Lusipurr.com – Presenting the Sundry Opinions of Lusipurr and Friends

Lusipurr.com is pleased(!?) to present THE SUMMER OF X^3.

X^3: Reunion Box Art

X^3: Reunion is the highly-rated sequel to X^2: The Threat. A 2008 space trading and combat simulator, it is available on Steam, and natively for Windows, Mac OS X, and Linux. The player controls a spaceship of their own choosing for the purposes of exploration, trade, and conquest.

As the plot progresses, the mystery surrounding the manipulative Sargon is slowly exposed. The fate of Julian and his father, Kyle, hangs in the balance. Julian seeks to recover the crystals, but in an attempt to placate the Paranid, the Argon Federation declare him an enemy. Of course, it is shortly thereafter discovered that the Paranid are actually responsible for provoking the Khaak. When Julian flees through a jumpgate, the Khaak follow, only to be drawn into a battle with a combined Teladi, Boron, and Argon fleet, commanded by the mighty Ban Danna.

When Julian and Ion Toni Marani try to stabilise the jumpgate, Ion is mortally wounded. Only too late do the Terrans arrive to rescue Julian. But Terran-Argon friction necessitates Julian’s return to Earth, where he is ultimately pardoned by the Argon and Paranid.

What do you think of the storyline? Is the music up to par? Have the graphics, lauded at the time, held up? Do you feel it borrows too much from the Star Trek and Star Wars universes? Is it derivative–a veritable Wing Commander clone–or is there something unique here? What of its similarity to EVE Online? Is the sandbox space universe something which now belongs squarely in the realm of MMOs?

We’re looking forward to reading your impressions of this title as Lusipurr.com’s Summer of X continues. Your comments will be used on the 7 June episode of the Megaphones Ahoy! Podcast, so let’s hear what you have to say, because your opinions matter. They really do. After all, aren’t you glad you told us you wanted a Summer of X?