X4: Foundations

 PC
  • Publisher: Egosoft
  • Release Date: Nov 30, 2018
User Score
6.3

Mixed or average reviews- based on 155 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 79 out of 155
  2. Mixed: 24 out of 155
  3. Negative: 52 out of 155

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  1. Beugnen
    Dec 4, 2018
    10
    TL;DR : the reports about bugs are just propaganda by Elite Dangerous fan boys or by those that refuse to learn the game. X games are a simulation and as such require you to be intelligent.

    X4:F is best thought of as X:Rebirth v2. It has the features that made the classic X-series great like able to pilot multiple ships; fleets; fleet commands; wingman; gates; auto pilots; whilst also    TL;DR : the reports about bugs are just propaganda by Elite Dangerous fan boys or by those that refuse to learn the game. X games are a simulation and as such require you to be intelligent.

    X4:F is best thought of as X:Rebirth v2. It has the features that made the classic X-series great like able to pilot multiple ships; fleets; fleet commands; wingman; gates; auto pilots; whilst also having some of the good features in X:R like a more modern look. Station scanning is still there but is no longer a requirement. Gone is the requirement that you have to dock and rely on the awkward FPS walking sim to do all trading. Once you dock you can do trading from your cockpit and later if you have a trading computer can do so from space and even tell your fleet to go pick it up.

    The part I love the most is the map. It is fantastic. The ability to look for best buy-sell just by applying powerful filters and zooming out the map is very efficient, fast and a fresh take on doing trading.    … Expand
  2. LarsLarsLars
    Dec 15, 2018
    10
    X-universe back on track - finally! (including bugs and all - there is still some cleaning up to do, so you might wait a few months to pick this title up - but well worth the money!)
  3. Hero77
    Dec 15, 2018
    9
    This is my review after 100 hours in the game.

    X4 is a great space simulation game and a worthy successor of X3. For an X series game, the launch has been pretty smooth with no real game breaking bugs. This game marks the beginning of a new era for the X games and as such it there is still room for improvement and extension. But before we go there, here is what I consider some of the    This is my review after 100 hours in the game.

    X4 is a great space simulation game and a worthy successor of X3. For an X series game, the launch has been pretty smooth with no real game breaking bugs. This game marks the beginning of a new era for the X games and as such it there is still room for improvement and extension. But before we go there, here is what I consider some of the strong points of this entry in the series:

    - The game projects a great atmosphere, very similar to X2/X3 and which was lacking much in X:R
    - The universe layout is much better than the one from X:R and it's perceived size is bigger.
    - Materials/textures look much more believable now, since they actually have reflections again!
    - New map UI is a brilliant piece of work and definitely now the center point for managing your empire
    - Ship upgrades are more fun. This time, when you change the outfit of your ship it actually changes the visual appearance.
    - There are some new ambient sound effects, when you fly by stations and ships that really add to the atmosphere.
    - Station building is much improved. You can place each module freely. No more build plans, no more ugly tubes.

    If you are a fan of this type of game, there is really no reason to wait. You can already greatly enjoy the game in its current state - but- off course there are some things that could still use some work:

    - The in-game encyclopedia is missing a lot of details.
    - Encyclopedia entries sadly are no longer voiced and the developer stated they have no plans to add it back in later.
    - Most of the ship models (hulls, not textures) look abysmal compared to ship designs from earlier games
    - Split and Boron races are missing and will only be added in later as part of DLCs.
    - While the universe is definitely much bigger than X:R, and despite the developer claiming you cannot compare sizes with earlier installments of the series as the sectors are much bigger in themselves, I still feel the map must grow substantially for long term motivation. Probably about double the amount of systems that are currently there.
    - It still needs some optimization. You need a pretty potent rig to play this game with an enjoyable framerate, and even if you have a very top notch computer the framerate can still sometimes tank. From my opinion, the developers have a hard time really utilizing the available hardware efficiently.

    Some of these issues, I am sure, will be addressed with future updates, some I will have to live with. Nonetheless, as already stated above, X4 is a fantastic game already even with these issues and I am very excited to see where it will go from here.    … Expand
  4. worldbeaterdev
    Mar 31, 2020
    10
    Since Split Vendetta and 3.0 release, X4 Universe has drastically grown in its size, a lot of sectors were added. Besides, new ships were added, as well as new visual effects, more amazing soundtrack, more storylines. The new game starts bring novel goals for players. Actually, falling in love with this game again!
  5. Vpuska
    Dec 2, 2018
    10
    I believe people like taking the piss about X universe. Yes, of course, X rebirth was not something that the public liked but Egosoft adapts. X4 Fundations is a Monster game. 10/10.

