X3: Reunion

 PC
User Score
6.8

Mixed or average reviews- based on 310 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 196 out of 310
  2. Mixed: 25 out of 310
  3. Negative: 89 out of 310
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  1. Genezi
    Jun 10, 2017
    8
    Great game. i have spent a lot of time on this title. It has a great story with memorable characters. Good gameplay and best cut scenes with good dialogs.
  2. Broyax
    Mar 27, 2017
    1
    Chouette graphiquement et c'est vraiment le seul compliment qu'on pourra lui faire, car pour le reste, on a beau chercher, on ne voit rien de valable dans cette daube intersidérale sidérante d'amateurisme dans ses mécaniques bancales et mal foutues. L'interface est un bordel sans nom et l'ergonomie la plus élémentaire y est bafouée régulièrement avec un aplomb qui laisse pantois. Un étronChouette graphiquement et c'est vraiment le seul compliment qu'on pourra lui faire, car pour le reste, on a beau chercher, on ne voit rien de valable dans cette daube intersidérale sidérante d'amateurisme dans ses mécaniques bancales et mal foutues. L'interface est un bordel sans nom et l'ergonomie la plus élémentaire y est bafouée régulièrement avec un aplomb qui laisse pantois. Un étron injouable.… Expand
  3. stankymeat
    Jul 16, 2015
    0
    This is not so much a game as an accountant's version of a space holiday.
    Pirates are ridiculusly powerful. Resources are ridiculously hard to find. There is no plot. There is no point. After over two hundred hours on this I can safely say that this game is poorly designed - meaning that it is not enjoyable, hard to understand and counter-intuitive which results in a frustrating    This is not so much a game as an accountant's version of a space holiday.
    Pirates are ridiculusly powerful. Resources are ridiculously hard to find. There is no plot. There is no point. After over two hundred hours on this I can safely say that this game is poorly designed - meaning that it is not enjoyable, hard to understand and counter-intuitive which results in a frustrating experience all-around. Definitely an example of what not to do. Go ask the guys who built Galaxy On Fire how to make a space trading game    … Expand
  4. marc5477
    Dec 31, 2014
    8
    An incredible game burried under a horrific launch where the game was unplayable out of box. Yes, the game really did not play at all... for anyone, out of box. The game needed almost a full month before it was stable enough to be called playable and by then the reviewers had already skewered this game in the reviews and rightly so. Even I am deducting 1 point from this, otherwise stellarAn incredible game burried under a horrific launch where the game was unplayable out of box. Yes, the game really did not play at all... for anyone, out of box. The game needed almost a full month before it was stable enough to be called playable and by then the reviewers had already skewered this game in the reviews and rightly so. Even I am deducting 1 point from this, otherwise stellar game, due to the poor condition it was in at release. It was unacceptable.

    On to the game in its current condition.

    The Good:

    - Huge Open World
    - Excellent Economic Simulation for a Video Game
    - There are tons of ships... so many I cant keep count
    - Ships have different designs and usages
    - You can fly all the ships!
    - Tons of awesome mods! Many are professional quality.

    - You can play how you want to play. Kill an alien race that annoys you. Build an economic empire with factories, freighters and trade routes. Invade enemy sectors. Be a pirate. Capture ships. There is tons to do.

    The Bad:

    - Blatant copy of X2 with very few to no meaningful upgrades except to graphics
    - Quests are too few and very repetitive
    - The main plot remains buggy to this day
    - Plot remains poor with little to no attention given to it
    - AI is not good in combat and needs serious modding help
    - Learning curve is steep and tutorials are non-existent.    … Expand
  5. GolovA
    Jan 13, 2012
    7
    Played the first Xpansion. Played this one and enjoyed it. Takes time to learn things and especially to get anywhere in the game. This game also prefers specific players - the ones that enjoy slow pace, slow development, and ... space! :)
  6. Baenlynn
    Sep 16, 2011
    0
    Don't believe the hype: this is EvE Online without the flowcharts. What X3R tries to do has been done better a thousand times before with more realistic everything. I actually bought this game when it came out many years ago and when the computer I intended to play it on died it sat in a box for many years waiting for a machine that could run it. I dug it out recently (being a space freak)Don't believe the hype: this is EvE Online without the flowcharts. What X3R tries to do has been done better a thousand times before with more realistic everything. I actually bought this game when it came out many years ago and when the computer I intended to play it on died it sat in a box for many years waiting for a machine that could run it. I dug it out recently (being a space freak) and thought it'd be worth a bash... but was I ever wrong. The learning curve is beyond vertical with no tutorial and no introductions, Just an endless list of email spam the first time you do something new, and if you can't find your ingame inbox you're out of luck anyway. There doesn't appear to be any way to plot a course, you've got to do it from memory and if you happen to forget one of the totally generic and forgettable names along the way you'll get lost or dock at the wrong base, and forget about issuing orders in a hurry if you're flying with an automated ship.

