I actually just bought the steam version since Gamespy has failed to authenticate my old copy of the game. I hate DRM. I probably have more hours in this game than any other, although I may have more time in another franchise, like Elder Scrolls, that's over three games with . I have just never gotten into X3. It is prettier, but the mechanics do not work for me. This is the only game I have ever played that I can set it up and let it go, for days sometimes. Things happen when I am away, I loose ships, but if I set it up well I can minimize that. It is also useful to set this up efficiently since you don't want to have to handle a ship under attack somewhere else while you are playing a storyline mission.

This game is a bit dated now. The graphics could have been better when it was launched, but this game is more about building a space empire than it is about wiz-bang graphics. You do have to fly and fight some, but you can avoid most fighting and just be an industrialist. The story is rather short, which is my only real complaint.

This game does take a while to learn, both the economy, and the mechanics of space flight to get the edge you need to succeed. Many people complain about not having a mouse. That's like saying you want a spoon to eat spaghetti! Seriously, the mouse is just not as efficient here. You need a keyboard to navigate the menus and a joystick to fly. I chain my commands together so fast now I don't even have time to see what the options are anymore, I've memorized them. Anyone with a mouse would be much slower navigating the menus. Take a ship, "C" for command, "1" for navigation, "2" for dock, "enter" to select the current system, arrow down a certain number of times to select the destination, and hit enter to submit the command. That is five different screens you need to select an option from for this one command. And you may need to do this ten times in a row. A mouse does not work with this interface well, but if you wanted to completely redesign the interface I am sure you could make a mouse just as efficient. X3 has tried it, but it doesn't work for me.

Very steep learning curve, but overall a really good game!

Economic simulator IN SPACE! You will HATE this game if you expect to fly around blowing stuff up like a bad Wing Commander clone and I will laugh at you for it. This game is for people who extract joy from maximzing profits as they dominate the market on space weed and use their illicit drug money to build an armada to destroy entire races because a transporter from a neighboring sector bought all the energy cells for their worthless wheat farm.

Do you like spending long hours establishing your empire?
Do you like big learning curves?
Do you like working a second/third job?
Do you want to wreck the economy?

If you answered yes to those questions you will enjoy this game, otherwise just go away before you become another one of those people who just doesn't get it and hates the X series without really knowing why. Unless you hate Rebirth, that's different.

An hour or so into the game, I'm given a transporter ship and a mission to ferry some civilians from one sector to another. Accompanying me is my employer's daughter, Saya (who bears an uncanny likeness to Alyx Vance). Just as I'm approaching the last jump gate separating me and my destination, Saya's voice crackles over comms: "...I think we're being followed...I swear I saw a pirate ship." We pass through the gate and my heart sinks. A dozen pirate ships were waiting for me. I hand the controls over to the ship's computer and hop in the aft turret to lay down some desperate cover fire. The intelligent auto-pilot system gracefully and effectively dodges the brightly colored emmisions from the enemies' gamma impulse rays as I fire wildly into space. This is a transport vessel; unequipped for a sustained firefight, and woefully ineffective against a sorty of pirate ships. We aren't going to make it. But then, I remember that I have a ship docked in this sector: an M5 class Argon Discoverer light reconnaissance fighter craft. I call up my shipboard computer and access the ship to ship command console. I order my fighter to fly out into space, then I retake manual control of the transport. This plan might just work. I close the distance between my two craft to about 400 meters, rolling and weaving all the while to avoid the enemy projectiles. Commanding the transporter to dock at the TerraCorp HQ, I eject into space. Saya's voice on comms again: "W-what are you...where are you going? You can't just leave us here!" I ignore it, my plan already seeming foolish enough without her to remind me. I jetpack over to the Discoverer and enter the ship. Payback time. Locking onto the nearest pirate ship, I engage the ship's thrusters and begin pursuit. My M5 has the weakest weapons and shielding available, but I don't care. I have to protect the civilians; I have to protect Saya. The majority of the pirate ships turn to face this new threat. Two still chase the transporter. I throw my ship back and forth, narrowly dodging would-be kill shots, but still sustaining heavy damage. Shields critical. Hull at 43%. This plan was suicide. I lock on to the transport to track its progress. 200 meters out from docking. A few seconds away. With renewed hope, I turn my craft around and fly towards TerraCorp HQ and the transport. I just might pull this off. Suddenly, one of the pirates tailing the transport increases its speed and positions itself between the station and the transport. I'm 2 kilometers out, just out of effective firing range. I can only watch as the pirate ship fires a volley of lasers directly into the cockpit of the transport ship. The transport erupts in flames, spirals out of control. "No," I hear myself utter, "no no no..." The transport ship careens into the station and explodes, and with it, my passengers. My ship's computer makes an announcement: "Attention, your Argon Express has been destroyed by a pirate Orinoco in sector Home of Light." Saya, my employer's daughter and my character's potential love interest, dead. The pirates break formation and scatter, their mission accomplished. My M5 is crippled, my S.E.T.A. booster, one of the alpha impulse ray emmiters, and my duplex scanner all destroyed. I haven't the time to mourn, however, as I'm already receiving a message from my other employer: the Argon Secret Service. "Welcome to X2," I think to myself, as I fly my busted ship back to TerraCorp HQ. X2 improves upon Beyond the Frontier in almost every way. You can now fly any ship, leave your ship in a space suit, and trade and command stations remotely. Combat has been heavily refined, the story line improved, graphics modernized, and the universe expanded. This is the one of the few times I've ever seen a sequel outshine its predecessor, and I know that I'll enjoy every second of my journey across the X-universe.

