X4: Foundations Reviews

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.

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.

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.

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

X4: Foundations is an expansive space game and our full review is now live!

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.