    Trading is completely inscrutable, prices don't fluctuate nearly as much as the game claims and the only useful profits are small-potatoes on short hops for minimal returns, add to that the fact that there is no easy way to gain freelance work and no real money to be made off contract and the only sane choice left seems to be piracy. But even then it's such a huge grind-fest the game box may as well have contained a pepper mill instead of a DvD.

    The interface is BEYOND disgusting, flight is fine and the addition of inertia to the turns and acceleration is nice, It's not actual newtonian physics but it's nice, but doing everything else that requires doing in a space sim seems to have been made MUCH harder by way of compensating. Navigating the menus seems to require its own manual, and the context dependent keypresses mean that if you're in a menu screen and need to stop in a hurry or turn off the autopilot you're SOL. I have gotten lost in the menus more times than I care to count and it took me half an hour to figure out how to buy stuff, even with help from the game forums.

    The storyline is instantly uninteresting. You're dumped into the middle of a universe sometime after the last instalment, your father in a coma after an encounter with the bad guys, and no reason to care about either his plight or their motivations. You're expected to know how to fly (fairly straightforward) but everything else is left inscrutable and unless you do some reading you'll never learn how. the game has some wonderful innovations (like an economy-tracking device) but they're not worth holding out for. I have seen better work done on every facet of X3s gameplay some of them by indie firms producing free software. This game SHOULD get a 1 just for being a space sim, but what it's doing is poisoning the well by the fact of its every existence. If people think 'X3: reunion' when they think of space sims then the game has done a disservice to the genre.    … Expand
  7. Vitez
    Jan 30, 2010
    10
    The best and most addicting game ever. I've been playing it since the release, and didn't get bored of it. Those who gave it low scores simply don't realise that this isn't a game where you push "Start" and suddenly you're the "supreme ruler of the universe who is best in everything". This is not an FPS where opponents die after one shot but you survive The best and most addicting game ever. I've been playing it since the release, and didn't get bored of it. Those who gave it low scores simply don't realise that this isn't a game where you push "Start" and suddenly you're the "supreme ruler of the universe who is best in everything". This is not an FPS where opponents die after one shot but you survive everything. X3 takes time to get into, thanks to the huge universe, the variety, the freedom etc etc. Storytelling is a "bit" clumsy, but you don't have to follow it. I have high expectations for games and X3 jumped over it and flew straight to the stars. This is not Elite or Privateer, nor EVE; this is X. Comparing it to other titles is useless, and comparing it to EVE is stupidity at its highest..Egosoft was always friendly eversince I registered there 5 years ago, and always helped me (unlike other developers who say "I'll get on in ASAP" and never respond. So, if you don't want a GOOD, but the BEST space game, then I recommend Reunion.… Expand
  8. PeteNA
    Nov 15, 2009
    7
    For overall clarity of understanding the game rates a bit low. It's not that it's impossible, nor is it even complicated. Rating a game based on how complicated it is is just silly. If you can't understand it, it doesn't mean someone else can't. Chess is complicated for many people. That doesn't make it a bad game. No, what I mean by "clarity of For overall clarity of understanding the game rates a bit low. It's not that it's impossible, nor is it even complicated. Rating a game based on how complicated it is is just silly. If you can't understand it, it doesn't mean someone else can't. Chess is complicated for many people. That doesn't make it a bad game. No, what I mean by "clarity of understanding" is simply how well the game explains it's complications. For instance it's a bit tricky to navigate your way through certain menu options. At times it's a bit like shopping at Lowe's hardware. Certain items simply are not the aisles you would expect them to be in. The same seems true at times with X3: Reunion. I spotted a review from a user giving this game a zero (0) rating simply because the controls "could not be reconfigured to invert the mouse X axis." I'm sure Glen looked for that option, and probably didn't find it, but it does in fact exist in the game. The problem is the way the menus are broken down it's not under the heading most gamers would look for. For game play itself, the actual flow of the game and the abilities of the player to immerse themselves in the universe of X3, I'd say the game is impeccable. During play there is a