When you are without a place to call home, and your previous job assignment is now floating rubble in space, you will likely take anything that comes along in order to feed, house and clothe yourself. Now if that job places you in harm’s way against those suspected of blowing up your last duty station, so much the better.

After all, space is much colder than the proverbial dish served under the guise of revenge.

The evolving plot and subplots of Microsoft Game’s and Digital Anvil’s Freelancer will definitely intrigue and delight game players who like space flight/combat simulations. The game does have a few minor problems, primarily in the sound department, that tends to stifle an otherwise enjoyable gaming experience.

The game takes place 800 years after the end of a divisive war on Earth. There were two entities, the Alliance and Coalition, battling for 100 years for domination. One finally won, and the other sent sleeper ships out to colonize worlds in the Sirius system.

Edison Trent was serving aboard the Freeport 7 when it was attacked by ships and destroyed. It is rumored that a powerful crime organization, the Order, was behind the attack. But regardless of the perpetrators, Trent is without a home or a job. He meets Jun’ko Zane in a bar and she offers him a job escorting transports. It pays well and he gets a ship in the bargain ­ which isn’t much but can be upgraded with the money he receives from the job.

But the simple job goes quickly awry as the ship he is escorting is blown up by rogue ships, and Trent finds himself embroiled in a battle against an unknown enemy. But like pieces of a puzzle, clues will begin to fall into place, and Trent will be able to put a face to the foe.

In addition to the story-driven game, Freelancer also has random missions which can be flown. These missions will take players to the edges of the galaxy on a variety of missions.

The game allows players to use way stations and transport rings to cover vast distances relatively quickly. The ship interface will also allow for auto flying and auto-docking with various ships and platforms, making the whole task of flying somewhat easier.

The sound on the copy of the game sent for review had some problems. It started out very well, but the narrative deteriorated as the game progressed. The music and effects seemed only slightly affected, but the vocal characterization became clipped and choppy with the first foray into space combat making it hard to hear and obey instructions given. Going into the options menu did not provide a way to correct the issue. It was not possible to turn off the 3D sound, and the only controls that pertained to the audio settings that were adjustable were the speech, music and effects volume controls.

The host system was running the latest drivers for the sound card, and since all other games on the system seem not to have a problem in sound rendering, it would appear as though the problem is with the game’s interfacing with the host computer.

Control elements are mouse and keyboard driven, and the camera angles allow a variety of views during combat situations. You can go with the third-person perspective, or jump into the pilot’s chair. The spacebar acts as the switch between keyboard-driven flight controls and the free-look/move mouse-guided effort you will need during combat.

The ground scenes are mostly point and click with each action serving only to advance the storyline rather than give players a great deal of freedom. You can journey to other locations and interact with a variety of characters but the game does seem somewhat linear in terms of the overall plot.

For those who like to play outside the lines, there is also the opportunity to play random missions and explore the universe of Freelancer.

Gameplay: 8.2
The free flight through an intriguing universe is wonderful. Freelancer’s maps are huge and whether playing through the story, taking on missions, or just exploring, the game gives players the choice to customize their gaming experience.

Graphics: 8.8
The special effects are well done, and though the player interface is a little simplistic, the game still have an overall nice look. The animation is very well done, and the flight models are excellent as well.

Sound: 6.9
The musical score and effects are well done, but problems were encountered in clipped narrative. The options menu did not contain any way to turn on or off the effects.

Difficulty: Medium
This game offers several difficulty levels and does get progressively harder as the story evolves. Enemy ships get faster and are more elusive, and with the mouse-keyboard combinations, you will be challenged. Controls can be remapped.

Concept: 7.2
This game charts its own way through a distant galaxy, but in some ways the overall game play seems like an updated version of classic space combat games like Wing Commander: Prophecy. The player interface is easy to navigate and the learning curve should be only 20 minutes or so, though you may spend considerably longer getting comfortable enough to deal with the challenges the game throws at you.

Multiplayer: 7.5
You can fly companion missions and trade with other players via the multiplayer interface (Internet or LAN). You can take on missions from the NPCs or Job Board, chat, and group with other players.

Overall: 8.3
The sound problem is definitely an issue in the story-driven game, particularly when the plot is advanced by the dialogue. However, Freelancer excels in other areas, such as graphics and special effects. And it is definitely a challenging game to play. The game has intrigue, solid action and evolving difficulty. For those who enjoy space combat/flight sims, this is an enjoyable ride.