X3: The Reunion comes from a long series of space trading games that started way back in 1984 with Elite, the game that's credited with creating and defining this genre of game. It's a sign of how defining Elite was in that it gets a mention in practically every review of space trading games. Indeed, two out of the three reviews we felt were worth of a mention here, mentioned Elite. The fact that the original game in a 20 year series of games is still the benchmark today, is also a sign of how little the genre has moved on since then. There are more complex space sims, more beautiful space sims and more fun space sims, but none of them can claim to best Elite for originality and creative success. If you were expecting the latest X game to once and for all make Elite irrelevant, you'll be disappointed.
-
Eurogamer (70/100) - "many players new to this impressive, ambitious series may well give up after an evening or two of head-scratching, missing out on an engrossing experience."
-
Amped (72/100) - "While the initial missions move along slowly—almost excruciatingly so—the pace will increase significantly, and assuming you can survive numerous bugs, the surprise ending offers a gratifying payoff."
-
Total Video Games (80/100) - "For newcomers potentially interested in what X3 has to bring, you'll find a dynamic world in which the economic laws of supply and demand are fully realised – but only if you're willing to stick with it."
When three reviews representative of the industry average (78%) mention an extreme learning curve requiring some serious commitment to enjoy the game, you'd better listen up. X3 is not one for the casual gamer.