sense of really being there. And when reality becomes suspended I personally feel "if only it could really happen!" Now that is suspension of disbelief! Another downfall of this game, and it can be a major one, is the tricky messaging system. Some messages that one would feel are key are left out of the message log. Now, most players will complain about this, and even I find it annoying as I have been spoiled by games like "Fallout 3" and "Oblivion" as well as others that keep very detailed "quest logs" The thing is us old school gamers should know better! We should be keeping notes on important quest details! (I'm 42 myself and I've been gaming since ZORK was a baby!) In fact I think the designers did this intentionally. No, not to make some of us moan and whine. I think they did it to make us THINK. You remember when gaming took thinking if you're older than 25. If you're younger than 25, I apologize, but yes at one point we actually did have to think to play computer games. We had to take notes by hand on paper with pens in order to remember what important things NPCs had said, or what details we had read in some note or on a sign. Other than the fact that this game has some glitchiness with the quest system at times (for instance your quest targets simply not being there when you get there and n o explanation then or later as t to why!) it really is worth the money you pay to play it. Speaking of which, I see a review by a man claiming to have pirated this software to try it. You know, I'm probably not the only member of law enforcement who reads these boards. Fortunately for you I'm just a local patrolman. Finally, in parting, let me say this: Reviewing a game you haven't even done more than play an hour of is not really a fair rating. Please keep in mind that when you read individual's reviews. Many of the people who rated this game on this page simply got frustrated within a few minutes or hours because they couldn't understand the game. That is not reviewing. That is ranting. And while some of those rants may help people, at least try to be fair. Granted, it may save gamers with low tolerance for thinking from buying this game.… Expand
  9. CalladornLeader
    May 6, 2009
    8
    Great game regardless of the negatives everyone else seems to be harping on. Yes the interface is clunky, but if everyone spends time with it it is a very addicting game. Great graphics, don't care about voice acting/cut scenes (that's ignorant in a good game), controls/interface (do need work, and sorry if they didn't dumb it down for everyone). Play this game and give the Great game regardless of the negatives everyone else seems to be harping on. Yes the interface is clunky, but if everyone spends time with it it is a very addicting game. Great graphics, don't care about voice acting/cut scenes (that's ignorant in a good game), controls/interface (do need work, and sorry if they didn't dumb it down for everyone). Play this game and give the time it deserves and you'll see a game with limitless possibilities. Grow a pair, man up and enjoy the game.… Expand
  10. Savage
    Jan 17, 2009
    9
    This game doesn't deserve a 10... 10 is for games that are perfect, that are without faults and are rated by unbiased gamers who feel that it has nothing negative about it... Unfortuntly, X3 Reunion does have faults, it does have a few negative points, but, the positives outweight the faults, and that in my opinion, earns this game a healthy 9... It is a complex game, and you need This game doesn't deserve a 10... 10 is for games that are perfect, that are without faults and are rated by unbiased gamers who feel that it has nothing negative about it... Unfortuntly, X3 Reunion does have faults, it does have a few negative points, but, the positives outweight the faults, and that in my opinion, earns this game a healthy 9... It is a complex game, and you need patience, intelligence and the ability to adapt to the games very in-dept interface which at sometimes, can be frustrating. What makes X3 great, is the fact that your placed inside a universe that revolves around you. Not only is this universe stunning in fantastic detail, but your left to your own devices to make your own destiny. Whether it be a commercial empire or militant empire bent on destruction, or maybe, a-bit of both? Some would say that this is an illusion, that the universe doesn't revolve around you, its just all cleverly scripted... thats a blatant lie. I've had many moments in X3 that made me go "wow", one such moment involved an asteroid being blown to bits due to a fight, that had nothing to do with me, and said asteroid crashing into my station and well... causing alot of financial damage, ehem... But that wasn't scripted. This wasn't part of the plot, it was random, it just happened, and a little mis-fire ended up causing me some credits and I felt good about it! Thats why X3 is one of those games that you have to look beyond the clumsy interface thats before you. X3 has alot of gameplay in it, and for those who are patient, plenty of replay value. To get the most out of X3 though, a MOD is required. And quite possibly the best mod that you can get right now, for X3 Reunion, is Xtended. A mod that not only adds tons of stuff to your game, but adds valuable features too it that makes you think how you could ever play it without such a feature. If you love space games, if you want a good space simulator thats not too easy, and not too hard, then get X3 Reunion, and go for the mods once you do the story! If you want an easy game to get into, without much hassle, then X3 might not be for you, perhaps a more simple game... Space Invaders? ;)… Expand