So, a quick review of X2 The Threat.
X Games are a genre unique unto themselves. The game is basically a sandbox universe made up of multiple sectors or solar systems connected by jump gates.
The main objects in the sectors are factories which consume and produce products; and different kinds of space ships flying about doing different tasks; such as freighters collecting or delivering products, military ships defending the sector, pirates doing their business (they don’t bother you too much), and a mysterious enemy called the Khaak (that will bother you relentlessly).
You can choose the kind of role you want to play. Be a pirate hunter, stealing their ships and selling them. Become a pirate yourself if you want. Build a commercial empire with factories in multiple sectors and your own fleet of freighters – and get rich so you can buy the high-end ships and equipment and go and conquer the universe. It’s really up to you.
There is a storyline you can follow if you want. It’s not great really; but you can drop in and out of it as you like.
X2 is not an arcade space dog fighting game. If that is what you want you will be disappointed. The game requires a lot of time to learn and play. For those who like sandbox simulation games, with an emphasis on building an empire from scratch X2 The Threat is excellent. Although that said the subsequent iterations have improved the gameplay and graphics. So if you want to play just one X game this might not be the one to choose. The whole series is available here on Steam, so do a little research and decide which one you want to jump into.
(ps I have the game on Steam but I played a retail copy)

X2: The Threat is the continuation of the X saga and is, for it's time, the quintessential space game. That is not to say it starts off that great. Most people will quit after a few hours of gameplay and label it a mediocre experience and they'd be right to do so, X2 is not a game that impresses in the beginning, it is a game that requires tremendous investment in time and effort before you start to understand and appreciate the scope of the game.

As the game starts up you're treated to some low quality cut-scene with poorly modeled people trying to cover up their lack of animation, you're then booted into the game with little instruction on how to do anything and a tutorial that is so completely useless at actually teaching you anything it might as well be a deterrent to keep new players from learning the game.

You will spend your first few hours struggling with your flight controls and trying to figure out how trading works stopping every once in a while to curse at the unintuitive HUD and the lazy save game system.

But then, at some point between frustration and throwing your PC out the window you will discover something. This game is awesome once you figure it out. X2 like it's predecessors doesn't want to tell you want to do, it simply wants you to do. Want to be a pirate? Go do it. Want to be a trader? Go do it. Want to be bounty hunter or a mining mogul? Go do it. Change your ship, create a fleet, manage vast networks of trade ships and mining complexes, you are free to do as you please in this vast and open universe.

