After close to 20 years of development, a group of volunteers is finally releasing Fate of the Galaxy, a Star Wars space combat game built on FreeSpace 2’s open-source engine. This total conversion mod was developed using FreeSpace Open and is available for free on Linux, Mac, and PC. Players can choose to be an independent adventurer or a pilot for the Rebel Alliance or the Galactic Empire.
There are more than 64 ships to pick from, each with fully functioning cockpits and customizable weapon loadouts. Beyond the pre-built levels, the game also has a mission editor that lets players create their own battles. The developers tout a long list of customizable settings that offer a “wide range of play styles and experiences, from more casual to more sim-like.” They provide multiple difficulty settings and support a range of input methods.
The game even works with VR. Fate of the Galaxy is completely open-source. The website touts that “all assets [were] made by humans only,” meaning there’s no reason to worry about AI slop.
The space combat sim Freespace 2 was released by Volition in 1999 and became a common foundation for fan projects because the developer openly distributed the game's source code. The game's engine was previously used to create Beyond the Red Line, a total conversion mod based on Battlestar Galactica, and The Babylon Project, which is based on Babylon 5. It’s been quite a year for Star Wars video games.
This August, Star Wars: Zero Company brought the late Republic era to life with well-designed tactics gameplay and surprisingly sharp writing. Earlier this month, Star Wars: Galactic Racer proved to be another worthy addition to the galaxy far, far away, offering breakneck podracing action and introducing the new Star Wars freak, Biddy Blas.
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