Customer Reviews

X2: The Threat

5 star:		(7)
4 star:		(11)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

This is the closest game I found in the Elite genre of space faring simulations, which is both good and bad. I always enjoyed Elite on the truly Old School gaming computer platforms, and I remember being discouraged at it's difficulty and obtuse interface - but eventually satisfied knowing that I used skill to overcome those obstacles. X2 comes with many of these same problems and reminds me that it will eventually have the same reward.

It's a fantastic trade-combat space simulation based in a giant universe, filled with hundreds of stations and planets and plenty of bad guys. You fly around in a ton of completely configurable and different ships, dock and trade with many stations, create your own factories, and eventually develop a fleet filled with fighters, cruisers, and destroyers - all of which you can put into formations and control at any time, including any of their turrets.

Sounds great so far. I was hooked. However, there's a very steep learning curve involved at first, and the tutorials do little to help you other than give you basic controls and only a slight mention of how the economy of the X2 universe works. The game is not originally in English and the cutscenes are often poorly translated and very lame, with bad character animation, awful camera angles, and confusing mission parameters. Personally, I chose the "sand-box" mode by ignoring any mission past #2 and giving me free reign throughout the galaxy.

Anyway, you have to find out much on your own, and you'll find yourself creating multiple Save Game files before and after you buy/sell some expensive items - just like the original 1990ish Elite. That's a good thing for experienced and "realism" sim players, but bad for the casual player. In another nod to Elite you can only save at stations or when you have bought "Salvage Insurance".

The game can be very unforgiving. You'll be excited after your 2nd mission when you are rewarded with a decent sized freighter, just to find it comes with NO weapons or shields... AND there isn't a base selling those things anywhere near you. Or, you'll find this freighter MUCH slower than the ships you piloted before - we're talking 10 times slower, requiring you to spend 4+ minutes travelling to a station before you can even dock to sell your Energy Cells for a mere 7 credit profit each.

The initial pacing of the game is more than a little bit off, because you'll barely want to spend time exploring the trade opportunities in the first system, let alone screw around in the other 4 systems you discovered during the first mission.

Manual flight and combat is very hard, mostly because your initial fighters behave like a slug, and you can tell the navigation console in the game is NOT built for real time action. Forget the intuitive control of Freelancer or even Freespace 2. Learning to use the mouse or joystick for control is a fairly involved effort, especially because the game simply doesn't let you remap many hotkeys.

After 10 hours in the game, you'll rarely bother to pilot your ship manually, often relying on Sector maps, auto piloting and time compression - and pre-programming fighter wingman defense - to get your to your destination.

However these automatic features make the game a ton more fun. With enough cash, you can create a massive, shielded freighter - or five - and assign each of them an escort of completely configurable fighters. Every figher or freighter can have multiple turrets, each with individual AI. If you don't care for the AI, you can use the Remote Monitor features to jump into command of any ship in your fleet, at any time - in the current system or any other system. The options are daunting, especially considering that you can create your own factories (and transports for those factories), and then set fighters to defend them if they come under pirate attack.

Although difficult to get used to, and not necessarily for the average Freelancer-ish game player, X2 is not without it's charms. The graphics are gorgeous, the universe is huge, and the options to create your own stations / factories / economy / fleet are there. The options to manually dock with stations and escort your ship inside the station and into their actual loading bays grows old after a while - and you can skip it with autopilot and the right equipment - but it's still a nice touch.

Definitely head to the developers website to download the latest patch after you install the game, which improves on the often suicidal enemy AI and fixes a ton of bugs that ship with the commercial reelase.

I've only been playing this game for a couple of days, so this is a early review of something that will probably mature with the release of patches over the next few months. So I'll bear that in mind.

This game has a lot to live up to: The shadow of elite and other great space exploration games such as starflight loom over it, and while its release sends waves of joy through a starved fanbase, any maker of the space explorer/trader game knows that the audience demands a lot. This is a place where fans want to get themselves lost, and disappear for months at a time.