There is a storyline hidden somewhere out there between the stars. The game starts you off in the classic role as a prisoner getting one last chance at redemption and as you progress through the game a story will unfold, if you want it to. The storyline is entirely optional and most people will probably end up ignoring it most of the time in favor of the open-ended gameplay that is at the core of X2.

The game is quite beautiful as you float between the stars and watch the myriad of anomalies, space stations and ships that make up the various star systems you visit. The character models and the cut-scenes however are of a much lower quality and will often make you dread having to speak to somebody aboard a space station.

All in all X2:The Threat is a great game, if you can get past the insanely steep learning curve.

X2 is very complex, and overwhelming when you start to play. The learning curve from X:btf to X2 is huge.
(Xbtf wasn't exactly easy to play at the start)

It'll take several hours and lots of time in the training menu before you feel confident and start to really enjoy it.
This was the first X game i played when it was released, I accidently ejected from my ship, couldn't get back in it, then put X2 down and was scared away from the series.

However 13 or so years later i tried again. And the verdict is............. I LOVE IT.
freelancer held a special place to me, but after learning X, freelancer seems rubbish.

I would seriously recommend playing X:btf first!
Also this game looks so amazing after playing the first one.
The biggest bonus is all the information i wrote down on the first game (like a universe map) meant i was able to find the places X2 was trying to send me really quickly, and i knew what the factories required and where to find it instantly, which was a god send.
Not having to learn all the tradable resources and factory requirements, aswell as controlling the ship was a huge weight off my shoulders.

Fly through space. Look at things. Fly through space some more. Trade a couple items, dodge a couple pirates. Fly through space some more. Turn on auto-pilot and go out for dinner.

Awesome.

There are some features about this game i like over the later ones (such as flying in stations and actually seeing characters outside of ships). It feels like a mix of beyond the frontier and x3. If you have never played any of them, pick up the super box during a steam sale. its worth it.

My first in the X series. I love the dynamics and can't wait to try some sequels.

This game is exactly like X-BTF and X-Tension, but more complex and challenging. So you maybe better trying X-Beyond The Frontier first, in order to avoid struggling to climb up the steep learning curve, for this game. The best tip is to avoid Kha'ak M3s and M2 class ships as well as Xenon M2 ships, as those nasties can tear your ship into scrap metal in seconds.

If you already mastered X-BTF and X-Tension, then you maybe best to use Money Cheat as trying to rebuild your Space Empire is time consuming. Trust me, you best off using Money Cheat - just enough for a Argon M3 equiped with as much it can carry and the best shields & lasers. But for this game it is maybe best NOT to use any Cheats or Mods that will "***modify***" your stats - that will mess it up. You may feel to regret having your Stats modified but it is up to you and use the Money cheats AT YOUR OWN RISK!

Don't use any untested or not so promising addons or mods that may ruin your saves, as those things can corrupt your saves. As that will mean you will have to start all over again, if that is the case. And please don't shoot at ships or stations except those belonging to Pirates, Xenon and Kha'ak. Otherwise your saves will have your stats with a negative and irreversible reputation.

If Elite is the standard to which space games were made to 30 years ago then X2: The Threat should be the game to which space games are made to today (or 10 years ago). The X Universe has a rich and deep back story with game mechanics which make you feel like you are in a living universe. The graphics are fine and still stand the test of time today. There is plenty to do in the universe and someone can spend hours just working on thier empire. The game does have a story line but it does not get in the way of the sandbox elements to the game, you can return to the story line at any point.

I love this game. Open ended and the first occurence of the Kha'ak.

I've been playing this alot the last few days and its a great space sim, However like others said the learning curve is tough and several times i've been left with no idea where to go or how to complete a mission. Still its fun and well worth the price. Its a timesink, but once you figure things out you'll have a blast with this game!

If you're into space sims this is a good one. It emmirses you in space and you don't know where to go first.

The 2nd game in the series, and it is a huge improvement regarding controls and looks. I love how you can look inside and around your cockpit. The storyline is interesting to say the least, but don't expect a happy end...