  11. KenS.
    Jan 10, 2009
    10
    Friggin' Awesome. The vanilla game is ok, but after some customazation(dont have spell check or dictionary handy) it's a rock solid game for gamers who love extremely in depth gaming. but if you just like the pick up and play games (halo or most other FPS) I don't recommend it.
  12. goomfish
    Dec 31, 2008
    1
    I Have to agree with others on the controls. They are poo basically. Not enough options to configure the controls the way I want them. & the hat on my joystick didnt work. Awful intructions also. Leaves u confused. Basically i didnt bother playing it much, because it was so VERY user unfreindly at the start. Verdict: Waste of Freakin time.
  13. Ducky
    Dec 23, 2008
    4
    I was really looking forward to playing this game. I've spent 2 days trying to figure out the basics without reading the manual (I love figuring out a game's mechanics by myself) and finally gave up. I started reading the manual, which was pretty annoying too because half the stuff they mention in it seems to be written for people who have played previous versions of this game, I was really looking forward to playing this game. I've spent 2 days trying to figure out the basics without reading the manual (I love figuring out a game's mechanics by myself) and finally gave up. I started reading the manual, which was pretty annoying too because half the stuff they mention in it seems to be written for people who have played previous versions of this game, and not for newbies to the series. So I started playing anyways. The graphics are pretty nice, and the amount of customization really excited me at first, but... wow, it got soooo boring. I would never call this game fun. Maybe if I eventually learn to play it, it could turn into a nice experience, but never into a fun game. I stopped playing after I tried to make one of my ships land on the same station my main ship was in, but suddenly it blew up to pieces. I mean, wtf? I guess the best thing about this game is that it makes 15 year olds feel smarter for having the patience to play this, hehe, no offence. Anyways, I'll try this game again someday (when they fire me from work and I have more time in my hands) but for the meanwhile, I'm gonna play fallout 3.… Expand
  14. CraigWalker
    Dec 4, 2008
    0
    I can't see how anyone could really want to put so much effort into learning how to use this game. I meen the game 'could' be good if i new how to use it. But then its so slow and borring its like a mental challege just to stick in to learn how to work everything. The controls are just anouther thing that gets in the way. They should make people complete this game as a punishment!
  15. ChrisW
    Jul 29, 2008
    10
    Great game with great reconfigurable controls GLENN T! But truly a good game. Those who complain that its too complex must be dumb because i learnt to play this when i was 15.
  16. Grizzzzzzzzzzz
    Jul 29, 2008
    8
    It could have been a fantastic game, but it just wasn't finished. The graphics are incredible, the universe to explore is vast, but around every asteroid theres a new poorly done cutscene or poorly designed piece of code ready to bring you back to reality. The community for the game have taken it to completely new lengths (with the xtended mod) and to experience what you should have It could have been a fantastic game, but it just wasn't finished. The graphics are incredible, the universe to explore is vast, but around every asteroid theres a new poorly done cutscene or poorly designed piece of code ready to bring you back to reality. The community for the game have taken it to completely new lengths (with the xtended mod) and to experience what you should have got from egosoft in the first place, you have to rely on them. Lets hope egosoft pull it together for their next release.… Expand
  17. reclaimer.
    Jul 27, 2008
    9
