X4: Foundations is an immersive space-faring simulator game from Egosoft where you can live and thrive in your personal galaxy. Read our review to see what it did well, what it didn't do well, and if it's worth buying.
X4: Foundations Review Overview
What is X4: Foundations?
X4: Foundations is an immersive and comprehensive space-faring and ship management simulator designed to give the most detailed and realistic open space experience imaginable. Explore various story scenarios as you carve your cosmic path through the vast reaches of space. Manage the minutia of everyday space life as you go through countless procedures, trades travels, and mission types across every terrain imaginable. Forge into the unknown and figure out what the cosmos has in store for you in X4: Foundations.
X4: Foundations features:
⚫︎ Comprehensive interactive tutorial
⚫︎ Realistic space traversal mechanics
⚫︎ Realistically scaled ships, stations, planets, and waygates
⚫︎ Fast-paced ship combat
⚫︎ Detailed space station building, design, and management
⚫︎ Expansive scanning, trading, mining, and fleet management
⚫︎ Various story scenarios
 Steam |
$49.99 |
X4: Foundations Pros & Cons
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
 Otherworldly Attention to Detail Awe-inspiring Scale and Customizability Infinite Potential |
Inconsistent Quality Casual Killer Absolute Time Sink |
X4: Foundations Overall Score - 64/100
X4: Foundations is certainly a lot—a lot to take in, understand, and handle, that is. While the game has substance and form, its delivery could use some improvement, especially if it wants to reach a broader audience. It's an ambitious title that proudly showcases its ambition. Unfortunately, not everyone is equipped to fully experience it, and the game itself isn't well-equipped to teach players how to navigate its complexities.
X4: Foundations Story - 5/10
X4: Foundations’ story is inoffensive but non-existent. There’s a vast collection of pre-determined narratives to try, though all of them pale in comparison to the game’s sandbox mode, which itself holds little narrative value in its vastness. You won’t be playing this game for its story, that’s for sure.
X4: Foundations Gameplay - 7/10
X4: Foundations offers a blank canvas of a universe for you to build your galactic empire on, and I think the developers have managed to make it interesting enough despite its scale. Unfortunately, there's an incredibly steep learning curve to overcome right out of the gate, and the game is ill-equipped to teach players how to navigate it. This results in a pretty darn good game that remains largely inaccessible to its players, which, when you think about it, isn't a good game at all.
X4: Foundations Visuals - 6/10
X4: Foundations’ visuals are largely carried by its awe-inspiring depiction of architectural grandeur through scale. The aesthetics are good, though I wouldn't be able to distinguish it from other sci-fi simulation games, as it lacks the cohesiveness and uniqueness to stand out. In a genre this saturated, distinction is a commodity more valuable than Dune’s Spice and this game is peddling the cheap stuff.
X4: Foundations Audio - 5/10
This game’s audio isn’t bad; it’s just inconsistent in quality. The soundtrack is nothing amazing but perfectly serviceable and occasionally even above average. The sound effects are sufficiently realistic and help convey the game’s cosmic setting. However, the voice acting is where things fall apart. It ranges from outright awful to bordering on AI-generated quality, significantly diminishing the game’s overall audio score.
X4: Foundations Value for Money - 9/10
Despite its flaws, it's hard to deny the content density of X4: Foundations, with its universe-spanning infrastructure and interstellar travel. If you can spare the time and energy to learn everything this game has to offer, you'll be set for hundreds of hours of cosmic conquest.
X4: Foundations Review: Intergalactic Information Overload
Throughout my years as a gamer, I've delved into numerous sci-fi simulation games, from the strategic depths of Paradox’s Stellaris to the epic ship battles of Homeworld and its sequels. Now, X4: Foundations joins this diverse collection. However, it's not your typical entry. In fact, to truly convey its essence, I must first pose a question:
Can a game truly be considered good if it's hindered by accessibility issues?
This question is central to understanding X4: Foundations, for it is both the game's strength and its Achilles' heel. X4: Foundations is a bold and content-rich experience, brimming with potential. Yet, this potential is encased in a layer of complexity that many players might find daunting, if not insurmountable.
With that in mind, let's undock our ships and ignite our thrusters as we embark on a journey into the vast and intricate galaxies of X4: Foundations, navigating its labyrinthine gameplay and overwhelming wealth of content.
As with all mazes, we begin at the entrance. Despite its sci-fi allure, X4: Foundations’ introductory phase is as eldrtich and esoteric as a wizard’s tower, filled with myriad layered menus and symbols that initially lack meaning. As a novice, you’re at the game’s mercy, and unless you're a quick learner or a dab hand at space-faring, the challenge only intensifies from here.
