When your actions have direct consequences for the world in which you play, it puts the game on an entirely different paradigm. There is nothing else on the market like X4: Foundations. It is a game where the outcomes are determined by you; your decisions, your contributions, your choices, and even your biases - you matter.

X4 outdoes every previous iteration in the series in one massive way - your presence in the gate network truly is important. Without completing a single story mission, you have the ability to transform the game world based on the trades you make, the stations you destroy, sectors you clear, and supplies you take. You can starve an entire faction to death by flooding or draining the markets essential resources, uplift the most hated faction to the most powerful by feeding them what they need, or make it your mission to sabotage everyone you can so that the 'Xenon,' a hostile race of corrupt AI, finish them off sector by sector. Using cross-galaxy trades that leach from your rivals, or even by creating your own shipyards, manufacturing vast fleets for yourself or others, and letting "war" happen, the only real enemy is peace itself.

The best thing? For everything you have in-game, you 'earn it.'

Nothing in X4: Foundations is simply handed to you. Rather, you work hard to accumulate your wealth, to build your empire, and to manage your systems in the most efficient way possible. Every ship you buy, capture, build, or win - it 'matters.' That's what I love about this game, and why this game in particular outdoes everything that came before it.

Storylines in this game offer you a more 'linear' approach to shape the world to your liking. You can deepen the divide between certain rivals, or you can bring them together to create even more powerful super-factions. You can pit one species against the other, fuel the war industry and see the assets you give be utilized by your friends and foes, and best of all, you can mod the game to your liking. It's all supported.

Here are some great examples of what the fantastic modders in this community are capable of if it's your first playthrough and you're looking for a few more ships:

https://gtm.steamproxy.vip/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=2191491656

https://gtm.steamproxy.vip/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=2583345541

https://gtm.steamproxy.vip/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=2637879265

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There is one downside, however, which must be acknowledged. This game is not going to feel 'complete' without the two main DLC; Cradle of Humanity and Split Vendetta. You're going to realize the limitations of your universe with the standard version. You're going to see inactive jump gates as a barrier to your enjoyment, and you're going to realize pieces of the puzzle are simply not there.

The two DLC add a lot of content to the game, and the artwork they provide is absolutely beautiful. You are getting what you pay for, and if you get them on sale, you'll also be getting a good deal on it. I have a feeling Egosoft was afraid to price this as an $89.99 game, which I don't blame them for really. People are used to a moderate price for the base game, and can excuse spending money on DLC when quality and quantity is actually there. What matters most is that they did the best they could on each faction and its associated sectors, story lines and architecture to justify the added expense. Truly talented artists work for this studio.

Best of all, if you buy the standard edition, you don't even have to start a new game to 'unlock' sectors created within the DLC down the road. The jump gates leading to them simply "open" allowing you to continue on. Egosoft has a tendency to, at all costs, avoid breaking saves - I think this holds them back, personally, but I can see why. People that build entire empires with dozens of stations and hundreds of ships work very, very hard for that.

Overall? I highly recommend this game for the people that have the time to learn its many, intricate functions and are into the mixture of strategy and active involvement in the gameworld.