    It ain't perfect and it isn't a total piece of excrement. If only the XTM developers/egosost(whoever was responsible) would hurry up and fix the upper turrets on the odin i.e they end up having 4 cannons visable on each individual turret when there sould be 2, lets not mention they don't move. People tend to notice little things and 4 buggy turrets right in front of your It ain't perfect and it isn't a total piece of excrement. If only the XTM developers/egosost(whoever was responsible) would hurry up and fix the upper turrets on the odin i.e they end up having 4 cannons visable on each individual turret when there sould be 2, lets not mention they don't move. People tend to notice little things and 4 buggy turrets right in front of your HUD smacks of extremely poor effort. Still, if you don't cheat it will take a hell of a lot to get everything from it. So it gets a nine for staying power and an awesome mod community.… Expand
  18. RalphP.
    Jun 3, 2008
    10
    The best space sim ever. Yup there are games that do this and more but this one gets it right. The best forum as well.
  19. DavidG.
    Mar 19, 2008
    10
    for the limited who have no inteligents to figure out the controls, i shake my head at you and your pathetic pea sized crappy brains with no patients. this is an impressive, imersive game that takes you on a journey that you will never forget. and some tips for those who are new to the game may i suggest registering at egosoft to use there chat. or rougey for posting. it doesnt make sense for the limited who have no inteligents to figure out the controls, i shake my head at you and your pathetic pea sized crappy brains with no patients. this is an impressive, imersive game that takes you on a journey that you will never forget. and some tips for those who are new to the game may i suggest registering at egosoft to use there chat. or rougey for posting. it doesnt make sense to spend 35$-50$ on a game and get past the learning curve to make it worth the money . i for one would spend $400.… Expand
  20. AnonymousMC
    Mar 12, 2008
    9
    This game has a pretty steep learning curve, but if you stick with it, once you get some time into it and get used to its quirks, it can be extremely addictive. The mod community has added a lot of subtle (and not so subtle) much-needed extras to the "vanilla" game.
  21. Phil
    Mar 7, 2008
    9
    Great. Interesting story line, realistic view of space, and plenty of space to grow and expand. The only reason I do not give it a 10 is for the learning curve, if I had not known a friend who has gotten very far in the game, I would most likely not know as much as I do now, and it could have taken me days to understand.
  22. DustinR
    Feb 24, 2008
    5
    I did a fair amount of research trying to find a post-Freelancer "modern" Space Sim... ended up choosing X3: Reunion. After playing, or trying to play, for several days on end, I've pretty much given up on it. Instead of writing pages upon pages going into minute details on how I feel about it, I'll summarize it with a quick Pros/Cons list: Pros: Decent/good graphics, I did a fair amount of research trying to find a post-Freelancer "modern" Space Sim... ended up choosing X3: Reunion. After playing, or trying to play, for several days on end, I've pretty much given up on it. Instead of writing pages upon pages going into minute details on how I feel about it, I'll summarize it with a quick Pros/Cons list: Pros: Decent/good graphics, inexpensive (I purchased it for $19.95 via Steam), X-Universe seems large and like it would take a lot of time to explore it all. Cons: Stability (even with the latest drivers, clean system, and every other game I owe working fine, this game just wouldn't stay running longer than an hour or so. Crashes weren't consistent, sometimes minutes into a game, sometimes an hour, sometimes when docked, sometimes when engaging a hostile. But, one thing was for certain, they are a game-killing element.), boring (the possibilities for open-ended gameplay seemed great, but I actually found myself bored many times, just trying to find work and/or hostiles to engage; when I did rarely run into hostiles, they were almost always equipped much better than my ship, and quickly out-gunned me. The large systems which at first seemed promising, instead ended up being a chore to traverse, taking what seemed like forever), controls (the interface is much more complicated than say Freelancer... at first this seemed useful since honestly, Freelancer is somewhat lacking on depth of interface/controls, but ended up being too complicated... too many keys to remember), camera/view (again, perhaps swayed by my previous experience with Freelancer and other Space Sims, really was looking for a "dynamic" third-person view of my ship... can switch to external view, and manually rotate the camera POV via the number pad, but a "turret view" where the mouse would freely rotate the camera would be much more appreciated.), cheesy voice acting. Overall, the stability problems I encountered (and couldn't resolve), along with the over-complication of some game elements, and lack of more practical features, ended up making this a disappointing purchase. Its sad that there just doesn't seem to be a truly modern Elite/Privateer Space Sim that delivers.… Expand
  23. MichaelH.
    Feb 18, 2008
    10
