10 Critically-Acclaimed Video Games NO ONE Played

Along with System Shock 2, FreeSpace 2 is a game infamous for being brilliant but played by no one.

One of the most graphically advanced titles of its day, critics praised the extraordinary level of detail put into every aspect of the visuals, from the clarity of the backdrops, to the realism of its explosions, to ship designs that varied thematically from one faction to another.

As a space combat simulation dogfighting was key, and here too the game excelled, with Computer and Video Games citing its combat as the best of the classic space combat sims. A big factor in this was the scale and number of capital ships, which created an unmatched spectacle in which dogfights swirled among vast beam cannon blasts that could incinerate players in an instant.

But for all its bells and whistles it underperformed horribly. Released September 30th 1999, the game sold just 26 000 copies by the end of the year in the US. The reason came down to complexity: sims had a steep learning curve and were optimised for joysticks. Set against the newly popular first-person shooter’s easier controls and more accessible gameplay, the space combat simulation genre simply couldn’t compete.

Though now dated FreeSpace 2 remains on sale, so there’s no reason not to pick it up.