Just got SOL: Exodus on the Steam Summer Sale for $5 and it's...ok. But it's not Freespace. The funny part is that I can see little bits of Freespace poking out from under the hood, but it doesn't come close. The universe [V] built, helped along a LOT by getting not just good but amazing voice actors, excellent rendered animations, not just for the animatics but for all the weapons, ships, and tech data, just built this amazing sense that you were truly in the universe the game took place in. Not to mention sharp combat mechanics and an amazing story telling style makes sure this game is forever a classic.
Also, one big thing they did right was the radar; it's not super complex like a 3D orb, but it's very good at referencing where ships are relative to you. The one in SOL is terrible; I've found myself spinning in circles because it doesn't tell me where the ships are very well; one of the big reasons is that the ships don't really migrate to the center of the display as you turn to face them; ships in front tend to stay at the top of the radar display. Very frustrating.