This game delivers a lot: of mixed things. You get the feeling that the team working on this title were all of very different talent. The message sent to me by this game was just that. Some of it is brilliant, while some of it is crud.

The crud first:

The cutscenes. Godawful. The worst voice acting and character animations I have seen in....ever. The female character that gives you character his first missions looks like she either has her eyes propped open with matchsticks or is possessed by lucifer, and the skimpily dressed girl you meet in your third mission looks like she has several eating disorders at once and sounds like one of the judges from the 'Iron chef'. Read: BAD. Lots of Germans doing bad American accents. Aaargh! The editing of the cutscenes is especially pointless, tedious, detrimental to the storyline, with long load times between scenes (you get to stare at a black screen during these load times- unforgivable in this day and age)

The absolutely necessary tutorials are really frustrating. They should have had a tutorial for the tutorials. When you are instructed to <press the appropriate> key to do such and such, and the tutorial doesn't tell you which actual key it is, because it only tells you in the booklet as the player may have re-mapped them, it makes you want to rip your hair out in frustration.
The graphics are generally stuttery, even on low resolution settings on a powerful machine with a high-end video card (ti4400 128 meg).
It's a difficult game to get used to, and pretty much the entire keyboard is used up twice over for controls.

The good stuff:

The feel of being in outer space is brilliant. There is a true feeling of being insignificantly tiny, which is all important in a space exploration/trading game. The missions are enjoyable, and there is a non-linear feel to the game in that you can go anywhere. The amount of ships, stations and stuff which you can buy and use is phenomenal. Docking the space stations is cool, as you can fly right into them (one station in particular has long metallic tentacles that curl around itself: beautiful!), but they are completely empty, and it feels like you're flying into an elaborate screensaver rather than a living breathing station. While the planets look incredible and suitably gigantic, you can't land on them at all. Which is a great disappointment in this genre. Such great potential, wasted.

I think this game was rushed out for christmas, and the great sales (gold in most countries) indicate that a desperate and hopeful audience is rushing out to embrace this under-represented style of game. Some will be disappointed. Most will battle through, and derived enjoyment from this game. I think.

Freelancer, released last year, promised the open-ended gameplay of Elite but did not really deliver what it promised. However its incredible slickness was something that Egosoft could have taken note of- Next to freelancer, this title seems very messy, albeit bigger and more open-ended. If someone can put both of these games best features together, then that will be something worth waiting for. Elite 4 maybe?

This genre is obviously VERY difficult to make work- due to the players endless demands for huge universes, endless varieties of artifacts and spaceships and new innovations, which are difficult to actually implement in the genre. Derek Smart keeps failing, every Braben release since Elite pretty much failed, and Privateer and Freelancer only worked because of their self-imposed linear limitations. With that in mind, this game has probably done the bravest job yet, and in my mind, succeeds despite its flaws.

Graphics 85%
Generally Beautiful in space. Some great effects, such as nebula dust, and various Direct X 9 bells and whistles, but the cutscenes look like out-takes from a 5 year old game (the Starcraft intro, now over 5 years old is infinitely better cinematic work). Sorry to be harsh but: Get better animators Egosoft.

Sound 80%
Good ambient music, but some effects are missing, and sound is generally weak.

Playability 85%
Despite the frustration of the controls and learning curve, the game manages to make itself somewhat more addictive due to this. Once you master things, you feel quite proud- just like the old C64 games that were good *because* they were so darn hard to master.

Longevity 92%
You'll be playing this sucker for a long time.

Overall 89%
Flawed greatness. Last time I felt this was when I played Ultima IX: Ascension, except that had worse fundamental problems and bugs. Egosoft have gone and attempted the near impossible: the big fat space trading/exploration elite game, and have done quite well really. A few patches, and this game may threaten to be quite brilliant. Now there's a threat.