    X4 has elements from X2 The Threat, X3 Terran Conflict and some from X Rebirth. Overall they managed to make an awesome mix. Of course, there is a bug here and there but nothing major. It's worth buying. We    I believe people like taking the piss about X universe. Yes, of course, X rebirth was not something that the public liked but Egosoft adapts. X4 Fundations is a Monster game. 10/10.

    X4 has elements from X2 The Threat, X3 Terran Conflict and some from X Rebirth. Overall they managed to make an awesome mix. Of course, there is a bug here and there but nothing major.
    It's worth buying. We spent a lot of money on things like McDonald's that are not worth it. X4 deserves more than the price that was released with. Biggest sandbox ever.    … Expand
  6. ThaiGamer
    Jan 26, 2019
    9
    This is not a game. X4 is a true life-in-space simulator with great depth. As Star citizen and Elite dangerous player with hundreds or possibly thousand played hour. This game is epic!
    Love this game now.
  7. StrongHarm
    Dec 1, 2018
    10
    This game easily deserves a 10. You don't score a game in this category by how "complete" it is on day 1. Yes, of course they're going to tweak and expand.. it's a complex universe with the most complex economy and mechanics of any game short of a flight simulator. Egosoft will build upon this foundation, and the foundation gets a 10. What they build upon it is just a bonus in myThis game easily deserves a 10. You don't score a game in this category by how "complete" it is on day 1. Yes, of course they're going to tweak and expand.. it's a complex universe with the most complex economy and mechanics of any game short of a flight simulator. Egosoft will build upon this foundation, and the foundation gets a 10. What they build upon it is just a bonus in my opinion. I logged in and I was easily and quickly able to map my Warthog HOTAS to a great ship control setup (to include maps and dialogs). My FPS hovered between 80 and 100 with ultra settings and I experienced no crashes in 10 hours of play. I had a blast flying around and learning my new ship. The tutorial was text based, but that's ok.. spend your time on universe mechanics devs, not on complex voice acted tutorials. When I landed back in the station I was given color coded steering queues in my HUD. When I was setting down I watched an aircrewman guide me in with real US Airforce hand signals, then salute on touchdown. WOW! The mechanics and feel are similar to X3.. but this is what I always wished X3 could be. The effort and attention to detail given to X4 really makes up for the X:Rebirth launch... I no longer question the capabilities of this dev team. Amazing work!… Expand
  8. Spoonpoodle
    Jan 14, 2019
    9
    Do you like spreadsheets? Do you like games that reward days of grind with the ability to produce even more complex spreadsheets? Do you think game play loops that encourage you to leave your computer on overnight, whilst running the game are reasonable in 2018?

    I do, and I recommend X4: Foundations.
  9. Silkydark
    Dec 1, 2018
    9
    This is Egosoft back to their very best. Yes, there are a few initial teething issues, but knowing how dedicated to fixing issues the small German developer is, it's nothing to worry about.

    If you like something that allows you to sink multiple hundreds of hours into a game, then you can't go wrong with X4. After 10 hours of play, I have only fully explored a few sectors uncovering all    This is Egosoft back to their very best. Yes, there are a few initial teething issues, but knowing how dedicated to fixing issues the small German developer is, it's nothing to worry about.

