X3: Reunion

If deep, engrossing simulations are your thing, 'specifically space sims - X3: Reunion is your pot of gold at the end of the interstellar rainbow. X3 has it all - a gripping storyline (that you can ignore if you like); wide open, truly free roaming game play; jaw-dropping graphics that will make you stop you in you ion tracks; and some of the most hardcore, in-depth game mechanics we've seen in quite some time.

One of the few games that has the power to engage your imagination with pretty pictures, then actually live up to your imaginings when you get your hands on it. Bring back the bloody internal docking next time and it'll probably be the first game in ZONE history to get 100 per cent. [PC Zone]

The eye candy will lure you in, the gameplay will keep you intrigued and the free-roaming feel will keep you occupied for hours. X3 – Reunion takes the X franchise to new heights.

It is a larger and more ambitious title than the previous games, which is no easy feat as the X series has always been thought of as particularly ballsy.

You have to really be into this kind of game to truly appreciate it otherwise you might just declare it as boring. It's a thinking man's game, not as deep as chess but there are certainly a lot of elements to juggle around in your head.

The sheer expansiveness of the X3: Reunion universe will draw you back again and again, each time offering something new and exciting. You’ll never run out of goals to meet.

An amazingly deep and sophisticated space trading simulation. It is unfortunate that the game was released prematurely. Keep those patches coming, Egosoft! [Jan 2006]

Nearly perfect in regards to its presentation, almost MMO-like scope and endless gameplay.

The open-ended feeling of X3 will appeal to many who like to be able to do their own thing, while the lack of direction might turn off others.

X3 is a great game, but if Egosoft grasped the challenge and offered immersion of the type seen in "Freelancer" and similar ship handling, combined with its own beautiful and complex universe, then we might finally have a game that deserves to called the new "Elite."

A by-numbers sequel that doesn’t dare to do anything too drastically, but when you’ve got the trading system of the X series and the astounding visuals of X3 it’s hard to complain too much. EgoSoft needs to sort out the issues however that are currently blighting the title.

X3 is the most complex simulation of its kind, yet. It has more commands at its disposal than a Las Vegas lounge lizard has pick-up lines. So dropping you into this universe with nothing more than a few incomplete pages of listed and occasionally incorrect key and mouse controls just doesn't cut it.

By far the most engrossing and beautiful space game on the PC or any other format. [Christmas 2005, p.104]

X3: Reunion is a game that gamers will absolutely lose themselves in for months and even years without running out of things to do.

It also takes tremendous patience to grow your commercial space empire to a healthy payoff stage, but for many, that's part of this franchise's allure. [Feb 2006, p.90]

It’s great if you want a chilled out, thoughtful experience that’s slow paced almost all the time, but if you fantasise about pursuing a life of white knuckle action and adventure against those great looking backdrops, you’re SOL.

The best part of X3: Reunion is ultimately doing your own thing in space.

Being such a huge fan of X2, I was very disappointed in X3. If you can get past the controls and storyline then this is can be a awesome game for you, its just too bad these parts are so bad.

If you can get past the intial complexities or are already a series fan, this game will keep you in until X4 is released.

The vastness of X3 means its replay value is extremely high. For gamers looking for an offline version of "EVE" or a slightly more cerebrally taxing version of the popular "Freelancer" then X3: Reunion might just be the very thing you need.

X3 – Reunion is bigger, and visually more impressive than any of the X titles that preceded it. However the game play can be very repetitive and you can lose interest unless you are a dedicated player.

If you’ve played the previous games in the series, X3 is certainly a no-brain purchase, as it trumps previous installments in every way.

X3 features more of the open-ended space exploration and trading of the earlier games, and it has a gorgeous graphics engine; just don't expect a riveting story.

Bolder souls, as interested in commerce as they are in combat, can buy with much greater confidence.

All the freedom in the universe and nothing much to do with it. Prepare for a slog. [Christmas 2005, p.88]

Probably the single thing I dislike the most about X3: Reunion is that I’m ultimately left with exactly the same impression I was with X2, in that it adds a bunch of cool stuff and helps expand the universe further, but still is a concept badly in need of higher production values (though I will credit the game with having excellent music) and extreme amounts of refinement.

A testimony to computer gaming brilliance crippled by a premature release.

Again, it's not that X3 is a bad game, or that it isn't fun - it just isn't done. Though this sort of thing isn't anything new to the PC gaming world, X3 takes it to a ridiculous degree. If developer Enlight ever resolves the problems with X3, it could be one of the best space simulators to hit the market in years.

The most maddeningly convoluted gaming experience this side of Derek Smart. [Feb 2006, p.67]

X3 sometimes morphs into a derivative on-rails shooter during scripted story missions. [Feb 2006, p.74]