Which brings me nicely onto the subject of graphics technology. X3: Reunion is a clear and concise example of how the unstoppable advancement of graphics technology can be a very good thing… if you own the kind of computer with flame decals on the case and has more money invested into it than the apartment you’ve been living in for the last six years. X3 is unquestionably a very pretty game – even on medium detail, the textures are unquestionably crisp and beautiful, the weapon effects pleasing to the eye, and the cool little glow effects making every object have it’s own unique little shine and appeal. Sadly, the game suffers from framerate issues that go something beyond "severe". Okay, granted, I understand I can no longer expect cutting-edge performance from my XP2500+ / Radeon 9800 Pro / 1GB RAM configuration. However, when I set every available detail setting (of the three-odd settings available to change) down to the lowest possible mode and still find the game running choppy, I’m understandably more than a little disappointed. Adding to this are complaints from players with 64-bit configurations and top-of-the-line video cards also regarding framerate problems, and I soon realize that X3 has something far more wrong with it than a lack of graphical optimization.

It doesn’t help that my beloved cockpits have also been stripped from the game (a fan-made project was rushed out to re-integrate them, but sadly this modification was broken in the latest patch) and that, in spite of all the little touches and flair, the game still fails to provide the raw graphical punch other titles such as Nexus: The Jupiter Incident, or even the now-antiquated Freespace 2 offered. Where’s my dynamic damage scarring or jaw-dropping beam weapon effects? What about the unique and pleasing ship designs, or high-detail explosions? While combat involving capital ships and several fighters looks cool, it still ultimately falls flat of providing the cinematic experience I now expect after having played the aforementioned titles, and it’s not like these particular touches are demanding to implement or anything. And while it was refreshing to see that just about every ship in the game had seen a design overhaul (and thank god they did away with the silly "Flying Helmet" pirate ship models), I’d like to file a small grievance regarding the capital ship models – whereas previously the difference between the station-constructing "TL" class, Destroyer class, and Carrier class vessels was obvious, now they look almost exactly the same from a distance until targeted. On the bright side, at least each race now has a more distinct and unique feel for their major vessels.

I’ll lay it down this way: X3: Reunion adds a lot of cool concepts to the X-series. The new sectors to explore are a great touch (I still haven’t found everything), the graphics are still really quite impressive, and there is still an unmatched sense of accomplishment offered from starting up your own business and trying to make a profit in the game’s highly competitive and volatile universe. The game also has an astoundingly strong community supporting it, and some of the third-party scripting changes and modifications out there almost help make up for some of the larger faults. But with that said, just like every previous game in the series, I soon found myself running out of any ongoing reason to continue playing the game after the novelty wore off, and the sluggish framerates definitely didn’t contribute to the experience. Probably the single thing I dislike the most about X3: Reunion is that I’m ultimately left with exactly the same impression I was with X2, in that it adds a bunch of cool stuff and helps expand the universe further, but still is a concept badly in need of higher production values (though I will credit the game with having excellent music) and extreme amounts of refinement. Still, what else are us space sim fans going to play until the inevitable day of salvation when somebody picks up and releases Freespace 3?