Freelancer was OK. It was rather predictable but for the time the graphics and game play were good. The AI wasn't the brightest thing in the world but you were usually outnumbered so tactics in a 1v1 fight were not that critical. The bad guys did a lot of BnZ style fighting. Running off then looping back while the other AI ships went after you.
Start with a small lightly armed ship. Do missions, kill bad guys, make money, buy better ships and weapons and so on. There was a set story line but it was set up to let you do your own thing for a while to build up a ship capable of the next phase of the story. The bad guys get bigger and nastier as the story goes on too.