    Once you get your head around the menu screens this is the open ended "Elite" of this century we've all been waiting for. Opportunities/gameplay is truley endless.
  24. JustMe
    Feb 13, 2008
    10
    Well the fact that people give 5 or below are the ones that have no interest in a game that need wits, or have no patience to learn the game for at least 6 hours(yes it took me 6 hours to catch the basics). This is is not all it is, with mods and scripts, you can do ANYTHING. Best of all, 3 years into the years now, this game is very stable, and has a lot, yes a lot of scripts and mods Well the fact that people give 5 or below are the ones that have no interest in a game that need wits, or have no patience to learn the game for at least 6 hours(yes it took me 6 hours to catch the basics). This is is not all it is, with mods and scripts, you can do ANYTHING. Best of all, 3 years into the years now, this game is very stable, and has a lot, yes a lot of scripts and mods available for FREE. The normal mode is already extra-ordinary, with mods/script, there is nothing else like it.… Expand
  25. SteveR.
    Feb 12, 2008
    9
    Best Space Action Simulator Game I've Played Since Star Control 2 and Freespace 2.
  26. GlennT.
    Jan 12, 2008
    0
    Near as I can tell this game suffers from a flaw that no game should suffer from this century. A flaw that should give almost every game that has it a zero rating. That flaw is the lack of fully reconfigurable controls. I could find no way to reverse the mouse Y axis and as a result I can't and don't play the game. It is too bad that magazines and game sites don't get down Near as I can tell this game suffers from a flaw that no game should suffer from this century. A flaw that should give almost every game that has it a zero rating. That flaw is the lack of fully reconfigurable controls. I could find no way to reverse the mouse Y axis and as a result I can't and don't play the game. It is too bad that magazines and game sites don't get down on games for this. It would be so simple for the programmers to make all the controls reconfigurable that there is absolutely no reason not to do it for every single game and that includes consoles not just PC games. Unfortunately this fact isn't in most reviews so I am still buying games only to find out afterwards that I can't change the controls, and it's the rare game that doesn't need it. One of the reasons I play PC games, besides the graphics, is to have better control. I use a programmable gamepad and a mouse (simultaneously because I use the mouse in my left hand) to play almost all games but having a programmable gamepad doesn't help if you can't reconfigure the controls. Instead of useless age ratings for games, they should pass a gameplay certification and one of the requirements should be FULLY reconfigurable controls. It's 2008 dammit, not 1980.… Expand
  27. MikeH.
    Jan 2, 2008
    0
    I bought X2 when it was new, and it was terrible and broken. It still is. Egosoft never adequately patched X2 so that it will run on my system at an adequate framerate, despite the fact that I can play Half-Life 2 no problem. So, in light of this little bit of fraud, I decided to pirate X3 instead of buying it. Joke's on me, because this one is just as bug-riddled and shitty as the I bought X2 when it was new, and it was terrible and broken. It still is. Egosoft never adequately patched X2 so that it will run on my system at an adequate framerate, despite the fact that I can play Half-Life 2 no problem. So, in light of this little bit of fraud, I decided to pirate X3 instead of buying it. Joke's on me, because this one is just as bug-riddled and shitty as the last one. I will never even bother STEALING another Egosoft game again, simply because they're not worth playing at any price, unless you want to use them as punishment for bad kids. Garbage, garbage, garbage, garbage.… Expand
  28. ColorFinger
    Dec 24, 2007
    3
    Beautiful graphics, but horribly confusing gameplay combined with terrible acting when you finally do catch up with your mission really kill the mood.
  29. RandyL.
    Dec 8, 2007
    2
    Good points on this game include: Nice design (for what little there is), good basic trading setup, 150 sectors (240 if you add the Xtended mod) to play around in. Bad points: Cookie cutter design! So the ships and objects in the universe look great, but sadly, after the first 10 hours of play everything in the universe starts looking the same, all the gates are all in the same condition Good points on this game include: Nice design (for what little there is), good basic trading setup, 150 sectors (240 if you add the Xtended mod) to play around in. Bad points: Cookie cutter design! So the ships and objects in the universe look great, but sadly, after the first 10 hours of play everything in the universe starts looking the same, all the gates are all in the same condition and look perfect and new, evern though they're