Published by Microsoft and released March 2003, Freelancer takes the player on an epic voyage through space combat, trading, age old secrets and revenge.
Capturing the magic of classic space trading game elite, Freelancer brings an entire universe of money, trade and combat to the comfort of the desktop PC. But does it still hold up?
More Than an Elite Clone
Freelancer’s backstory is ornate, with nods (both in the narrative and the spaceship design) to sci fi greats such as the original BattleStar Galactica, Aliens, Star Wars and Space: 1999.
And BBC Micro classic Elite (incidentally, you can now play Elite in your browser).
Released as a sequel to Starlancer, Freelancer is also related to Wing Commander: Privateer, due to Wing Commander’s creator Chris Roberts being involved in the game’s development.
Freelancer is set 800 years beyond the 23rd century (and, as such, Starlancer) where a society has developed in the Sirius system. Vast sleeper ships were dispatched to avoid defeat in a 100 year war between Earth factions the Alliance and the Coalition.
This history – relevant to the game’s plot – opens with a well-realised sprawling michinima epic. This recounts the foundation of the galactic society in the game. (It is reminiscent of the successful eras of the USA, Germany, Japan, Britain, with the Spanish becoming pirates). Freelancer eventually introduces the player to Trent, the survivor of a terrorist attack and the player character.
After his home is destroyed by the criminal outfit The Order, Trent needs a job, and it isn’t long before he is getting a drink in a low key, relaxed start to the game. Other than Trent and one other character, it is around this time that the quality of the voice acting in the game is poor by modern standards, the script peppered with poor dialogue. Given the age of the game however this can be forgiven.
A Slow Start to Breakneck Space Combat
Once the slow start is out of the way (sadly the cutscenes can’t be skipped) you move onto some backstory. This concerns local politics, and makes trade conflict in The Phantom Menace seem like a fairytale. Prepare for border quarrels, profit concerns, and nation-state corporation intrigue. File this away for use later on… the space combat is finally about to begin.
This is where Freelancer excels with a superb, intuitive point and click mouse interface that doesn’t require any keyboard input. An early hop into space to defend a food transport outlines the method of interstellar travel. You will also meet the pirates.
Space combat is enthralling and invigorating, with a range of options for engagement with enemy vessels. Better ships come better equipped to deal with pirates and aggressors. Optional mouse-only interface focuses attention on the combat and away from distracting keystrokes.
Okay, You’ll Think of Elite When Playing Freelancer
The space scenes are also where Freelancer comes into its own. Older players will see the similarities with Geoff Crammond’s classic straightaway. But this is more than a clone of the 1980s space trading game. Freelancer takes the basic idea of Elite and develops it exponentially. You don’t only earn cash (through missions, trading, collecting space debris) and reputation. Customizing ships and equipment is fun, but there is also a series of Machiavellian schemes to unravel.
No one is trustworthy in Freelancer.
Upon its original release, Freelancer scored highly in reviews and won awards. It received high praise for the sublime graphical representations of deep space. These days, it suffers from some dated cutscene graphics and poor quality voice acting.
However, Freelancer remains a must have game in the collection of any PC gaming fan, especially those with a penchant for space trading and combat adventures.
Playing Freelancer in 2025
The original game is long out of official release, so you’re limited to CeX and other second-hand game stores. You can also find Freelancer on eBay, sometimes unopened. Alternatively, you can find Freelancer on archive.org or MyAbandonware (this is the patched version which should run on modern systems).
Once you’ve got hold of a copy, head to ModDb, where you will find the free Freelancer HD Edition mod to upgrade the graphics.
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Christian Cawley is a writer and editor who covers consumer electronics, IT, and entertainment media. He has written for publications such as Computer Weekly, Linux Format, MakeUseOf.com, and Tech Radar.
He also produces podcasts, has a cigar box guitar, and of course, loves retro gaming.