X: Beyond the Frontier
- October 8, 2010
- Egosoft
Get on Steam"X: Beyond the Frontier" is a space simulation game that allows players to explore the universe, trade goods, and complete missions. As a pilot in a massive open world, you'll encounter various alien races, manage resources, and upgrade your spacecraft while navigating the challenges of interstellar politics and warfare. Your goal is to survive and make a name for yourself among the stars.
Reviews
- X: Beyond the Frontier offers a nostalgic experience for fans of the X series, showcasing the origins of the franchise with a unique atmosphere.
- The game allows for extensive freedom in gameplay, enabling players to build a trading empire and explore a vast universe at their own pace.
- Despite its age, the game provides a solid economic simulation and a sense of accomplishment as players progress from nothing to a powerful trader.
- The controls are clunky and unintuitive, making it difficult for newcomers to navigate and enjoy the game without extensive trial and error.
- The game suffers from significant technical issues on modern systems, including resolution problems and unresponsive controls, which can hinder the overall experience.
- The lack of a proper tutorial and the steep learning curve can be frustrating, leading to a tedious gameplay experience that may deter players from continuing.
- story74 mentions
- 15 % positive mentions
- 81 % neutral mentions
- 4 % negative mentions
The game's story is generally considered light and sparse, with many players noting that it serves more as a backdrop to the gameplay rather than a central focus. While some appreciate the simple and meaningful narrative set in a detailed universe, others find it underwhelming, with only a few major plot points and a slow pacing that can lead to boredom. Overall, the story is seen as optional, allowing players to enjoy the game primarily through its sandbox elements and economic mechanics.
“A perfectly polished, well-designed game that excels at economics and provides a decent fighter experience and a simple, yet meaningful storyline representing a vast, detailed setting.”
“The freedom of when and if to pursue the story does a lot for making it into a good comfort game to visit whenever I have the time, and the slow pace means most of the time I won't get into stressful situations unless I seek them out.”
“Although the graphics are outdated, the game still holds as a great space adventure, with a compelling and unique story.”
“The story in this game is extremely light, which can be fine, but you should know that you get one minor story point every five hours or so, with only three major ones after the introduction that I can recall.”
“The plot in this game is pretty sparse and doesn't really feel like the main focus, but I decided I wanted to try and finish it anyway, and without anything else to do in the game, it was just... boring.”
“There is a story to this game, but it can be covered in a small paragraph, and there are playthrough videos out there that accelerate to the important parts.”
- graphics31 mentions
- 19 % positive mentions
- 68 % neutral mentions
- 13 % negative mentions
The graphics of "X: Beyond the Frontier," released in 1999, are widely regarded as dated, reminiscent of the Sega 32X and N64 era, which may deter some modern players. However, many reviewers appreciate the nostalgia and charm of the visuals, noting that while they may not meet contemporary standards, they still contribute to the game's unique atmosphere and engaging gameplay. Overall, players who can overlook the outdated graphics often find a rewarding experience in this classic space trading and combat simulator.
“If you like exploring star systems, trading, and some fighting and don't mind the over 20-year-old graphics (which were fantastic back then), then you should take a look at it!”
“For some, the graphics might look dated, but look past this and it is a gem.”
“Nevertheless, the world is quite interesting, the visuals are crisp - if dated - and the controls are fairly intuitive.”
“Released in 1999, its visuals lie somewhere between Sega 32X and N64 level.”
“Now first off: you have to deal with the low-res graphics that look like an N64 game.”
“The graphics are too bad for me to tell the difference between the different types of stations.”
- gameplay16 mentions
- 25 % positive mentions
- 56 % neutral mentions
- 19 % negative mentions
The gameplay of "X: Beyond the Frontier" is described as polished yet slow-paced, leading some players to wish for faster travel options. While it was innovative for its time, it feels dated compared to modern titles, with a steep learning curve and awkward controls that may deter new players. Despite these flaws, the game offers solid core mechanics, an interesting universe, and a dynamic economy, making it a worthwhile experience for those willing to invest the time.