supposed to be "made by the ancients" This game fails visually. period. Terrible Introduction Path: As someone who had only played X1 ages ago, and skipped X2, I had forgotten all about the details of this universe, so with the sparse details on backstory behind the game it was hard to become immersed in the world. In fact, I wasn't. I was too busy learning the controls, looking for explanations of what kind of ship is which, and why 95% of all the purchasable content in the game was not available to me. I learn a few new games every week, so after I downloaded a user tutorial (yes, there is no tutorial in the game of any value), I was up and running and working through the interface after a couple hours. Cudos to the community for putting out content that made the game playable to a new user, sadly, Egosoft fails here too, miserably. Learn 2 tutorial egosoft... Interface: The method of control in this game past the basic first person combat is absolutely unrefined and pathetic. Sure, you have many options, you can control fleets of ships with great accuraccy, trade from afar, while you're off fighting pirates, BUT, I found that some very basic commands took up to 9 screen selections to complete. Example- [sending a wingman to protect my ship]: Hit [ENTER]/Personal/Property/[Select from ship list, may be pages long]/Command Console/Combat/Protect Me And voila! One of your ships will try and protect you! If I actually had to command wingmen and the like in a hurry, I'd be in huge trouble. This interface does not need to be streamlined, it has to be torn down and replaced with a much better one. I'd be happy to design one for you Egosoft, just send me an offer with a solid advance, and I'll get started. AI: The enemy artificial intelligence is predictable and at no time did I find myself trying to out-think the computer. Many good games get away with this, so I'll let Egosoft off the hook here even though they could have done better. The part that really irritates me about the AI what it does with your allied ships, ramming them into space stations, asteriods, the sides of jumpgates, or anything else they can find. I know a lot of work probably went into the mildly retarded AI that is in this game, but they should have kept working. With dual processor systems, and the average gaming system including 2gb of ram or higher, there's plenty of headroom for the computer to start crunching real math. Plot: Terrible. After the first 10 missions I still didn't care about any of the characters, didn't know why my character was involved with any of these people, and if there was something I'm missing from X2 (like this plotline continuing, etc), there was no way for me to find out what that might be. Utter failure here, I'd be happy to write a branching structured plotline for the right price, I'd just call it my ninth novel. Cutscenes: Pathetic. I personally know animators who have done better over a long weekend. Voice acting was terrible too, and the lack of music through cinematics left them hollow and bland. Couldn't wait for them to be over. Backstory: I seriously don't know all that much about it, and after 50 hours of play I should. Egosoft fails here too, there should be more information presented in-game to the player, I shouldn't have to visit their forums, play through more of their terrible plotline, or read franchise novels that I expect even less from to learn more about it. Oh, and the gate system being built by "Ancients" is some thing that has already been done right several times, Egosoft is once again proving plotline and backstory ineptitude by leaning on this very old fallback. A Galaxy of Little Boxes: Seriously, this is just lazy. I understand that space is so big that it would have to be divided into sectors, and a faster than light travel system has to be implimented into a space flight/combat/trading game, but the poposition that the only method of travel between any inhabited area in space will always and forever involve a jumpgate, and that each area fits fairly neatly into a little box on a very large sector map is so unbelievable and limiting (vissually as well as conceptually) that it was one of the major turn offs in the game. No Conquest Zone: So, it's a trading/building/space flight/combat sim with great big destroyers, carriers and bases but I can't take over a few sectors and call them my very own Deadly and Profitable Private Territory? The fact that I can't plant a flag somewhere, or capture a base, but I can be hated by every race out there if I want to be may work into the backstory, but it is a major detraction point to the entire game. Domination would be fun, and I'd love to stand up and say; "I am the supreme ruler of the entire galaxy!" Nerds like me love subjugating digital people, it's almost as good as the joy we see in the eyes of a hot neighbor accross the way after we've fixed their computer or cellular phone. Almost. They could have done better: It feels to me that they