    If you like something that allows you to sink multiple hundreds of hours into a game, then you can't go wrong with X4. After 10 hours of play, I have only fully explored a few sectors uncovering all of the stations in them and made a few trades. The X games have always been slow burners though, so if you want quick returns on your time invested then the X games are not for you. However, if you want a game that allows you to truly claw your way up from nothing, whether that's from trading, mercenary work, scavenging, or many other possible routes, then move over Elite Dangerous because Egosoft is back.    … Expand
  10. Rimak
    Dec 1, 2018
    10
    This is an X game, not Rebirth game.
    Awesome. Bugs and perfromance can be and will be fixed. The core of the game is golden though.
  11. Delcien
    Dec 11, 2018
    10
    After a shaky start with tons of bugs that nearly put me off the game totally, the game has had a ton of major patches and have fixed a lot of the issues... x4 is now very playable and much more stable since release and I am enjoying it very much. It has a very steep learning curve and the tutorials are awful, but once it clicks it is good fun! :) Upgrading and expanding yourAfter a shaky start with tons of bugs that nearly put me off the game totally, the game has had a ton of major patches and have fixed a lot of the issues... x4 is now very playable and much more stable since release and I am enjoying it very much. It has a very steep learning curve and the tutorials are awful, but once it clicks it is good fun! :) Upgrading and expanding your ships/fleets is great… Expand
  12. RMak
    Nov 30, 2018
    9
    Amazing game. Of course a game with such high complexity it's hard to release without any bugs and fine tune it for all PC configurations. EGO has proven they can fix bugs, and not giving up right away.

    9/10, i can see i will spend 100+ hours easily with this game.
  13. Yemm
    Dec 1, 2018
    10
    Well, I played for 2 days straight - If You love space sims its a must. Learning curve is quite high , but Its thinking mans game anyway. Dont listen to those 0/10's, they still wait for Star Citizen prolly..
  14. Shaky2236
    Dec 1, 2018
    10
    It really is a great game. The size and scope are incredible and the graphics are breathtaking. There are a few bugs, which are to be expected but not as bad as many are making out and definitely nothing game breaking.
    I love this title and can see myself sinking hundreds of hours into it.
  15. Tsarazon
    Dec 8, 2018
    10
    X Universe is one of the best universes in the sci-fi setting with an interesting background and development.

    The threshold of entry into the game is quite high, which, of course, not everyone will like it, there are bugs that sometimes spoil the overall impression of the mechanics, but how beautiful this SPACE is, how cool it is to feel again at the helm of any ship from a fighter to a    X Universe is one of the best universes in the sci-fi setting with an interesting background and development.

    The threshold of entry into the game is quite high, which, of course, not everyone will like it, there are bugs that sometimes spoil the overall impression of the mechanics, but how beautiful this SPACE is, how cool it is to feel again at the helm of any ship from a fighter to a huge aircraft carrier. The storyline has not always been the strongest part of the series, so it makes no sense to criticize it, but the feeling of an infinite number of possibilities is breathtaking. I am pleased to spend 70+ hours in it and continue to explore in search of X4 secrets.    … Expand
  16. cmuehlich
    Dec 11, 2018
    8
    Took me a couple hours to make it run. If you use a Saitek X52 Pro you NEED to hit the "load profile" button. Otherwise you just get a black screen in first person view and cannot play the game at all!

    UPDATE: Adjusted my score to a 6. Hoping I can go higher once I have some more game time. UPDATE: Patches are coming in regularly and the game is maturing quite a bit. Currently using    Took me a couple hours to make it run. If you use a Saitek X52 Pro you NEED to hit the "load profile" button. Otherwise you just get a black screen in first person view and cannot play the game at all!

    UPDATE: Adjusted my score to a 6. Hoping I can go higher once I have some more game time.

