Simulators rule!  Especially simulators that give you the chance to experience something that would otherwise be a distant dream from the reality of living with your parents until the age of 45 (Is there any sweeter setup for a gamer?).  X2: The Threat is a perfect example of taking you from the comforts of your computer’s swivel chair and saddling you up to the captain’s chair of a fast-flying and fighting spaceship, journeying into the endless frontier of space.

For anyone who played X:  Beyond the Frontier in 2000, X2 is the follow-up title where you must go back to the X Universe to take care of a new threat.  You, Julian, are a past thief who decides to join TerraCorp, the largest space fleet in the Argon territories, then going to jail.  You jump into a ship and prepare to complete some missions….until an interesting twist occurs.  I hate spoilers, so I’ll let you marinate on the number of possibilities that faces you in the game.  X2 prides itself on having four epic experiences in one game: trading, fighting, building, and thinking.  Because it is a simulation (nicely displayed on the front of the box), it is essential to offer an open-ended feel, but to still carry on with a creative storyline so there is purpose outside of exploring the galaxies.  Luckily, X2 does a fine job in weaving the endless possibilities it has with a solid game-play experience.  Though there is an obvious lack of multiplayer mode, X2 is not intended to be your average MMORPG where the appeal of the game comes from the number of players online versus a rich storyline.

The whole point of the game is to spend some time working on building up your empire and experience, starting out as a low-level trader and becoming the top dog of space, doing a lot of side missions and objectives on the way.  And just like most open-ended titles, once the game is complete, your simulation has just begun.  You can trade commodities, become a bounty hunter, steal cargo or even ships, mine asteroids, and much more.  With over 70 ships at your disposal, varying in purpose (fighters, cargo ships, passenger liners), and the power to upgrade and own as many as you can afford, you’ll soon be taking command of your own universal armada.  And what’s a wide range of crafts without a myriad of weapons to protect it.  Offering such things as lasers, missiles, mines, and remote droids, fighting will increase your notoriety amongst your peers and make you the terror of the black skies.  Battles range from the classic ship to ship square-off to the heart-thumping, sweat-dripping, finger-biting battles that take part in space.

Another important factor in X2 is navigation.  If you don’t keep your eye on this, you’ll soon be floating in an empty abyss with nothing but the assurance that you’ve got along way to go to the nearest station.  If you think that humans are all alone, you’re dead wrong.  There are various races that inhabit the X Universe including the Baron, the Paranid, the Split, the Teladi, the Xenon, and the unknown Khaak.  Pirates also roam the darkness, so keep on the look out for their bases and ships.  Friend and Enemy AI hold their own, and it will take a lot of work to take down some baddies.  If there is one thing I wanted most, it would probably be a better system to maneuver your Starfleet.  Imagine hundreds of ships at your beck and call.  Now imagine trying to handle each ships individual movement and action….yikes!  This also ties into problems with the frame rate.  For such a big simulator, keeping play smooth and comfortable is a big priority, one that isn’t met with the highest regard from Egosoft.

The X Universe’s Economy is very interesting.  Those of you who yawned in Econ class will be delighted to know that the price of goods are affected by supply and demand.  As a space economist, keeping tabs on the market can become very profitable.  I did feel that making use of the economy for long-term profits isn’t necessary, so the game play fell short there.  There is just so much going on in this game, I’m baffled how they can cram the user guide into just 68 pages.

Graphically, the galaxies are beautiful in design and the spacecraft is also nicely done.  The character models could use a little help, with subpar character animation and lip-syncing that dummies can imitate.  The effects along with the constant motion of spacecraft, asteroids, and a bunch of space wonders, makes soaring through galaxies as real as picking up your mail.  And there is nothing better than good space music.  To get the true feel of what its like high in the black sky, the tone is one of eerie wonder, and the sound effects also add a little something to the overall experience.

X2:  The Threat is a good, solid title.  Though its not a masterpiece and falls in the growing crowd of space simulators like FreeLancer, it’s a game that almost everyone will appreciate.  With a few adjustments, this could just be the simulator you want for your PC.

Gameplay: 8.7
Trading, fighting, building, thinking....what else is there?  With a few improvements, its one of the better simulators ever developed.

Graphics: 8.4
Neglecting the horrible character models, lip-synching, and frame rate, the galaxies are abundant in quality of design and the enormity rivals all other space simulators out.

Sound: 8.7
You won't be turning down your speakers with this title.  Colorful sound effects and music ambiance always leads to good things.

Difficulty: Medium/Hard

Concept: 8.0
Space simulators are growing in number, so the concept loses its magic.

Overall: 8.4
X2 is a very nice looking title with endless opportunities tied into a good storyline.