X4: Foundations

Fans of the X series will love the new X4 Foundations, but new players will find it incredibly hard to get into.

Exploring the universe to bubbly, excitable synths is always going to stir something inside of us, I think, and X4 is no different. There’s beauty to be found here, among the stars. But it's going to take a more dedicated role-player than myself - or at least someone far more interested in systems for their own sake - to buy into this flimsy simulation for very long.

Foundations is more of the same niche-scratching space exploration from previous iterations with a more immersive feel and I can’t wait to dive back into my personal galaxy. For those that have been watching the X series from the outside, Foundations is a great entry point, provided you meet the beefy system requirements.

An ambitious, complex sandbox space game that allows you to do almost anything from spacewalking to commanding a carrier with a fleet of ships onboard. A steep learning curve and an inconsistent interface mar an excellent return for Egosoft’s flagship series.

If there's one song that exemplifies my time with X4: Foundations in song form, it's Space Oddity. In reality, David Bowie's masterpiece is a song about seeing 2001: A Space Odyssey while high as a kite. However, taking it as a space-travelling song the lyrics seem to indicate loneliness, also futility to how our actions can actually be.