    UPDATE: Patches are coming in regularly and the game is maturing quite a bit. Currently using version 1.31 and most of my issues are resolved. Adjusting my score to a 8.    … Expand
  17. sovex
    Dec 1, 2018
    8
    It seems egosoft has learned a tremendous lesson after the failure that was x-rebirth.
    The game play functions so much missed in the previous game as for instance space legs and flying any ship have been brought into the game.
    graphical wise it looks good and the performance is decent for a small team like this.
    all in all i think egosoft did a great job.
  18. TimeTraveller1
    Dec 1, 2018
    9
    Very good single player space explore, mine, fight, trade and built sim.
    the game has glitches during landing, sometimes I ended up in the room below the landing pad.
    no crashes so far (intel, nvdia 980) the graphic is good, different ships can be flown and you can capture ships. Crew can be hired and small short stories make the game enjoyable. Spent so for 16h so it is too early for    Very good single player space explore, mine, fight, trade and built sim.
    the game has glitches during landing, sometimes I ended up in the room below the landing pad.
    no crashes so far (intel, nvdia 980) the graphic is good, different ships can be flown and you can capture ships. Crew can be hired and small short stories make the game enjoyable.
    Spent so for 16h so it is too early for a solid review, but so far its a nice game    … Expand
  19. zeroanalogue
    Dec 8, 2018
    9
    This is almost a perfect 10, Egosoft just needs some bugs ironed out and a few gameplay improvements. For such a small team to create an immense game like this is pretty unbelievable. Both Elite: Dangerous and Star Citizen do not (yet) have player owned/helmed capital ships, a feature that is sorely lacking in those games. This game scratches that itch nicely, and the XL ships areThis is almost a perfect 10, Egosoft just needs some bugs ironed out and a few gameplay improvements. For such a small team to create an immense game like this is pretty unbelievable. Both Elite: Dangerous and Star Citizen do not (yet) have player owned/helmed capital ships, a feature that is sorely lacking in those games. This game scratches that itch nicely, and the XL ships are seriously gigantic. Also, huge improvement over previous X games, Definitely check this out if you like the idea of commanding fleets, building stations and being at the helm of gigantic capital ships.… Expand
  20. kolos403
    Dec 3, 2018
    10
    And again it's a little buggy, but it's awesome no less! X Universe is back on rails. Finally i can delete my X3, yes it's more complete and has more lore with all the mods, but X4 has much more potential, better piloting, better management, better Ai, everything is better and "deeper". So fellow star crawlers have a little patience, cause we have yet another masterpiece on our hands.
  21. NikolayG
    Dec 2, 2018
    9
    I'm giving X the series a 9, not X4 specifically. Or you can think of this as me giving X a score of 9 two or three years in advance of when it will deserve a 9. X titles are pretty unique. There's no game you can easily point to as an adequate substitute for the ambitions of X titles. However, rule of thumb for enjoying X titles is basically, when a new one comes out, that's the time toI'm giving X the series a 9, not X4 specifically. Or you can think of this as me giving X a score of 9 two or three years in advance of when it will deserve a 9. X titles are pretty unique. There's no game you can easily point to as an adequate substitute for the ambitions of X titles. However, rule of thumb for enjoying X titles is basically, when a new one comes out, that's the time to purchase the previous one, as by that time the previous one will be well patched and expanded. When X titles initially come out there are always way more complaints about bugginess than you get with most games. Therefore, X4 has been released. So go buy X3 and all its expansions. It's fantastic.… Expand
  22. Karvat
    Dec 19, 2018
    10
    Posso capire i Bug che tanto poi verranno corretti, posso capire chi ancora trema quando sente la parola Rebirth, ma un gioco del genere merita la totale eccellenza del 10 anche solo per l'idea che ci sta dietro, le infinite possibilita' di approccio, i Dlc che arriveranno e lo renderanno ancora piu' indimenticabile, la storia incredibile che porta con se' sin dal primo capitolo. E poi c'Posso capire i Bug che tanto poi verranno corretti, posso capire chi ancora trema quando sente la parola Rebirth, ma un gioco del genere merita la totale eccellenza del 10 anche solo per l'idea che ci sta dietro, le infinite possibilita' di approccio, i Dlc che arriveranno e lo renderanno ancora piu' indimenticabile, la storia incredibile che porta con se' sin dal primo capitolo. E poi c' un universo da esplorare, razze aliene da scoprire, combattimenti navali, un impero da costruire, commerciare, minare, puoi mettere su una flotta, invadere settori, scatenare guerre, diventare un pirata, poi sederti comodo a comando della tua Carrier, dare ordini a tuoi subordinati, e godere il panorama mentre intorno a te c'e un universo vivo e in continua espansione. Ma che altro volete? Qui siamo oltre qualsiasi altra cosa qualsiasi altro gioco possa anche solo pensare ed immaginare di offrire. Date tempo e fiducia a questi sviluppatori, finiranno per portare un capolavoro.… Expand
  23. surferx
    Dec 31, 2018
    9
    Notice how the reviews started out mixed or negative and turned to almost all green later. This accurately demonstrates Ego's devs reacting to player's complaints and patching bugs. This game(l.5 patch) is light years ahead of X3 and it's still not finished. The ship and station graphics are not short of awesome. They have never had great NPCs, it's not a FPS, it's a huge space sandbox andNotice how the reviews started out mixed or negative and turned to almost all green later. This accurately demonstrates Ego's devs reacting to player's complaints and patching bugs. This game(l.5 patch) is light years ahead of X3 and it's still not finished. The ship and station graphics are not short of awesome. They have never had great NPCs, it's not a FPS, it's a huge space sandbox and you will by far spend most of your time in your ship and other than the pilot/copilot you won't interact with NPCs a whole lot. Currently no major game breaking bugs for me. I hope they add some more long lasting plots. The X4 PHQ plot seemed too short and easy. Remember the HUB plot in X3? It seemed impossible at first. Maybe a plot somewhere between the 2 in difficulty. The variations possible to equip your ship are nice and well thought out. There are different weapons systems for different applications. Exploring is fun, You will spend time just looking at the beautiful scenes in sectors. you have various sensors long and short range to use. Ship fighting is good, for the most part it's better than X3.
    I like the ship classes S-M-L-XL, They cleared up the M1/2/3/4/5/6/7/8.... mess from X3. I think more ship designs are coming. I like the 3D map. Ship commands while confusing at first are logical and usable.
    Trading was a little buggy at first but mostly cleaned up and makes sense. Get a good ship captain, 3 stars for auto trading. After playing 140 hrs in game,
    I have to give X4 Foundations a 10 as is and there is another update coming in 2019.    … Expand
  24. Percijim
    Apr 17, 2019
    10
    Early adopters may have been very disappointed but later reviews are indicating that the game is in a league above the previous X games. The game craves time to understand the finer details and to maximize enjoyment. The game is also evolving and new features are being added on a fairly regular basis. I would recommend it whole heartily. If I had reviewed it on the day of release i wouldEarly adopters may have been very disappointed but later reviews are indicating that the game is in a league above the previous X games. The game craves time to understand the finer details and to maximize enjoyment. The game is also evolving and new features are being added on a fairly regular basis. I would recommend it whole heartily. If I had reviewed it on the day of release i would clearly not have given it this score....… Expand
  25. zaphod6502
    Dec 3, 2018
    8
    It's a solid title and worth playing if you have the patience to weather the games user interface and gameplay functions.The tutorial is poor and there is no user manual. The built-in encyclopedia in the game looks incomplete and has little information. Some entries are blank.

