Developed in the period following the success of Wing Commander III, Privateer 2: The Darkening was conceived as a cinematic evolution of the Privateer gameplay model. Privateer 2 was developed in the UK by Erin Roberts and his team at EA Manchester with its full-motion video cutscenes filmed on sets built at the legendary Pinewood studios. The game puts you, the player in the shoes of Ser Lev Arris, a mysterious figure in search of his past, and lets you play the game your way. Boasting an all-star cast, the game stars Clive Owen as Ser Arris, supported by Christopher Walken, David Warner, Jürgen Prochnow, Mathilda May, and John Hurt, among others.
Set in 2790, The Darkening takes place in a remote corner of the Wing Commander universe known as the Tri-System. Planet Anhur has been home to humans for some two thousand years, with the locals having independently developed faster-than-light drives from the Confederation. The futuristic setting lets players utilize advanced jump gates, short-range time travel devices and massive cargo haulers. In addition to the traditional build-up phase and story portions of the game, Privateer 2 peppers the experience with random cinematic mini-plot missions. Certain upgrades are only available once these subplots have been completed, and entire character arcs are explored with recorded video cutscenes separate from the main story.
| Privateer 2: The Darkening
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| Platform
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MS-DOS
Windows 95 (Deluxe Edition)
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| Engine
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BRender
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| Release Date
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December 9, 1996
- U.S.: January 1997
- Deluxe Edition: November 4, 1997
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| Format
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CD-ROM
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| Language
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English
French
German
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| Rating
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ESRB: M
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Copy
Original U.K. Release
- NAME: Ser Lev Arris
- AGE: 30
- DIAGNOSIS: Anterior Amnesia
- RECENT HISTORY:
- Ser Arris's condition was probably caused by accelerated
- >depassivity from a long artificial sleep, after being
- pulled from the wreckage of a recent Cargo ship disaster at
- Mendra spaceport. After a satisfactory physical recovery,
- the subject was kidnapped in a violent attack on the
- hospital resulting in a number of fatalities. The subject
- seems to have escaped his kidnappers, and is now in
- possession of a spaceship, trading and fighting his way
- across the galaxy, seemingly in search of his lost
- identity.
- REVOLUTIONARY 3D space
combat engine supporting a
vast number of fully textured
ships, space stations and planets
in high-detail SVGA, with phong
shading, spotlighting and lens
flare effects.
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- ADVENTURE is not confined
to the cockpit - once
planetside, the player may visit a
multitude of locations, and meet a
vast array of characters, realised
through the talens of Clive Owen,
John Hurt, Mathilda May, Jurgen
Prochnow and Christopher
Walken
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- The SOPHISTICATED trading
environment allows the
player to make money dealing in
numerous commodities across
three solar systems, with prices
continually shifting according to
planetary market situations.
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- MULTIPLE main and sub plot
story lines require shrewd
detective work, utilising the vast
databases of the three systems.
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- An EXTENSIVE variety of
ships, weapons and
equipment are available to help
you meet the demands of over 150
non-linear missions.
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Deluxe Edition (U.S.)
Inner flap
U.S. box (Deluxe Edition), left inner flap
U.S. box (Deluxe Edition), right inner flap
- THE ULTIMATE SPACE COMBAT TRADING EXPERIENCE
- You regain consciousness, and the unfamiliar
- faces around you inform you that you've lost
- your ship in an accident. You're new to the
- cutthroat world of Tri-System privateers, and
- now your only order of business is survival.
- You've got just enough credits to afford a new
- ship, but it's going to need upgrades if you
- expect to live long. The sector is full of
- people willing to do business, but who can be
- trusted? Legal or not, it's time to trade, travel,
- and battle your way through a place where
- high risk means high yield and those with the
- brass reap the rewards.
Back cover
- A new FACE...
- A new PLACE...
- A new STORY...
- Strap in tight and jump into
- the ultimate space combat
- trading experience!
- In Privateer 2, there are no rules.
- You can fly over 100
- different missions in
- 18 different ships.
- Check out whatever you
- want ― unique planets,
- space stations, bars,
- prison pits and more.
- But without money, you're nothing.
- Ship upgrades,
- loadouts, repairs,
- wingmen, information
- ― everything here
- costs money. You'll
- have to hunt, trade,
- and fight to get it.
- Only the fastest and most savvy survive.
