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The
cryptically named X-Beyond the Frontier is a German- made romp through an alternate
universe that can best be described as a good stab at space opera, replete with action,
adventure, intrigue, and trading, yes, lots and lots of trading. The front of the box says
its a space combat action game, but the back of the box is a little more
accurate in describing sixty-plus product lines to trade. There is plenty of
stuff to shoot up, but in order to get anywhere youve got to trade. Fortunately, X
is not as boring as I may make is seem; it's loaded with great graphics and lots of
first-class exploration. The story, though undistinguished, is certainly adequate to base
this quite large and ambitious game upon. At the beginning of the game, and after the
games lengthy explanation of why, you are dumped off at one of fifty-four fairly
large sectors shared by six distinct races, from the begrudgingly helpful Teladi to the
downright hostile Xenons. Your goal is to reach Argon space, where you are to receive help
in getting home; sound kind of familiar? Each sector is made up of a cluster of space
stations, trading posts, resource collectors, manufacturing plants and defensive fleets.
You will also come upon pirate ships in some sectors, whom you are to dispose of with
extreme predjudice. The races of each sector each have their own architectural aesthetic,
specialities, and way of going about things. The races also host a wide variety of goods
that can, for the most part, be traded among other races as well. The stations also serve
as armories where you can upgrade weapons and shields and strike up trading and military
alliances. The cargos you can
choose to transport and sell for profit are quite varied as well, from foodstuffs, to
energy, technology and other miscellanea. I was mildly intrigued when I first received the
game and the rating of teen (13+) was deemed necessary for the games use of
drugs. Sure enough, one of the most lucrative investments that you can make in the
game is in the transport and distribution of Spaceweed. Im sorry,
Im cracking up here. So, now we can all fulfill our dreams of becoming
interplanetary Han Solo-style hustlers and get hassled by the Man. Which is exactly what
happens; I eventually had to give up my drug-dealing ways because I kept getting caught
and having my stuff confiscated, and youll be lucky to get rid of the interplanetary
DEA once they suspect something is on the down low. Having fun and
shooting stuff up will also get you nowhere in a hurry; there are a lot of feelings that
can be hurt here. Its best to play by the rules and shoot stuff up only once in a
while, like when you see those rascally and nearly indestructible pirates. If you're
lucky you might get a hand from allied ships in the area, which is what it takes to bring
down some of the poorly programmed ships that once attacked fly in circles or fatally ram
you. Save games are handled
through what they call Salvage Insurance, you can get this at most of the structures you
visit for a small price. At first I didnt like the idea, thinking that it would slow
the progress of the game if I got killed far from where I last got Insurance. But after a
while I got used to the idea and bought insurance immediately after I entered each new
sector. This allows you to go back to a safe haven and reformulate your plans, or avoid
hostile sectors after your first unhealthy encounter. However, in order to gain a positive
reputation with some races you have to engage pirates and other hostiles with a bounty
hunter mentality. You can also get paid to do so by buying police licensces from friendly
races. There are other
methods of making a living in the X universe other than getting shot up as a bounty
hunter, or through trading between sectors, which Ive already discussed a little. If
you manage to gain enough capital with the aforementioned methods you can go on and invest
in your own factories. This is very time consuming and is only recommended for those who
would like to be playing this game steadily into some time next year. If you choose to do
so, you must find a transport to move your goods and construct your factories.
Overall, the slow progress of the game, because of the steep curve at which you gain
competence, makes it rather frustrating at times--and the size to the universe
doesnt help either. Xs graphics are simple but still very nice, specifically the backgrounds of space that change with each sector, and planets and space debris abound. And while--as mentioned before--each race has its own architectural aesthetic, at times these structures, though rendered nicely, seem uninspired in form. Some are just slightly different collections of the same basic shapes and textures. Spaceships suffer the most, and can be difficult to tell apart. My biggest problem
with X is the utterly stupefying lack of guidance that you receive at the beginning of the
game. I had no idea where to start, who to shoot-who not to shoot, why I should do so, and
even a basic direction as to where I should go next. The problem persists to even the key
mapping. Some of the controls are given in the manual, but a great many others have to be
found through trial and error. The trading system, though relatively simple in nature, is
not explained anywhere, in the game or manual. This led to a great deal of consternation
on my part when I kept wasting hard earned cash on stuff I really didnt need, or
dumping it off in space on accident, or even finding someone to buy my cargo. The manual
is utterly worthless in solving any of these problems. I suspect the translation budget
wasnt very big and the original German manual is a little more helpful. If you are going to
buy a game to last you a couple months X might be a good shot, but if you want a direct,
very linear game, where everything is a little more obvious, X is a miss. Be prepared for
a good deal of wandering the back forty of space, with gunfights thrown in only now and
then. In return you will get as close to being a space cowboy as any game has yet offered.
X is fun, but it's an investment. |