    The graphics are very good to breathtaking depending on the scene. The universe is very large and is service by    It's a solid title and worth playing if you have the patience to weather the games user interface and gameplay functions.The tutorial is poor and there is no user manual. The built-in encyclopedia in the game looks incomplete and has little information. Some entries are blank.

    The graphics are very good to breathtaking depending on the scene. The universe is very large and is service by space highway accelerators and warpgates. The asteroid fields are not only incredible to look at but very functional with each type of ore/mineral represented by a different type of asteroid.

    The map system is excellent and uses hex grids. Every aspect of this space empire sim is driven by right clicking on the map and then a contextual menu pops up based on what you have right clicked on. Right click on space and you will get options such as explore or go to. Right click on an object and you may get an option for mining or building.

    Once you have your empire in motion with some mining ships set to automine and fund start flooding in the game becomes very addictive. If you can get beyond the immense frustration of learning the UI this is a game that you could spend hundreds if not thousands of hours playing.

    To learn how to play the game you will need to go beyond the basic ingame tutorials and spend time watching YouTube videos, Twitch, the Egosoft forums, and Reddit. As with all X games the designers seem to prefer players to work things out for themselves. If you can accept this fact then you will enjoy X4.    … Expand
  26. Chongychoo
    May 14, 2023
    10
    A fantastic blend of jankiness and strategic brilliance.

    I recently dove back into the captivating universe of X4 Foundations and I must say, it's now, after decades of dedicated TLC, turning out to be one of the the most unique, epic and immersive experiences I've ever played. X4 Foundations offers a depth of game play that makes Elite Dangerous feel like "Space Invaders". It also, at    A fantastic blend of jankiness and strategic brilliance.

    I recently dove back into the captivating universe of X4 Foundations and I must say, it's now, after decades of dedicated TLC, turning out to be one of the the most unique, epic and immersive experiences I've ever played. X4 Foundations offers a depth of game play that makes Elite Dangerous feel like "Space Invaders". It also, at the same time manages to avoid the hollowness of Star Citizen (which increasingly seems to be drifting towards a fancy Call of Duty in space tech demo).