And this game sure delivers on that! The character animation is horrible and the story/plot line of the game takes only a few hours to complete. Don't get this game if you are looking for structured linear gameplay... Also don't get this game if you dont have a good programmable joystick and throttle control. Also don't play this game if you are looking for an awesome battle soundtrack (use you own music for that... rob zombie music makes the battles awesome!). I love the game because it has an option called scripting thats activiated through a sort of cheat code making a console window appear on command ingame allowing endless modifications and add ons. Since the laser battles in this game stock are pathetic and slow there are scripts you can get from fan sites to speed up or slow down or even animate and automatically take care of the boring stuff so you can go out and blow stuff up and take over the entire universe... there are even scripts that get rid of all spaceship sounds sines some people want realisim in space battles while keeping that menacing rumble of a starship in the cockpit view... But YOU NEED A FULL JOYSTICK. I actually broke my joystick from playing this game so much and pulling hard manuvers.

Since most reviews here are a little blan Im going to describe what its like after it's modded and scripted correctly. Tweaked to my tastes, if you will.

Imagine cruising in with your carrier class starship... bigger than anything else in the game. You ship is upgraded and modded to the max... this is something that could scare the gods themselves as it unleashes its full load of 150 heavy, medium, and scout class fighters to all swarm in on the usually overpowering enemy. The battle lasts for hours and you have to do everything in your power not to let your beautiful and heavily armed Carrier or battleship from getting destroyed by the enemys larger ships.

You have your own personal and heavily armed corvette class ship waiting in your carriers docking bay for a quick escape just incase the unlikely event of having your carrier or battleship destroyed happens or if your carrier or battleships jumpdrive is destroyed and or the engines are damaged to the point you can't save the pride and joy of your armada. The battle begins to shift in your favor as your fast, heavily armed, corvette class ship squadron breaks off of their sector to sector patrolling to aid in your fight. They exit the jump gate into the system and begin wiping the enemy out of existance almost effortlessly, using their own single scout ships for coverfire or as extra moving sheilds. Missles, laser light bolts, ships, debris, asteroids, even foolish trader and passenger ships fly by your view as the battle rages on.

After a few more intense moments... the enemy system is now yous to plunder and take over. You have your corvette class ships go in for repairs and then back on their patrols to keep the errant pirates or alien ships from messing with your trade routes and freighters and stations. You send out your carriers wing of heavy freighters to search and pick up all the spoils of battle. Bringing you back enough supplies and parts to not only upgrade, and repair your damaged ships but to buy you a second battleship.

And when the battle is over you now have fame! Every distressed system in the universe wants your help! After re-arming and repairs, you head off for yet another intense and extreme space battle... where there is no right side up or down, and there is no gravity to slow you down. The enemy can, and will, attack from every possible angle... And this time, they know your weakspot... and the enemy heads right for your prized carrier in a kamakaze style attack... It's time to get in your personal, customized, one of a kind corvette class ship and help with taking down the enemy in the hopes you will be able to get your carrier to limp out of the battle and to a station for repairs before it gets destroyed completely.

Now it's time to be sneaky and use underhanded tactics such as hiding in asteroid tunnels and blasting anyone that flys by. Or using the sun in that system as visual cover for your ship while you come roaring by, blasting everything that moves. Strafing, sliding, barrel rolls. Making your fast and heavily sheilded corvette class ship a big enough of a threat to the enemy that most of them break off the attack on your wounded carrier, giving it enough time to limp its way to a jump gate and get to a protected and friendly star system.

