Neon Trigger

Proving his superior intellect even when he was just a child, Dr. Fox managed to invent and build the very first space station on Earth's orbit. After a few years surrounded only by incompetent employees, the doctor decides to leave Earth and venture into the far corners of the galaxy for a bit of peace and quiet.
The years have passed, and now our doctor decides to return back to Earth to see how things have evolved on the blue planet without his help. While on his way back home, the doctor encounters a band of space bikers who will do anything it takes to stop him from reaching his goal.
You will now have to find a way to take care of these space outlaws and get back home safe and sound.

Beautifully rendered space battles

Neon Trigger might be just an indie project but the game doesn't fail to impress players with its beautifully drawn space environments that adds an extra layer to the not so intense space battles.
Speaking of battles, Dr. Fox will have to face lots of space bikers on his way back home but, that won't pose so many problems if you've played space simulators before. Unfortunately, those new to the genre will find the aiming controls a bit hard to master at first since there's no aim help that will show players where to shoot in order to hit moving targets that fly at a medium or long distance.
Missions will vary as the story moves on and you'll soon find yourself near a giant sun that constantly throws solar flares your way damaging your ship if you don't get behind a special shield. Add this to the equation when battling enemies and you're in for a challenge.
I must say that Neon Trigger has surprised me in a few ways, especially because it comes with a few elements that remind me about one of the best space sims ever made, Freelancer. Nonetheless, for a free game, it brings lots of interesting content, a catchy story and massive space battles, which makes it a game that you should at least give it a try.