    I admit, I did find it a bit of a struggle coping with its steep learning curve but there's tons of really great guides and YouTube content out there. I nearly gave up a couple of times but, eventually, slowly, the game began to open up to me and now and I'm definitely beginning to see its incredible scope and beauty. Yes folks. It feels like there's a really scary and massive, dangerous universe waiting to get you.

    Let's address the elephant in the room right away. The jankiness can be a bit jarring - sometimes. Yes, X4 Foundations does have its fair share 'Eurojank' and technical hiccups. From occasional AI glitches to minor graphical oddities there are moments where the game's rough edges pop up an it lets itself down. I have the distinct feeling this happens because EgoSoft, the brilliant X4 developers get so fixated on the next impossibly clever thing that they never quite leave enough time to polish it properly. Why fanny about with the odd graphical glitch that when they could be developing a new cool Quantum Disruption Hyper Flange?

    Having said that, I'm many tens of hours in now and I've personally only seen a couple of immersion-breaking blips. One was when one of my my pilots decided to routinely leave his Space Wharf only to crash headlong into the underneath of some innocent bystander. The two ships helplessly locked into each others geometry, destined to shudder away for all eternity. No matter. I simply nipped out of the Wharf's space sector and returned minutes later to find they'd resolved their entanglement and all was well with the world.

    I believe that these quirks somehow add to the game's charm. They remind us that we are exploring an expansive and ever-evolving universe that isn't bound by strict rules. The jankiness often brings unexpected surprises and unpredictable moments that keep us players connected and on our toes.

    But where X4 Foundations truly shines is in its strategic and tactical brilliance. The game offers a vast sandbox environment where you can build your space empire from scratch. You can trade, mine resources, build space stations, and command fleets of ships. The depth of strategic options is truly impressive, allowing you to choose your own path and play style. Whether you prefer to be a peaceful trader, a cunning pirate, or a respected military leader, the game accommodates your choices and rewards you accordingly. Sure, we've heard this promise so many times before but here the game mechanics and systems truly put you in a real unpredictable world where opportunities and threats lurk around every corner. Every game is different and you need your wits about you.

    The economic system in X4 Foundations is remarkably detailed and intricate. You'll need to carefully analyse market trends, make shrewd business decisions, and seize opportunities to maximise your profits. The sense of satisfaction that comes from successfully managing your own interstellar corporation is truly unmatched.

    One of the game's standout features is the ability to seamlessly switch between controlling a single ship and commanding an entire fleet. This dynamic shift in perspective adds a layer of depth to combat and exploration. You can take direct control of your flagship to engage in thrilling space battles or delegate tasks to your subordinates while you focus on grand strategic decisions. This fluidity in game play keeps things fresh and exciting, ensuring that no two moments in X4 Foundations are alike.

    In conclusion, X4 Foundations may have its janky moments, but its strategic brilliance shines through, making it a breathtakingly beautiful, must-play for fans of space simulation and strategy games. The depth of game play, its episodic story lines (you can chose to either embrace or ignore them at your leisure or peril). The immersive universe, and the ability to carve your own path make for an engrossing experience that will keep you captivated for months if not years.

    Embrace the challenge. When you stick with it you'll slowly begin to see its massive depth and its myriad of systems will start to click into place for you. When this emerges for you you'll want to invest your time and get better. When that happens you'll then be rewarded with a vast and complex world like nothing you've seen before filled with limitless possibilities. That's X4 Foundations.    … Expand
  27. aradapilot
    Nov 7, 2021
    10
    Rough start, not uncommon with egosoft titles, which sadly skews reviews. But they have provided excellent support and today at version 4.1 it's perhaps the best space game on the market.
  28. rinshun
    Apr 30, 2023
    10
    This is the game I've always dreamed of.

    Sure it has some flaws, but it still accomplishes what it's supposed to do: Space Warfare
  29. Tidaar
    May 15, 2020
    9
    A great game done by a great team. As of version 3.0 and Split Vendetta the game offers better graphics and a huge universe where you can do pretty much anything you want. Build fleets , own sectors , trade , build factories and shipyards, get into politics that influence the universe....

    When the game was released in 2018 it was an unfinished pile of ... But these folks kept adding    A great game done by a great team. As of version 3.0 and Split Vendetta the game offers better graphics and a huge universe where you can do pretty much anything you want. Build fleets , own sectors , trade , build factories and shipyards, get into politics that influence the universe....

