X3: Terran Conflict
- October 15, 2008
- Egosoft
- 75h median play time
Get on Steam"X3: Terran Conflict" is a space-themed simulation game set in the year 2938, where players can experience the final chapter of the X-Trilogy. The game features the largest X Universe, with the addition of a new faction, the Terrans, and over 100 new spaceships and weapon systems. It boasts more jobs, non-linear missions, and a re-designed user interface for a comfortable control experience. Players can also engage in large-scale battleship boarding.
Reviews
- Massive and immersive universe with endless possibilities for gameplay.
- Deep economic and trading systems that allow for complex empire building.
- Variety of ships and customization options, providing a unique experience for each player.
- Steep learning curve with minimal tutorials, making it difficult for new players to get started.
- Clunky user interface and autopilot that can lead to frustrating gameplay experiences.
- Slow-paced gameplay with long travel times, which can make the game feel tedious at times.
- story320 mentions
- 10 % positive mentions
- 83 % neutral mentions
- 7 % negative mentions
The game's story is expansive and offers a variety of missions, but many players find it convoluted and poorly executed, often leading to frustration with mission clarity and requirements. While some appreciate the depth and complexity of the narrative, others criticize the repetitive nature of quests and the lack of engaging storytelling, suggesting that the sandbox elements overshadow the plot. Overall, the game provides a vast universe to explore, but the story may not be the primary draw for many players.
“The story is fantastic and deep with hundreds of hours required to finish the main storylines.”
“The story missions (called plots) make a huge impact on the universe and offer epic rewards, which are so fulfilling.”
“Engaging story and background will have you wanting to find out more.”
“The missions are repetitive, the story is nonexistent, and the whole thing just feels like a chore.”
“The story line is almost non-existent.”
“The plot and missions are weak, and almost a sideshow.”
- graphics96 mentions
- 56 % positive mentions
- 38 % neutral mentions
- 6 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game are generally considered decent for its age, with many reviewers noting that they still hold up well compared to contemporary titles. While some describe the visuals as dated or lacking in modern standards, others appreciate the beautiful space environments and the game's ability to run smoothly on lower-end hardware. Overall, the graphics contribute positively to the immersive experience, despite some criticisms regarding specific elements and occasional glitches.
“The graphics are superb considering its age.”
“Despite its age, the graphics are still good and the music is phenomenal!”
“Deep gameplay and gorgeous graphics to boot!”
“Let's start with the graphics, or lack thereof.”
“Graphics very dated.”
“Graphics are horrible.”
- gameplay83 mentions
- 28 % positive mentions
- 65 % neutral mentions
- 7 % negative mentions
The gameplay of X3: Terran Conflict is characterized by its deep and complex mechanics, offering a vast open-world sandbox experience that allows for extensive exploration, trading, and fleet management. However, players often face a steep learning curve due to a lack of tutorials and a clunky interface, which can make initial gameplay feel slow and tedious. Despite these challenges, many find the gameplay rewarding and immersive, especially for those willing to invest significant time to master its intricacies.
“The gameplay is great - but do yourself a favor and install the mod I mention below, it adds a great deal of content and forces you to strategize a bit.. it makes the universe a lot more dangerous, too.”
“X3's logistics, economy, and trading mechanics are as complex as they are fun, and a wonderful reward for those willing to brave the learning curve.”
“Deep gameplay and gorgeous graphics to boot!”
“There aren't any tutorials beyond a very basic flight mechanics training, and then that's it, you're on your own.”
“The gameplay is a little boring... that's all there is to it, it takes forever to do anything and the missions (when you finally find one you can do) are repetitive.”
“My biggest complaint about the gameplay, however, is that (aside from combat) it is incredibly slow-paced.”
- music39 mentions
- 54 % positive mentions
- 38 % neutral mentions
- 8 % negative mentions
The music in the game is widely praised for its gorgeous and immersive quality, enhancing the unique atmosphere of the expansive universe. Many players appreciate the diverse soundtracks that accompany different sectors, contributing to the overall experience, although some find certain tracks can become repetitive over time. Overall, the soundtrack is considered a standout feature, complementing the game's stunning graphics and gameplay.
“The atmosphere is stunningly fantastic and with the right background soundtrack absolutely breathtaking.”
“This is a beautiful game with a beautiful soundtrack.”
“The music tracks are great and blend well with the full space exploration theme.”
“The immersion is excellent, although the music can get a little boring after a while; I fix this by playing di.”
“I was rather unimpressed with the music of x3:tc.”
“The soundtrack can often make or break a game (or salvage it from a gruesome end), but the music felt uninspired and pumped full of space-y noises.”
- grinding32 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
The grinding aspect of the game is widely criticized for being tedious and repetitive, detracting from the overall enjoyment and core gameplay experience. Players find the early game particularly taxing, with a steep learning curve and a lack of engaging content, while later missions often feel laborious and uninspired. Although some players appreciate the potential for automation to alleviate the grind, many feel that the extensive grinding required for progression ultimately diminishes the game's appeal.