Let’s start by defining what the game aspires to be. X4: Foundations bills itself as the ultimate sci-fi simulator, boasting an extensive array of interconnected, stereotypical sci-fi elements. It features ship battles, space station management, intergalactic trade, space racing, teleportation research, xenobiology, and much more. It’s a veritable treasure trove for any sci-fi enthusiast, presenting a living galaxy where every mechanic is intertwined and consequential; as if you’ve stepped into humanity’s golden space-age yourself and are beholden to its wonders.
With such an ambitious premise, X4: Foundations promises a grand spectacle. However, a premise is only as strong as its execution, and in several respects, X4: Foundations falls short of its lofty goals.
One significant issue is the game's extensive tutorial, which, despite its length, fails to equip players with all the necessary skills to navigate the game independently. While the tutorial is interactive and generally well-written, it lacks cohesion and sometimes falters in delivering clear instructions, leaving players adrift. With over twenty tutorial programs to complete (excluding the tutorial story missions), the game’s accessibility is off to a less-than-stellar start.
Another accessibility limitation of the game is its high skill floor. While time and patience can eventually overcome a tedious tutorial, some of the game’s more complex mechanics, such as space combat and space station management, demand a level of skill that can't be easily bypassed. Basic ship movement and docking procedures alone occupy half of the game’s initial tutorials. When you factor in enemies actively targeting you in a simulated 3D space, the challenge escalates significantly.
Continuing with the game's shortcomings, X4: Foundations is inconsistent in terms of visual and audio quality. The game benefits from its impressive scale representations of space stations, planets, and the vastness of space, but none of the assets stand out or contribute to a distinct visual style. The audio follows a similar pattern: while the soundtrack is decent, the experience is marred by AI-sounding voice-overs that sound monotonous and have poor line delivery.
Finally, we reach the meat of the game itself, not that the journey was made easier by the game’s own faculties. X4: Foundations has a lot of things going for it at its core and that makes up much of the game’s greatest strengths and value as a product. Generally speaking, if you think you should be able to do something in this sci-fi setting, you can, you just need to work for it. The game offers many ways to expand your reach as a player, from standard spacefaring to intergalactic trade. You can even make your own space station in an AutoCAD-style interface that lets you customize modules down to their paneling.
But trade and real estate are among the tamer options for your galactic life, so why not dabble in some criminal activity? You can trade illegally if you’re so inclined, just watch out for law enforcement and brace yourself for constant dogfights in the vast reaches of space. You can squat on somebody else’s sector and make a station there, research technology, or even meet alien life. The best part is that all of this is encased in a living, breathing, organic environment that has its own unpredictability. There’s even a complex economy for you to navigate if trade becomes your vocation of choice. X4: Foundations offers a wealth of choices that are woven together incredibly well in such a way that Star Citizen and EVE Online can only dream of.
However, as I've emphasized, all this is only accessible to those who can endure the confusing tutorials and meet the high skill requirements. It’s not for everyone, but for those who can appreciate it, it’s a gem unlike any other.
So we return to the question I posed at the beginning: Can X4: Foundations, with its expansive and detailed gameplay core surrounded by a maze of confusion and accessibility issues, still be considered a good game?
I ultimately believe that it can, though it would be unfair to overlook its shortcomings, particularly its high barrier to entry. It’s a good game, but one that most players are unlikely to fully appreciate, if they do at all. However, if you’re the right kind of gamer—someone with time to spare and a willingness to tackle its complexities—then this might be your diamond in the rough.
Pros of X4: Foundations
| Things X4: Foundations Got Right |
|---|
|
Otherworldly Attention to Detail Awe-inspiring Scale and Customizability Infinite Potential |
Otherworldly Attention to Detail
X4: Foundations’ attention to detail is so meticulous and precise that the laws of inertia apply to your spacefaring. Yes, that universal law of physics typically ignored for easier space traversal is fully in effect here, along with countless other minute details that enhance immersion. For instance, space real estate is measured by the light year and in cubes rather than land areas. These blocks of space, which vary in property value based on nearby amenities, allow you to build space stations within them.
Another example is the game’s approach to distance and scale. While it's not a 1:1 translation of real-life galactic distances—since that would take literal years to traverse—planets and points of interest are much farther apart than casual gamers might expect, increasing travel times from seconds to minutes. Fortunately, you have all the tools needed to reduce this travel time, such as the ship’s Travel Mode, waygates, or highways.
One of X4: Foundations’ standout qualities is its artisanal touch, which brings a heightened sense of realism to the game. While some may find this level of realism more bothersome than enjoyable, it’s essential to remember that this is what makes the simulation genre unique. If this meticulous attention to detail isn’t appealing, then perhaps the simulation genre simply isn’t their cup of tea, as X4: Foundations simulates reality as closely as possible.