- Incredible new space
- combat engine enables
- hi-speed battles between
- bands of pirates, greedy
- police, desperate
- privateers and you.
Korean Edition
Korean Box), Front and Back
Characters
Screenshots
Box Contents
Here's something a lot of people don't know: different versions of Privateer 2 featured readically different manuals! It's strange but true - the original UK release came with a "Crius Hospital Rehabilitation Guide" and an in-universe "Guide to Space Travel"... while the American version came with a single booklet, "Your Guide to the Universe".
UK Edition
US Edition
Deluxe Edition (US)
This Box Contains:
- (3) CDs (your game).
- Windows 95 Installation Guide (16 pp.) which is what you are reading now and which includes Installation and Troubleshooting information.
- Pilot's Manual (32 pp.) that introduces the cockpit and describes how to fly, navigate and fight.
- Your Guide to the Universe (48 pp.) that explains loading and saving the game, and how the CNN booth system and your PAD work.
- Reference Card (4 pp.) that lists all keyboard, mouse and joystick commands in the game.
- Registration Card — we'd love to know who you are!
Korean Edition
System Requirements
Deluxe Edition
| Windows 95
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The Deluxe Edition of Privateer 2: The Darkening is native to Windows 95 and requires Windows 95 to install and play the game.
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| Computer
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Privateer 2: The Darkening requires at least a Pentium™ 75MHz or 100% compatible processor. A processor that is equal to or faster than a Pentium™ 90MHz processor is recommended.
This game was tested fully with Intel-based processors.
Other processors may not be compatible.
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| Memory
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A minimum of 16MB of RAM installed in your computer is required to play this game.
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| Video Card
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A 1MB (or greater) SVGA (640x480) video card that is compatible with Microsoft DirectX is required.
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| Hard Drive
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You must have a minimum of 40 MB free on your hard drive to install and play this game.
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| CD-ROM Drive
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A 4x-speed CD-ROM drive is required.
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| Mouse
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A mouse (Microsoft or 100% compatible) that works under Windows 95 is required to play this game.
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Controls
Afterburner Tab
Fire guns Space
Fire missile Enter
Fire mine Backspace
Accelerate +
Decelerate -
Full speed ]
Full stop [
Cycle targets forward A
Cycle targets backward Z
Select closest hostile W
Select closest friendly S
Select target in crosshairs Q
Disable targeting Alt-T
Toggle radar style Alt-R
Cycle guns G
Full guns F
Cycle missiles M
Cycle mines B
Damage HUD D
Comms HUD C
Forward view F1
Left view F2
Rear view F3
Right view F4
Chase view F5
External ship camera F6
Target external view F7
Target chase view F8
Fixed camera F9
Cinematic camera F10
Toggle distress receiver O
Enable tractor beam T
Disable tractor beam Y
Warp shields Alt-W
Transmit BSE virus Alt-B
Activate PAD (on base only) P
Cheats
- Open the navigation screen by pressing Alt-N. Press F. Type one of the following and press enter.
- NO TALENT (Invincibility)
- REP ME UP (Repairs armor and shields)
- NAPALM (10 nukes)
- The first 9 nukes are full nukes, lasting the normal duration of about 3-4 seconds. The 10th nuke however lasts only a second, thus it doesn't do that much damage and can kill only very weak targets (most fighters stay alive with 25-50% hull intact).
- PETY PETY (Full afterburners)
- CHILL OUT (Resets laser heat level to 0)
Manuals and Game Documentation
Credits
see Privateer 2 credits
see Privateer 2: The Darkening Cinematics
Music
see Privateer 2 press
Strategy Guides
see Privateer 2: The Darkening: Behind the Screens
Commodities
Industrial
Medical
Food
Hardware
Luxury
Ores
Black Market
Companies
Equipment
Module
Mine
News
see Category:News Bulletins
People
Planets
Ships
Player Ships
Cargo Ships
Military Ships
Pirate Ships
Jincilla Clan
Kiowan Clan
Chirichan Clan
Papagod Clan
Kindred
Neutral Ship
Fixtures
Miscellaneous
Weapons
Guns
Missiles
Turrets
Wingmen
Subcategories
This category has the following 9 subcategories, out of 9 total.
Pages in category "Privateer 2: The Darkening"
The following 15 pages are in this category, out of 15 total.
