Recent reviews by Fishy

I have been a fan of the X Universe games since X3, after playing which I went back and obtained the first two.
Unlike many fans, I actually liked X Rebirth but accept that it is a very different experience to a "standard" X game, this "fixes" that more than adequately.
X4 Foundations has the classic X gameplay we expect and love, the deep worldbuilding which has always marked the series and some frankly amazing graphics - though I had to upgrade my PC to have it play smoothly. Even before upgrading, it was well worth playing.
The sandbox universe and its dynamic economy will certainly keep you busy, while also providing a constant stream of new income through fleet and station operations, giving a feeling almost like a traditional 4X strategy game, where your resources build while you are doing something with your existing units, but the gameplay is much deeper than that. The experience runs from flying a small scout ship on missions for a patron, up to managing a trading and construction empire, issuing orders to your fleets on the map screen without ever setting foot in a cockpit - all in one game!
The fact that the game is sandbox and non-linear also means that you don't lost the more simplistic gameplay, or the joy of flying a small ship, just because you advanced to a later stage. There are always reasons to hop into a Discoverer and jet off into the galaxy if you want them, even after you are controlling carrier fleets with hundreds of fighters and massive station complexes.
With combat, exploration, diplomacy, trade and mission completion, there is a lot to keep you occupied for many, many hours - especially with the DLC added.
In fact, I cannot recommend the DLC enough. Each adds new sectors, ships and factions to the game, increasing both the game's scope and your options.

X4 isn't just a game, it's an eXperience.

I can't remember which version number EGS was on when I started playing it but I know that it grabbed me and kept me playing straight from the get go. Since then it has gone from strength the strength and keeps pulling me back in even after I leave it alone for a while.
The survival elements are relatively minor compared to the crafting, base building and raiding on points of interest but you still get some hairy moments at the start of the game. Crafting hovering and flying vessels then moving on to explore the other planets in the procedurally generated star system and maybe building a capital ship as a mobile base can take up a lot of time, as can getting the look of your creations just right and decorating your base.
Personally, I like to build all but the largest vehicles in Survival mode but some amazing creations can be made in Creative and then spawned in Survival or Multiplayer games once you hit the appropriate level and gather enough resources. We play mainly on a private co-operative multiplayer server and this game provides one of the best co-op gaming experiences I have had in three decades of gaming.

I really wanted to like this game. I've heard great things about the story and the engine has a lot of potential. Unfortunately the level design and gameplay are some of the worst I have ever seen, completely ruining what might have otherwise been a good game. There is little to no indication of where you should go (and no indication at all of why in most cases), so that randomly hurling yourself into space a few times until you pick a direction which doesn't kill you is the primary feature of play. This might be okay if you had time to scout around and figure out your route but every level (as far as I have played) has hostiles forcing you to keep moving at most times. You seem to need to identify (by, as far as I can figure out, trial and error) the right route for each section and follow that exactly, ruining the illusion of an open world which the engine gives.
I understand that some people are probably happy with trial and error game play, random seeming action with little or in-game explanation or real clue as to what is going on, being content to learn routes and try for their best time on them, but I am not one of them. I only spent £2.50 on this nonsense and I feel cheated, I can only hope that I can get my money's worth from non-story play since, as I said, the engine itself seems very good.

You won't see me playing ED on Steam for the simple reason that I shall continue going through the standard Launcher as I have since the game launched. I cannot recommend this game enough for anyone who likes sandbox space games, it is quite simply the most impressive piece of programming I have seen in years.

The Elite universe is vast and unforgiving, but the game is not. While it fails utterly to hold your hand or pretend that you are something special (if you want to be the hero who saves the world then play something else), and while ED has a fairly steep learning curve, for anyone willing to watch the tutorial videos and play through the lessons included the game is easy to progress in.
There is a good community online, many of whom will happily help new players (but there are also those who will victimise those weaker than themselves so you might want to consider a good Private Group) and there are plenty of ways to make money in-game. Your task is simply to find the one which suits you.

Don't expect ED to hold your hand. You will be dumped in space with a few credits and a small ship (though one not to be underestimated) and left to make your own way - pick up missions from the Station Bulletin Board; explore nearby star systems and sell the data for credits; buy and sell commidities (though you'll need to upgrade you cargo capacity first); hunt Bounties in Resource Collection Zones or Unidentified Signal Sources; Collect salvage from Signal Sources and smuggle them into a Station to sell on the black market. There are many ways to advance in the universe and all are open to you. You will probably want to start with some simple delivery jobs from a Bulletin Board but once you have a few upgrades under your belt the universe is your oyster.

Since Powerplay you can also join macro-groups within the larger Factions (Empire, Alliance, Federation and Independent) and work to promote their goals. I haven't signed up for this so I can't say much more - it looks interesting though.

In summary: play this game if you want to be dropped into space and allowed to decide for yourself what you do from there. Don't play it if you want structured plotlines and a clear direction of play. While ED has a story it is the story of a Galaxy, not the story of your avatar.