X4: Foundations

X4: Foundations describes itself as a universe simulator, and that’s perhaps a really fitting description for such a game. Set against the backdrop of outer space, X4: Foundations lets players lose in a vast sandbox and lets them carve out their own lifepaths in a virtual space with customizable spaceships, dynamic economies, and crafting systems. It’s a complex game with a lot of moving parts and can be pretty fun to poke around.

After the relatively disappointing X: Rebirth, Egosoft is back with X4: Foundations. It promises the “most sophisticated universe simulation ever”, and features all kinds of ships. Whether you’re looking for a fighter or a capital ship, X4: Foundations lets you take the helm following its release on Steam.

What do you do in X4: Foundations? Pretty much everything possible in outer space, from commanding entire fleets to participating in large battles. You can build bases, start and expand a trade empire, or even become a space pirate. The game offers unprecedented freedom, whether it’s in the field of space combat or business.

Though official reviews aren’t out just yet, the game’s user review score on Steam is “Mostly Positive”. The visuals and overall freedom in gameplay have been praised, but crashes and optimization issues seem to be cropping up. Egosoft recently released a hotfix, which fixes crashes caused when the game is unable to write files to disk. It also fixes the blue screen flash that occurs after the intro video.