Awe-inspiring Scale and Customizability
I’ve mentioned this twice before, but X4: Foundations’ architectural scale is truly a sight to behold. Space stations the size of cities can be casually built throughout a playthrough—and they’re fully traversable. This grandiose sense of scale extends to ships and celestial bodies as well, creating an awe-inspiring environment from every angle.
Speaking of ships, this game allows players to influence nearly every aspect of their galactic empire down to individual vessels. While most customization options apply to stations, including their defenses, architecture, and layout, even the smallest ships can have parts swapped around like Legos. If you can navigate this far into the game, you’ll find a wealth of customization options at your disposal. You can choose ship types, names, parts, crew, station crew, defenses, production modules, and much more.
Infinite Potential
With an infinite universe comes boundless potential, and X4: Foundations stands out as one of the rare games that truly delivers on that promise. Boasting a vast array of systems, endless customization options, a living economy, a dynamic universe, and expansive traversal mechanics, it offers a universe that's yours to explore in the most authentic, immersive sense of the word.
Dreaming of cosplaying Star Wars? You can construct your own Death Star—just gather the resources and muster the patience. Are you a Dune enthusiast? Start your own Spice trade across various systems and surpass the wealth of House Corrino. Prefer the vagabond life of an astral wanderer? The universe is yours, my friend. Whatever life you wish to live, X4: Foundations makes it possible.
Cons of X4: Foundations
| Things That X4: Foundations Can Improve |
|---|
|
Inconsistent Quality Casual Killer Absolute Time Sink |
Inconsistent Quality
While X4: Foundations boasts an impressive volume of content, its quality control leaves much to be desired. The game leans heavily on quantity over quality,
which is evident in its lackluster visuals and audio.
Though there is plenty to do, not all activities are created equal, with some mechanics feeling more tedious than rewarding. For example, building space stations is enjoyable, but gathering resources and managing them can be quite the slog. It's unrealistic to expect perfection from a game with inherent flaws, but X4: Foundations would benefit greatly from a more meticulous approach to its execution.
Casual Killer
X4: Foundations is not a casual game, nor is it marketed as one, but the allure of an immersive galactic life might still tempt casual players. However, they will be confronted with a daunting amount of content to sift through, akin to navigating a literal spreadsheet. Tailoring an experience to a specific audience is not inherently bad, but even dedicated sci-fi simulator enthusiasts like myself might struggle with the game's demands. The time and energy required could be overwhelming for most gamers, and while this isn't necessarily a downside, it will undoubtedly limit the game's appeal and reach.
Absolute Time Sink
Among the many demands this game places on players, time is perhaps the most significant. Even if you quickly master the tutorials and grasp their intricate mechanics, it will still take several hours to achieve something akin to a starter home or station. This isn't necessarily a downside, but it's certainly worth considering if you're thinking about purchasing this game.
Is X4: Foundations Worth It?
Worth It Through Sheer Amount of Content Alone
Despite criticisms regarding its tutorials, accessibility, and visual and audio quality, it's hard to deny that X4: Foundations offers substantial value for its price. While not everything is accessible right away, purchasing the game allows you to gradually learn the ropes and unlock its extensive content. Though $50 is a significant investment, many games in that price range offer only a fraction of what X4: Foundations delivers.
| Platform | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Steam |
|||||
| $49.99 | |||||
X4: Foundations FAQ
What Ships Does the X4: Timelines DLC add?
In addition to extra points of interest, factions, and systems, the X4: Timelines DLC adds the following ships to the base X4: Foundations roster:
⚫︎ Elite Sport
⚫︎ Theseus Sport
⚫︎ Kestrel Sport
⚫︎ Dart
⚫︎ Cutlass
⚫︎ X-perimental Shuttle
⚫︎ Xenon F
⚫︎ Odachi
⚫︎ Xenon B
⚫︎ Sapporo
⚫︎ Xenon H
How Do I Troubleshoot UI Issues for X4: Foundations?
According to the game’s developers, UI issues are often caused by third-party mods. To troubleshoot UI issues, make sure all installed third-party mods are up to date with the game’s 7.00 version.
You can also disable mods completely and run a full file verification, using Steam/GOG tools to make sure there are no leftover mod files. Avoid loading saves that had mods active.
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X4: Foundations Product Information
 |
|
| Title | X4: FOUNDATIONS |
|---|---|
| Release Date | November 18, 2018 |
| Developer | Egosoft |
| Publisher | Egosoft |
| Supported Platforms | PC (Steam) |
| Genre | RPG, Action, Simulation |
| Number of Players | 1 |
| ESRB Rating | PEGI 7 |
| Official Website | X4: Foundations Website |