You also send your other ships along with it... It's now you and your corvette class ship and it's single docked medium fighter against 10 enemy battleships , 4 enemy carriers, and hundreds of every size enemy fighter coming to splatter your atoms all over the universe... You can run for your life... Die (surrender is not an option)... or... you can turn up your heavy metal battle music, grin, and charge full speed at the unstopable hoards of enemy fighters and capital ships and damage and destroy as many of the smaller ships as possible by getting them to crash into each other or follow you into an asteriod tunnel network and have them crash into the rock walls in the darkness before blasting out of the ateroid with a huge fireball following you, leaving the battle and jumping to another system while the enemy now fears you... it's your choice... there is no commander to give you orders... there is no structured storyline to hide in and recover for a while... It's just you and a universe full of danger and profits and edge of your seat action space battles.

In the last review- I stated that I had only been playing the game for a few days. Now I've been playing it for almost a week. This game is brilliant. The more you play, the more involoved you become in the dynamic economy. It truly is amazing. Add 4% to the last review. This may just be the next elite.

Mirko.

I only write a review if something is really good or really bad, happily in this case it's really good. I know its hard, if you don't have the rest of your life to play this game to build up the economic empire you'll need to complete the story or at least the credits you'll need to stay alive. I'd suggest you download the pre-made savegame that starts you out with 989,999,999 credits, once you get a chance to see how good and how much fun this game can be you'll be impressed. It's not only 21th century elite but it's the first space game I've played that I liked more then privateer and for all those who played Tachyon: The Fringe, you'll enjoy flying your huge capships around.

Not only can you own fleets but your ships can own ships and your bases too, all this going at one time. After you get a large empire you'll find that you don't notice the long waits for the next gate. Also some alien ships go alot faster, you have at least 5 races worth to choose from and you can capture pirate ships aswell.

But you'll need some real hardware or a clean running system, the 1.3 patch runs ok on my P4 1.3ghz but if I were you I'd get a faster system for this one, it's worth it.

Only bad things I can say really is that the cool stuff costs too much (as in life), the weapons are hard to come by even when you have the cool ships and the character animations are a bit stiff.

All in all I am very happy with this game and there are fan mods for it aswell. Haven't tested any yet however.

Very involving! I love space games and I'm glad this one is out. It was hard and frustrating in the 1st day, but its more amazing every day now.

I think it is more for the enjoyers of games like Flight Simulator, and the oldies Elite (MSX) and Starflight (Genesis). It is a space RPG, not an action game. You fly around, buy items, mine asteroids, trade, get to fight here and then, and enjoy the graphics and the relaxing feeling you're in space. But I say again that it is hard and complicated at the beginning, but when it's mastered it gets very simple to control. I have a joystick but I don't use it at all. Not even the mouse. So, give it a time, and don't worry about the very slow graphics. You'll adjust the settings as you go and it'll get fast.

Let me give it some marks: From F to A+, a big A+ to the variety of products, ships, stations, and resources to trade with. A+ to the graphics, A to the planets and D for never reaching them. B- to the cockpit with all those blinking lights and F for not being able to hide it. X2 never crashed or interfered with Windows (A+ for that), but a D to the silent turbine. I think I'd get more imersed if there were a turbine sound like in MS Flight Simulator. What I also liked a lot was the very smart autopilot, and the option to press ESC to dock in and out of the station, still being able to do it on manual. Two big A+ for that, but a D to the "teleport" that takes us to the other side of the door. D also to the loading on the jump gates. That always gives me a moment to remember I have class tomorrow.

In sumary: would I return it if I could? Never! Am I addicted to it? A little. Do I get home ancious to play it? All the time. My other favorites (from best on): Empire Earth, Freespace 2 and 1, MS Flight Simulator, Starfox.

I am very happy with my purchase of this game. It has its issues, such as the horrible cutscenes and obscene learning curve, but once you get the hang of it the game is incredible. The graphics are beautiful, the economy is very deep, and the universe is huge and completely non-linear. If you liked Freelancer but felt it was not open ended enough, this game is for you.

I have been playing X2-the Threat for about a year, and I have not gotten board yet! There is a lot of stuff to do. And then there is some more.

You can own more than one ship at a time. A lot of them. You can own stations and factories. A lot of them. You can own battleships. If you can pay for them.