    When the game was released in 2018 it was an unfinished pile of ... But these folks kept adding stuff and patching like crazy and now its a beauty.

    Definetly recommend it.    … Expand
  30. g014n
    Jan 7, 2021
    8
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. It's a niche game.

    Disclaimer: I have about 140h into the game in versions 1.x and 2.x (most of it), played a little in 3.x and now I'm mostly waiting for 5.x when it will have the minimum set of features that I'm interested (player owned shipyard ftw).

    Do you want to manage your own space station and trade fleet in a video game? If that sounds appealing, this is the game for you - with some obvious drawbacks (but nonetheless a much more ambitious project considering its limited resources, which is yet another reason you should support this game, in my humble opinion). If you want some interactive experience, some awesome story, hand holding, it's just the game for you. I'm gong to rate on what it tried to be, not things people wish it was.

    By now, it's by far the best game in the X series in regards to the feature set. Technically and usability wise it's also a vast improvement (but still poor - it's a small team, overly ambitious - if you add a lot of stuff to the game it won't run smoothly). What people should know is that combat is bad, the AI won't handle it well. It's not why I play it, but it gets in the way, occasionally.

    At this point, there's no other game that offers the type of experience that X4 does and it deserves recognition for that.    … Expand
  31. Eaisworse
    Jan 5, 2021
    10
    I have around 1745 hours of game time and think, that I can write and review now. First the bugs, yes the bugs, there are some, some a lot, some that are funny or you don't recognize them, or you get some bad once. The pilot A.I is dumb (but only, if you pilot has a low level, if he has a high level, he/she is very good and flys better than you and sometimes trough stations and asteroids),I have around 1745 hours of game time and think, that I can write and review now. First the bugs, yes the bugs, there are some, some a lot, some that are funny or you don't recognize them, or you get some bad once. The pilot A.I is dumb (but only, if you pilot has a low level, if he has a high level, he/she is very good and flys better than you and sometimes trough stations and asteroids), but it works. The economy system is GREAT, if you destroy stations the whole system changes, prices rise or sink, the wares change and the prices change every minute, you need to invest time to understand the system and even the whole game, the first 400 hours I only learned and tried to understand the game. This game is only for people who have the will and the power to learn and understand the game, if you can live with the bugs, if you don't give up after 5 minutes, than this is a game for you.… Expand
  32. Shaddock
    Jun 19, 2023
    9
    This game might have taken time to mature, but in June 2023 its a game you should take a look at at not ignore because of its early reviews.
  33. CiaranJ
    Feb 4, 2021
    8
    I am new to the X game series. I only became aware of the franchise when X:Rebirth released in 2013. I tried X:Rebirth in 2013-14, but found it hard to understand and enjoy, and whilst I liked the graphics, the world, the lore and the aesthetics of the game, I was putt off by the fact that you could only fly one ship, its weird UI and terrible tutorials. I also didn't find the story veryI am new to the X game series. I only became aware of the franchise when X:Rebirth released in 2013. I tried X:Rebirth in 2013-14, but found it hard to understand and enjoy, and whilst I liked the graphics, the world, the lore and the aesthetics of the game, I was putt off by the fact that you could only fly one ship, its weird UI and terrible tutorials. I also didn't find the story very interesting, even though, as I said before, I liked the overall aesthetics and lore.

    I bought X4: Foundations after it had been released over a year, and started with the 3.0 version of the game (early 2020), also purchasing the Split faction DLC. Even though the game has a steep learning curve and the UI is still incredibly difficult to understand, I found it much easier to get into when compared to X: Rebirth. I also found X4: Foundations more enjoyable to play.

    I stopped for a while and have just started playing again as of the 4.00 beta, and am finding it easier to get into than ever before. Some of the criticisms of X:Rebirth and earlier versions of X4: Foundations still remain, such as poor AI, basic and poorly-explained tutorials, and if you don't have a lot of patience or time to invest playing and learning the game's many systems, then you'll be disappointed. For me, these drawbacks and criticisms of the game are okay when compared to the extensive level of choice and deep systems that the game offers the player. X4 is by far the most immersive space game I've played. And although Egosoft's ambition to make a fully simulated galaxy has generated some big problems and led to some questionable design decisions, they are nevertheless worthy sacrifices for what is a brilliant and enjoyable space sim.