grew X2, and forgot that someone, somewhere would buy just X3, and may now virtually nothing about their little franchise. I'm not a fan of the X1/X2 series since I didn't know anything about it, didn't have anything against it either, until I bought X3. The incredible number of sectors is nearly meaningless, since the travel is boring (even with jumpdrives), "scenery" is cookie cutter, the layout and conceptualization of travel as well as the depth of design is lazy. What they did design looks great, but it's stretched waaay too thin over way too much playtime/play area. Menu systems are clear, but there isn't a software designer in industry and few in gaming or information technologies that would actually sit back and be proud of a selection and function system that makes you go through more than 5 screens / selections to do anything simple, X3 forces you through over 10 at times, and on average 7-9 for simple functions. I brought the box, DVD and manual to a used game shop and got $10.00 credit for it because he already had 11 copies sitting on the shelf. I also handed him a DVD with the latest Xtended, and he thanked me profusely since it might help him get rid of a few copies of X3. Egosoft has the makings of a great game here, but dropped the ball. Try harder, if you want help from someone who can 1) write a good plot 2) provide you with the actors you need and 3) design a concept for an interface that works, drop me an email, but it won't be free. I don't like the game enough.… Expand
  30. AndrewS
    Oct 28, 2007
    5
    I have logged over 150 hours of gameplay. (over a very long time, i do have a life) This is coming from an experienced player, one who loved the game to almost its full extent. I found that this game had so much potential, but the complexity of the interface is what did it to me. Just trying to remotely outfit one freighter so you can let it go off on its own and try to make you some moneyI have logged over 150 hours of gameplay. (over a very long time, i do have a life) This is coming from an experienced player, one who loved the game to almost its full extent. I found that this game had so much potential, but the complexity of the interface is what did it to me. Just trying to remotely outfit one freighter so you can let it go off on its own and try to make you some money while you're out fighting is a daunting task all on its own. The learning curve for the game itself is very steep, and even a basic movie tutorial to go over the controls and basic concepts of the X3 universe would have helped many. the game is beautifully made, and the graphics are outstanding, but it's how you play the game, and how long you have to play the game to get anywhere that's the problem. each and every menu item has at least two ways to get to it. if you want to go to your personal file and change the name of your pilot or something, you spend half an hour rummaging in different menus, just to find the "Pilot" icon and realize that it was the other "Pilot" Icon three pages ago that you needed. everything has you running in circles. For the next x: game that comes out, i strongly suggest that the interface be completely reconstructed to allow for a much simpler menu system, and remote control system for governing your fleet. there is so much potential in this game that remains untapped it is freaking rediculous. i'm not sure what the developpers were thinking when they put this on the shelves. it took me 120 hours to realize that if i was in the same sector as one of my other ships, i could remotely fly it around and do everything in that ship from the safety of my own. Another problem is the amount of time required to get any experience with the races in the game. there were many a night where i had to leave the computer running with 10 laser towers in each sector just to get enough rep to be able to buy a new ship. I still don't have enough experience and race's sectors are the only place i fly in now. If there is going to be another x game, and i'm sure there will be, it'll have to be seriously re-designed to allow for its many functions to be simplistic and user friendly. (wow that last part sounds like i'm writing a microsoft review)… Expand
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Awards & Rankings

97
#97 Best PC Game of 2005
13
#13 Most Discussed PC Game of 2005
27
#27 Most Shared PC Game of 2005

Critic Reviews

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Metascore
71

Mixed or average reviews - based on 32 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 22 out of 32
  2. Mixed: 6 out of 32
  3. Negative: 4 out of 32
  1. AceGamez
    100
    By far the most engrossing game released so far this millennium.
  2. GameZone
    90
    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.
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  3. Boomtown
    80
    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."
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