There are only a few downsides to playing this game, most of which have to do with the cut-scenes and main storyline progression. The biggest issue I had was in the midst of several intensive battles someone would tell you something over the comms and an animation of their faces is shown in the radar...not the ideal place during a battle and more often than not I was dead because I didn't see my killer coming because Ban Danna gave me new orders or had some uninteresting bit of information he'd like to share...

Fortunately All the X games don't require you to play the main storyline...

A must in the X series and a game collectors prize, well worth the cost and well worth the time invested.

Although old, this game is still compatible with modern machines, and still fun. In my view, this particular game is the last one in the X series that's worth buying. All of the x3 games, and x4, were missing many of the features that made this one such an immersive and enjoyable experience.

Accordingly, I would suggest that a space gamer buy this game... and skip all the rest. Egosoft's time as a producer of worthwhile space sims seems to be finished, but x2 will not be forgotten.

A large, open, living space, just waiting to be explored. Although I have newer X games, I often get back to this one, because it has it's unique and remarkable atmosphere that no other X game has. It's by far one of the deepest and games I've ever played and if you also love space and strategy games, there's a high chance you'll quickly get addicted into this one. If you want to try the X series, which is the best modern space simulator nowadays, don't care so much about the story (in case you don't care starting with a bit old X1) and don't want to spend many hours of learning from the community tutorials, start right here with X2. It has a nice ingame tutorial, unlike X3 games.

The trade-fight-build-think motto quite sums it up. The game itself consists of huge universe which is divided into sectors, between which you fly by gates or jump drive. At almost all sectors there are stations at which you can land and buy/sell wares on. A factory produces weapon components which a ray emitter factory need, and will buy energy or ore from you. AI-controlled freight ships fly between those stations, across the whole universe, and search for good trades. The more ammounts of some ware a station needs, the lower the price, and so it dynamically changes and creates a complex, working economy system, which the universe relies on. You attack a ship transporting energy to a station, the station won't receive what it needs in time, it won't be able to produce the required ammounts of products, and it's sales will go down. So all your actions have their consequences and the universe feels "living" because of this, as you see all those ships traveling around you, everywhere in the universe (you should have a decent processor for this btw).

You can also make money by fighting pirates, which fly around and randomly attack other ships. If you destroy their local station, you will significantly reduce the ammount of them, in the specified area. Or if you want, become one of them and smuggle space weed on your own risk.If you choose the trade route, you can build stations and create a huge, prosperating empire. Assign freight ships to them, give them commands to work autonomously, also the same to defense ships. Then you can afford those huge capital ships which you can fly by yourself, from the bridge. The commanding console system gives you a huge power if you learn how to use it, especially if you love automatisation and to see how money quickly flow into your account!

The story is in some parts a bit frustrating and hard. Newbies find it hard to even dock with a station without exploding, or to get any money. But keep in mind that this game needs a lot of time to learn, to fully enjoy it. If you're starting with only a light fighter you can usually only attack the same classes or only one-class higher from you (and not in formation) ships, if you're good enough. I recommend to start by fighting light pirates, trading wares between stations, and do many side missions. But the real fun starts when you build at least 10 factories and get yourself a nice corvette with turrets and go exploring on your own ;)

had taken abit to get use to it but after I learned how to play it, it was great

I have played this game on and off since about 2004.
It came free with a new graphics card.
It's.. umm. kind of a first-person RPG / RTS set in space.
You need a LOT of time to play this game, but it has a special appeal.

The game starts you off in a tiny, weak fighter and throughout the entire game you have the option whether to continue the story or go off and do your own thing. You have to work your *** off to afford new ships; following the story doesn't give you a free lunch.. But it's worth it, because you earn your own rags-to-riches story.

Eventually you can afford to start building your own factories and security forces, and you find the gameplay changes from doing gruntwork trading, to becoming the CEO of your own coorporation.

Although it has a STEEP learning curve, half the game is played in the menu screens, and certain gameplay elements could use extra depth; it still delivers an overall atmosphere and style of sandbox gameplay that I keep coming back to and haven't found anywhere else.

7 / 10