This one missed the mark. I've always been a big fan of the X series. I've owned them all since X-BTF. I've logged many hundreds, probably more like thousands, of hours in X cockpits. Although I see where they are trying to go with this game, it doesn't get there. On the plus side, the controls are smooth and accurate. It's really easy to fly and fight in this game. The weapon selection is limited, but they're good. The graphics are pretty amazing, which is expected with any X game. The universe is huge and there is a staggering variety of ships. Sadly. that's pretty much where it ends. On the down side, and the most fatal flaw IMHO, is that you can only pilot one ship. Other X games let you fly any ship in your fleet. Half the fun was buying/building/capturing other ships and taking them for a spin. Although being able to walk around in stations is an interesting idea, and one that was clamored for by X fans, it really turned out to be pretty boring. There are only a very few types of stations. Once you've seen them all it gets repetitive. That happens quick. The interface is awful. It's just plain confusing. A complex interface doesn't have to be confusing. This makes the next problem all the worse. It has the learning curve of a brick wall. This game is complicated and non-intuitive. Other X games had to be "figured out" to some extent, but this one ratchets that up 2 or 3 more levels. Even the simplest actions can be downright frustrating. The documentation, if you can call it that, is way out of date. Your best bet is tips from other players on the forums or YouTube. I've read several reviews talking about how much better the game is now than it used to be. If this is good, I shudder to think how bad it used to be. I'm hearing rumors of an X4 in the works. I think I'll put my joystick and throttle back in storage until that comes out. I'm not wasting anymore time with this one.