“A boring, tedious job that takes away from the very core of what this was supposed to be.”
“It actually has all the elements in place to make it truly great -- a huge, explorable universe, a complex economy, a huge variety of ships that each have their own use, a nice backstory, good graphics and music -- but it has some really critical flaws with playability that make the overall experience extremely tedious.”
“The amount of painful, repetitive, boring grinding you have to do to get anywhere or do anything is worse than some MMOs.”
- stability20 mentions
- 15 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 85 % negative mentions
The game's stability is a mixed bag, with many users reporting significant bugs and glitches that can disrupt gameplay, particularly in campaign missions and AI behavior. While some players note that the game runs smoothly at times and can be enjoyable despite these issues, the overall consensus highlights a frustrating experience due to the frequent and sometimes severe bugs.
“It actually runs great!”
“Other than that, it's pretty much bug-free!”
“Great combat, smooth transitions, and generally bug-free.”
“This game is just so buggy.”
“And unfortunately, I'd put way too many hours into the early part of the game before realizing how buggy it becomes later on.”
“Sadly though the game has some buggy bits that undermine its brilliance.”
- replayability17 mentions
- 47 % positive mentions
- 35 % neutral mentions
- 18 % negative mentions
The game boasts nearly infinite replayability, thanks to its vast array of ships, factions, and playstyles, allowing players to engage in diverse strategies and experiences. While it features a steep learning curve and a slow start, the depth of gameplay, stunning graphics, and extensive mod support significantly enhance its replay value. Overall, players find the open-ended nature of the game makes it a compelling choice for repeated playthroughs.
“This game has a ton of ships, almost all of them are playable and all of them are highly detailed.”
“Not only is there a huge range of playstyles to be had, there are a number of factions to start from, so the replayability is endless as you form, break, and manipulate trust with the different factions organically and naturally.”
“Stunning graphics that still amaze me to this day with the ability to start out flying a single small fighter or transport and working my way up to owning a fleet of merchants, space stations, and battleships leads to incredible replay value as you literally have an entire universe as your playground.”
“It has lots of replay value due to its massive world and lots of freedom to play the way you want.”
- atmosphere10 mentions
- 60 % positive mentions
- 20 % neutral mentions
- 20 % negative mentions
The atmosphere of the game is widely praised for its unique beauty and immersive qualities, enhanced by stunning graphics and a captivating soundtrack. Players appreciate the animated planetary atmospheres, particularly on gas giants, which contribute to a visually striking experience. Overall, the game's atmosphere is considered a standout feature that continues to engage and immerse players over time.
“It's not perfect, but it's a classic with a uniquely beautiful atmosphere and a huge environment.”
“I can't find a space sim that is more immersive and atmospheric than this gem by Egosoft!”
“The atmosphere is stunningly fantastic and with the right background soundtrack, absolutely breathtaking.”
“Years in, it still looks gorgeous, the sound and music still do not grate on your nerves, and the atmosphere is still one to thoroughly immerse oneself in again and again.”
“The planets have an animated atmosphere, so with gas planets, you really see the toxic atmosphere moving around from space, which looks cool.”
- optimization9 mentions
- 22 % positive mentions
- 44 % neutral mentions
- 33 % negative mentions
The game's optimization has received mixed reviews, with many players noting significant performance issues, particularly on lower-end PCs. Users report sluggishness when numerous objects are present, and the lack of multi-threading limits performance improvements. While some players are willing to overlook these issues due to their enjoyment of the game, others recommend seeking mods to enhance performance.
“There are lots of mods available to improve performance or to modify game elements!”
“Its major shortcoming is, in my opinion, performance-related.”
“This game is somewhat similar to Freelancer...except not as optimized. The autopilot couldn't find its way out of a wet paper bag, and considering how much you will rely on it, I don't recommend it.”
“The features introduced in the newer entries into the X-Universe are tempting, but performance is a factor.”
“Once there are enough objects in the world, the game becomes very sluggish, far beyond what I expected the performance drop to be on a machine with my specs.”
- humor5 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The humor in the game is characterized by its quirky situations and unexpected moments, such as the absurdity of managing multiple ships on autopilot while multitasking in real life. Players appreciate the blend of comedic elements with the game's depth and complexity, leading to amusing scenarios that enhance the overall experience.
“It's funny, I look at my playtime in this game and I wonder how much of that was actually spent cooking dinner while my ship flew around on autopilot.”
“Funny moment I remember is that some race HQ building asked me to smuggle some space fuel for 500k.”
“Slow start and some getting used to, but never ceases to amaze with its depth, stunning views, funny moments, and huge replay value.”
- emotional3 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
Players express a mix of confusion and discomfort regarding the emotional experience of the game, likening it to an awkward date that raises unsettling questions. Despite this, the game offers a vast sandbox experience that allows for extensive exploration and creativity, which can evoke a sense of freedom and engagement.
“I'm not touching them; I'm afraid of what it'll do to me.”