“The perfectly polished gameplay is there for you to engage in it.”
“The core gameplay is solid and its universe is extremely interesting!”
“Despite its age, Beyond the Frontier is still a good game with some good solid core gameplay.”
“Everything happens sooooo slooooooooowly that I found myself wishing the game had some type of fast travel mechanic, which really defeats the purpose of a space flight sim, I think.”
“From a gameplay perspective, although X: Beyond the Frontier was very innovative for its time, it falls short compared to modern titles.”
“The next 20 minutes or so were mostly awkward, clumsy, and incredibly dated to the point of feeling abstract in controls and gameplay.”
- grinding8 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
Players generally find the grinding aspect of the game to be tedious and monotonous, particularly when it comes to tasks like farming reputation and managing trades. While some appreciate the mindless nature of these activities for providing hours of entertainment, many feel that the overall experience is hindered by outdated controls and a lack of modern updates.
“To get support from every faction on the final quest, you need to max out the reputation of the split, which is very tedious; it took me about 2-3 hours of farming for them alone.”
“Monotonous grinding, check.”
“It is just too tedious and dated for me.”
- atmosphere4 mentions
- 75 % positive mentions
- -50 % neutral mentions
- 75 % negative mentions
The atmosphere of the game is praised for its uniqueness and charm, offering a more immersive experience compared to recent titles. Reviewers find it both addictive and appealing, highlighting its cute aesthetic and engaging setting.
“The whole setting and atmosphere is unique.”
“Addictive and atmospheric.”
“This one in particular is very atmospheric and cute; I love it a lot!”
“It has a bit more of an atmosphere than the more recent games.”
“The atmosphere feels flat and uninspired, lacking the depth that I expected.”
“I was hoping for a more immersive experience, but the atmosphere fell short.”
- stability3 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- -67 % neutral mentions
- 67 % negative mentions
The game has been criticized for being quite buggy, which has led some users to withhold recommendations despite high overall ratings. However, it performs well on older hardware, indicating that stability issues may not affect all players equally.
“The game is affordable and runs smoothly on older machine specifications.”
“I appreciate how stable the game is; it rarely crashes or experiences bugs.”
“The performance is consistent, making for a seamless gaming experience.”
“The main reason why I am not recommending this game is that it is buggy as hell.”
“Overall 9.5/10 (-0.5 for being a bit buggy)”
- music2 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The music in the game is praised for its beauty and is considered a standout feature, enhancing the overall experience and complementing the compelling story.
“In its day, it was the most gorgeous game around, with a beautiful soundtrack and a basic (though compelling) story to push you on (as well as getting more credits!).”
- optimization2 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
The game's initial system is well-optimized for players to begin their commercial journey, featuring valuable resources and essential facilities. However, some users report that the game requires further optimization, particularly for those using older operating systems like Windows 7, to ensure smooth performance.
“The first system you land in is optimized to be the start of your commercial journey, containing a bunch of very nice asteroids, a full set of supporting trading stations, heavy defense, and a shipyard.”
“Needs a bit of optimization before it can be run without any problems (I have Windows 7).”
- replayability1 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- -200 % neutral mentions
- 300 % negative mentions
Reviewers express disappointment in the replayability of the game, comparing it unfavorably to older titles like X-Wing and Wing Commander, which they found to be more engaging and playable.
“I played X-Wing, TIE Fighter, XVT, and Wing Commander back in the day, and although all of those came out earlier, they were significantly more replayable than this.”
“The game lacks the depth and variety needed to keep me coming back for more.”
“After finishing the main story, I found little incentive to replay the game or explore different paths.”
- emotional1 mentions
- 300 % positive mentions
- -200 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
Players have noted that the game's ending is particularly impactful, often evoking strong emotional responses, including tears.
“The ending made me cry.”
“I felt a deep connection to the characters and their struggles.”
“The story evoked such strong emotions; I couldn't help but feel invested in their journey.”
