One hundred years have passed since the end of the first Independence War, and far from the riches of Sol and the core systems, trouble is brewing. Now, Independence War 2 gives space sim fans multiplayer action and lifelike spacecraft physics in this sequel to Independence War. The Badlands Cluster: Eight barely habitable star systems populated by the flotsam and jetsam of humanity who, after years of oppression at the hands of greedy corporations and ruthless marauder bands, are ready to fight back. 15 years after witnessing the murder of his father by the sadistic heir to a corporate fortune, Cal Johnston plans his revenge. With the help of a small band of escaped prisoners - and a dead war hero immortalised in silicon - his actions inadvertently become the trigger for rebellion. The stage is set for history to repeat itself, and force mankind once more over the Edge of Chaos...
For a long time now, this has been the best space game one can find. It has aged well, and one can still find a copy at GoodOldGames which will work on most modern pc's. Like the previous I-War, the code was built to last. For almost 5 years, this looked as good as anything else on the market. It was one of the first games to do the open world style, and it did it RIGHT.
Space combat has a steep learning curve, but nothing is forced. Some of the most intense game play sessions I've had were when I was trying to escape when a fight turned on me. Combined with the Newtonian style physics, and a ftl system straight out of modern theories, and the game has a depth to it which is unmatched.
Speaking of depth, the trading is a game unto itself. Though I never got to far into it, helping a struggling mining colony by pirating food from the local Corp, and receiving vital explosives in return, gives the universe a sense of having real people. You can be the Space Robin Hood.
On top of everything, there is a well developed story. I'll leave it there to prevent spoilage. Trust me on this one.
Finally, some of the mods for this game are great. From BUDA-5 (A TC Babylon 5 Mod) to Unstable Space, this game was second in mods only to Freelancer.
Long story short, go to Amazon or GoG and get yourself a copy. You won't regret it.