TV shows about computer games are, as a very reliable rule, terrible.
So when I read on Rock, Paper, Shotgun that "X-Play's review of X3: Reunion single-handedly validated that show's existence", I had to check out said review.
I wholeheartedly agree that X-Play did not miss this wonderful opportunity to grab the Kha'ak with both hands.
(The people who made that game are German, but the game has voice actors in it, for Pete's sake. So I can't help but think they must have done it deliberately.)
27 October 2008 at 11:53 pm
Oh, that was bad...
As an avid X3 player I agree that the learning curve is unpleasantly steep for the newbie; however, it's not *that* hard. I'd also like to know how they'd want the million billion options of the game to be organized, since they apparently don't like nestled menus.
It's also apparent that they haven't gone on playing for long; the Khaak usually have only one heavy fighter for every one or two dozen light scouts, and yes, the scouts die like flies, but their numbers and their hitscan weapons make them highly dangerous even to super-heavy fighters, especially later in the game when the really big clusters come out to play.
The plot feels like an afterthought. It's short, and I feel it doesn't mesh well with the rest of the game. IMO plot developments should be more dependent on your current status in the universe. As I mentioned in the Egosoft boards some time ago, I'd like it if you could get missions such as, say, "this guy has several factories in this sector. We need them gone because of (insert plot reason here), but we can't do a direct attack because of (insert plot reason here). Go build stuff yourself and drive him out of the market".
I haven't yet played the new game in the series (Terran Conflict), but I hear it should make the plot more important.
[Yeah - and other commenters on the Rock, Paper, Shotgun post say that the interface has been completely revamped, too. -Dan]
I'll conclude by mentioning the must-have Extended mod (XTM), which adds an assload (technical term) of new features, gameplay options and ships to vanilla X3.
28 October 2008 at 12:18 am
Considering how utterly terrible game script/plot writing is, I think that we should just be thankful that they aren't called something far worse.
28 October 2008 at 7:16 am
What? No Nintendo port? I need some Wii on Kha'ack action.
Er, no, I don't really.
28 October 2008 at 7:21 am
Actually on second thought, it is Sofa King Great! http://www.hulu.com/watch/4346/saturday-night-live-sofa-king (apologies if this doesn't work outside the US)
28 October 2008 at 9:55 am
If you like a tamer brand of humour, these fearsome aliens are named after a kind of Arabic cookie, pronounced roughly "ka'ak" (with a weird strangling sound in the middle, here denoted by the '). Cookie monster on the Arabic Sesame Street (Iftah ya Simsim) is "ka'aki". So picture the hero as a greedy, blue, furry monster. (I wonder if there's game art for that?)
29 October 2008 at 11:43 am
Kha'ak Sends Seamen Flying - Film At Eleven
29 October 2008 at 6:15 pm
Heh, My copy of X3:TC finally shipped today, I come on here and what do I find? A post involving X3! And believe me...The kha'ak thing has been very well done on the egosoft messageboard.:)