autopilots making getting to planets easier. Dog fights take a bit longer to get used to, but it won't be too long before you have you first kill. Messages to other people and ships is done by selecting one of a choice of things to say, so you don't have total freedom. For example, you can't get out your ship and go walking around a planet.

Graphics wise the game is starting to suffer, and getting the game to run in Windows is a pain. That means DOS mode is needed, which is OK for 95/98 users, but for ME, 2000 and XP you're going to be needing boot disks, which are always a hassle.

The game is begging for a modern update, something which may come in the rumoured Elite 4, but for now I am happy to make do with this classic game.

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