X Rebirth
A controversial sandbox space sim with a focused story.
X Rebirth is a single-player space trading and combat game from developer Egosoft, with publishing handled by Deep Silver in Europe and Tri Synergy in America. As the sixth title in the X universe adventure video game series, it follows 2012's X3: Albion Prelude and is available on Linux, macOS, and Microsoft Windows. Egosoft director Bernd Lehahn has confirmed that the game will not be released on consoles.
The game features open-ended sandbox gameplay, set in a dynamic universe that evolves even when the player is away, with simulated trade, combat, and piracy. Players can engage in these activities to gain wealth and notoriety, build space stations, command ships, and establish a personal empire that can significantly affect the game world. Before launch, developers promised a new interface to reduce complexity for newcomers while keeping mechanics similar to earlier X series titles. After release, many criticized Egosoft's design choices, and some customers requested refunds. The first Linux version (build 0) arrived in March 2015.
The story focuses more on specific characters than previous X games: in a distant future, the X universe faces profound change, and a young adventurer and his female ally travel in an old, battered ship with a storied past, playing a key role in events to come.
Critics received the game negatively, with a Metacritic score of 33 out of 100, indicating "generally unfavorable reviews." By March 2014, X Rebirth had received 25 patches, though it was widely seen as a disappointment after the series' earlier successes. The following month, version 2.0 brought fixes and gameplay improvements. On December 11, Egosoft released the first downloadable content, The Teladi Outpost, which included fixes and improvements, delivered exclusively for 64-bit platforms and bringing the game to version 3.0. This DLC added a new system with two sectors. Around that time, Egosoft posted several video tutorials on YouTube covering common gameplay aspects.
Quick Facts
- Title
- X Rebirth
- Developer
- Egosoft
- Director
- Bernd Lehahn
- Producer
- Peter "Kulan" Kullgard
- Writer
- Helge Kautz
- Programmer
- Chris Burtt-Jones
- Artist
- Alexander Preuss
- Composer
- Alexei Zakharov
- Series
- X
- Released
- WW · November 15, 2013
- Genre
- Space trading and combat simulator
- Modes
- Single-player
Facts from the source article.
Lore & Background
X Rebirth incorporates open-ended (or 'sandbox') gameplay, set in a dynamic universe that continues to evolve even when the player is not present, with simulated trade, combat, piracy, and more. Players can gain notoriety and wealth, construct space installations, command starships, and establish a personal empire that can influence the game world. Prior to launch, developers announced a new interface design intended to reduce initial complexity for new players, while asserting that game mechanics would remain comparable in complexity to previous X series titles. After release, many people attacked design decisions, and a number of customers requested refunds.
The story shows a more focused effort on specific characters than Egosoft's previous 'X' efforts: 'In the distant future, the X universe faces a period of profound and irrevocable change. While the universe stumbles towards an uncertain future, countless adventures await as new enemies rise in search of power. Enter a young adventurer and his unlikely female ally traveling in an old, battered ship with a glorious past - two people alone against the galaxy, playing a key part in the events to come.' Egosoft director Bernd Lehahn stated that X Rebirth will not be available on consoles.
Reader's Guide
X Rebirth is significant as the sixth installment in the X universe series, following the success of X3: Albion Prelude. Its release was met with widespread criticism, reflected in a Metacritic score of 33/100, and many customers requested refunds due to design decisions. By March 2014, the game had received 25 patches, and in the following month, version 2.0 became available with fixes and gameplay improvements. The first DLC, The Teladi Outpost, was released on 11 December, delivering fixes and improvements exclusively for the 64-bit platform, bringing the game to version 3.0. Egosoft also released video tutorials on YouTube covering common facets of gameplay. Despite these efforts, the game is widely regarded as a disappointment following previous successes in the series. Its legacy is that of a controversial entry that attempted to simplify the series' interface but failed to meet player expectations, though continued patching and DLC sought to address issues.
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