X2: The Threat

Lore & Background

X2: The Threat is a space trading and combat simulator set in the fictional X-Universe, a network of sectors linked by large space gates. The game features a new graphics engine, a much expanded universe, and 60 different flyable ships, along with a number of new missions. Unlike the expansion pack X-Tension, which was almost entirely open-ended, X2 has a clear background story involving an aggressive alien race known as the Khaak, but the game remains open-ended and players are free to pursue the plot at their own pace, if at all.

The plot follows Julian Gardna, a pirate and thief in the year 2933, twenty-one years after the original game. The Khaak emerge to threaten the X-Universe, and the player is asked to undertake missions to uncover their origins and intentions, and to determine their connection to Julian's missing father. Key non-player characters include Bret Serra, Ban Danna, Elena Kho, Saya Kho, and Kyle Brennan. Due to the expense of completing the plot, players are periodically prompted to break away and increase their resources through trade and other open-ended play.

The game's open-ended features include 132 sectors connected by two-way jumpgates, with 5 additional sectors available after the plot. The economy is dynamic and market-driven, with prices varying based on demand. Players can buy wares, trade, build factories, and acquire an unlimited number of ships and stations. Reputation with various races affects interactions and missions.

Reader's Guide

X2: The Threat received 'average' reviews according to Metacritic. Many reviewers praised the graphics and the amount of freedom offered to the player. Common complaints were that the game was quite slow-paced and had a steep learning curve. IGN gave an average review, praising the visuals and display but expressing frustration with gameplay elements, noting that 'there are better places to go for trading simulations, and better places to go for space combat' and that its complexity as a trading simulator is wasted when money is made with only one type of product. GameSpot referred to the game as a 'diamond in the rough' for patient players, and 'extremely ambitious but not very accessible'. Eurogamer criticized the game for being for 'hardcore fans only' because of its complexity, also calling it a 'superbly ambitious game which achieves much of what it sets out to do'. The game's expansion pack, X2: The Return, was cancelled in favor of X3. Enlight Software acquired the North American rights in August 2003, and the game went gold on November 5 of the same year.

Did You Know?

• X2: The Threat was released in 2003 and is a sequel to X: Beyond the Frontier.
• The game features 60 different flyable ships and 132 sectors connected by jumpgates.
• An expansion pack called X2: The Return was cancelled in favor of X3: Reunion.
• Freeverse Software ported the game to Mac OS X in 2004/2005, and Linux Game Publishing produced their Linux port in 2005/2006.