    Quick list of my personal pros, cons and things to improve/update

    PROS:
    1. The ability to personally fly a variety of ships with the ability to walk around ship interiors
    2. Fully simulated (although frustrating and buggy at times) space economy and warfare
    3. Lovely graphics, music and general aesthetics
    4. Highly immersive
    5. A number of tasks and missions based on role-playing preferences (i.e., trader, miner, fighter, fleet admiral, builder etc)
    6. Combat is satisfying.
    7. Ability to generate own stories by simply playing in the open world.
    8. Beautiful ship models

    CONS:
    1. Game requires patience, time, and willingness to forgive its intense learning curve and poor AI
    2. AI, AI, and more AI.
    3. Even with streamlining of systems over many updates, you will still find yourself micromanaging a lot, which can detract from playing the game.
    4. A lot of time will be spent browsing YouTube guides, Discord servers and Reddit pages to learn how to play the game and lean its systems.
    4. Some of the randomly-generated missions that relate to how the world is simulated can feel repetitive. Until you amass a huge amount of credits, you will definitely find yourself repeating some of these same missions.

    THINGS TO IMPROVE
    1. While the game encourages non-linear storytelling through playing in the open world, the game has been updated with some linear storylines and 'plots' that you would find in more casual action-adventure or RPG games. More linear storylines or plots could be added to the game to balance the basic randomly-generated missions. As I said, they are adding more into the game, but more could be added further.

    2. Space stations need to be updated with more sophisticated interiors. Even though many look different, both externally and internally, depending on which faction, many of the general layouts/prefabs are copied and pasted, consisting of usually one single corridor that leads into a single room. X:Rebirth, for all of its faults, had better space station interiors.

    3. More ship interiors to explore in L and XL ships. Standing on the bridge of a L or XL ship is extremely satisfying and is definitely one of the reasons why I play this game. But if there was a way to add more interiors, to make the L and XL ships feel bigger on the inside, then that would be awesome.

    4. A nice little quality of life update relates to visually showing the player that a ship is being attacked while standing inside. For example, alarms going off, or crew sounding more panicked, or explosions and damage being visible when standing on a bridge or inside the cockpit of a small fighter would add to the immersion when in combat.

    The game is certainly getting better with each update and I am glad Egosoft are sticking with updating it for the foreseeable. It takes the best of X:Rebirth and blends it with some of the best systems from the older X games. And while not everyone will be happy with the changes, I am enjoying it (as I said, I am not an X series veteran, but I am now certainly a fan!).

    Am looking forward to seeing how Egosoft develop X4 further and to the next expansion, Cradle of Humanity, which is releasing in the next few months. Overall, I highly recommend this game.    … Expand
  34. gatsu80ct
    Jul 20, 2022
    8
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Economic, space, exploration, strategic simulator. The X series has always been characterized by this mix of features. X4 like all predecessors suffers from a steep and prohibitive learning curve for some due to its poor UI and QUALITY OF LIFE. Sometimes the AI ​​doesn't help and many mechanics aren't clear or explained. tutorials are enough. Once you have overcome this obstacle, the game opens and shows all its splendor, immersive, infinite, varied in every aspect. EGOSOFT supports it massively and deserves attention ...… Expand

Awards & Rankings

45
#45 Most Discussed PC Game of 2018

Critic Reviews

All reviews »
Metascore
59

Mixed or average reviews - based on 7 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 2 out of 7
  2. Mixed: 4 out of 7
  3. Negative: 1 out of 7
  1. PLAY! Zine
    Mar 5, 2019
    50
    Just as its name says, this game is a great foundation for a really massive and great open world sandbox space adventure, where it's your choice to write your own destiny and play any way you want. But the massive and game breaking bugs simply stop players from delving more into it.
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  2. GameGrin
    Feb 19, 2019
    70
    An ambitious, complex sandbox space game that allows you to do almost anything from spacewalking to commanding a carrier with a fleet of ships onboard. A steep learning curve and an inconsistent interface mar an excellent return for Egosoft’s flagship series.
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  3. PC Games
    Jan 14, 2019
    60
    Miles better than the technical disaster X Rebirth, X4 is still far away from its clearly recognizable ideal state.
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