Beyond the Red Line

Genre(s): Action/FPS,
Simulation/Combat
Simulation/Flying

Gamespot User Rating: 9.2 (out of 10)

Price: Free

Link(s):http://www.gamershell.com/news_37552.html

OR

http://www.4players.de/4players.php/download_info/PC-CDROM/Download/46008.html

Other mirrors and optional (possible) patchers are found here:
http://www.beyondtheredline.net/archive.html

Technical support seems to have ended as of the writing of this review.

Description:
Do you like space combat shooters? Love Battlestar Galatica? Then this game is for you!
Relive the tense space battles of one of the best sci-fi action series of all time.

Beyond the Red Line is a FREE, stand-alone (based on the Freespace Open Engine) total conversion for the game FreeSpace 2, based on the re-imagined TV show Battlestar Galactica. It allows players to fly into combat as either a Colonial Viper pilot or a Cylon raider.

BTRL has released a playable demo of the game. See links above. This “demo” is essentially the completed game as it stands right now. Further development has yet to be completed. It is designed mostly for the multiplayer though a short singleplayer campaign is included as well.

In February 2008 Beyond the Red Line received Mod DB’s “Mod of the Year Award” for “Best Independent Game”. That same year the game was also recommended over the official Battlestar video game (released: 2007 for XBox Live Arcade and Windows PC), citing the latter game’s low production values and publisher’s mishandling of the license. In 2008 the game was featured in Popular Science magazine. In December 2007 the game was featured in Computer and Video Games’ “The Best PC Mods. Ever!” review.

Beyond the Red Line features an original soundtrack with pieces inspired by Bear McCreary and Richard Gibbs’ soundtrack. It also includes character-based gameplay and voice acting. The three-mission demo campaign follows a storyline that precedes the episode, “Scar”, adding some background to the events of that episode. Online multiplayer, including “Deathmatch” and “Team vs. Team”, is supported. The Mk II and VII Vipers are featured with authentic weaponry, flight controls, and semi-Newtonian physics (the development team state that, “if you’ve seen it on the show, you can do it in BtRL”).

Publisher: Independent

Developer: Various Developers/Designers

Release Date: March 31, 2007

Players: Single and Multiplayer

ERSB: N/A

Sample Gameplay Video(s):