If you get tired of running the details you can automate them.

In most games things only run when you are there. The places you are not are frozen. But in X2 everything runs all of the time. All over the "universe" of the game. Even in places you have not discovered yet. Leave your factory and go exploring and when you come back it has made you half a million credits and boosted the economy for six sectors around. But one of its freighter ships has taken damage from a pirate attack.

The economy starts out in a recession (probably to give the new player opportunities for profits) and as you build factories and trade products the other nations economies start to wake up. If you corner the market prices will go up. But the factories will got buy from other nations when the prices get too high.

The menu controls are a little slow and the character animation is clunky, but I can live with that.

And it does too have a training and tutorial section! But most of my onfo I got from the EgoSoft Forums.

X2 is definitely a complex game that can be difficult to learn and even more difficult to master. However, if you like games that are similar to Privateer and Elite, then X2 shuod be worth the time and effort to learn how to play.

For the most part is an economics game that takes place in space. Yes, yes there is combat too, but how do you think you will be able to afford a heavy fighter, not to mention a carrier than can carry large numbers of fighters? The game focuses a lot on making money. One way would be to trade commodities from stations that supplies such products to those that demand such products like energy, and silicon waffers. The game is truly expansive and there are more ways than one to make money.

Pros:

1. A space simulation that focuses on making money as well as combat.
2. A simple to understand economy, however due to the dynamics of of the economy, mastering it can be difficult.
3. Multiple ways of making money be it trading, providing transportation, travel tours, or assassination missions, and a few more.
4. The ability to change the economy be build several different types of factories. There are some factories that are unique to certain races. You can truly build an economic empire that can span throughout the explored sectors.
5. You want ships, or better yet, your own space faring armada? You got it! Provided you can make enough money to buy capital ships, various types of fighters, corvettes, and a fleet of transports to keep your factories going.
6. Each ship has different flight characteristics so learning how each ship fly can be interesting or exasperating depending your point of view.
7. Space is huge, and so are the number of sectors to explore. The game is expansive and freeform, but not to the extent Morrowind is.
8. The Forum. Yes, the Forum. Believe it or not, but one of the best features about the game is the Forum at Egosoft.com. Are you stumped, want to learn tricks, or just looking for info? Then don't hesitate to go to the Forum, you'll be glad you did. There is a wealth of info there.
9. Scripts and mods that are freely available that can change the way the game is played. Some user created scripts are even signed off by the developer. Thus, they are completely safe to run in the game.
10. Oh, did I mention the nice graphics?

Cons:
1. Not a game for those looking to jump right into combat.
2. Can be a little time consuming just to get acquainted with the game.
3. Different flight characteristics for each ship. What, you expect a frieghter to turn on a dime like a scout ship (light fighter)?
4.Do you want to humble your computer? Think your system can handle any current game out there if it can handle the likes of Doom 3, or Half Life 2? Then go build up a sector with lots of factories, and watch your frame rate plummet. You'll think there's something wrong with your computer or graphics card. Nope!!! There are a lot of calculations going on in the background. The more factories there are in a system, the more traffic there will be, and your poor CPU will have to calculate the path of all those transports running around.
5. Combat can be frustrating in very populated sectors.

This is not a game for everyone, but it is the best game there is for those looking for a space econmics game like Privateer, and Elite. Oh, wait let me rephrase that. It is the only game out there.

Everything everyone has said about this game is true. I happen to like the game as it is, but I can see where ATI users would have a problem. The game's learning curve is tremendous, but the online forums at www.egosoft.com and the commander's page http://www.the-commander.com/ are a great couple of resources. Keep in mind that the gameplay mechanics are a little wonky at times, the developers do pay attention to the forums and there is a great player-mod community hard at work.

A note to college students: this is one of those games with ALLOT of thumb-twiddling. I've found this is a good time to read up, since I'm too stupid to pry myself away from the game for an hour.