A beautiful game that you'd wish would deliver equal gameplay value... but it doesn't.
From the beginning, X3 throws you in the game with no tutorial, requesting you perform a multitude of tasks that you haven't a clue of how to do - and the only means of direction or help with the complication of it's controls come in pop-up hints and messages sent to your comm thats buried under a half dozen different buttons to choose from. Finding the right tools for the right time become a chore, and while learning the hotkeys would simplify this task, there are just to damn many of them to remember.
But these aren't the only problems with X3. Besides having to learn the entire game by yourself and all its tiny nuances, the game jumps back and forth between different cutscenes on a variety of different missions, confusing you as to what you are doing, where you are and where you're supposed to go. The execution of these "sub-plot" videos really have no place and aren't blended together well, often becoming jagged load screens throwing you from one scene to the next leaving you with no clue as to what is going on.
Like any hardcore space sim, the game primarily advances while you sit in your ship and watch the drama play out. While you can explore huge areas of space (usually filled with nothing... as space is I guess), it would have been nice to explore the ships and planets you come across. Though, being a fellow game designer, I can hardly cement this as a reason why the game is bad since it would take a lot of time to build those environments. Although, what we are left with in the end is a bland game that effectively puts you to sleep, rather than pull you in.
The battles are... almost... fun to play, bringing back memories of Wing Commander and the X-Wing/Tie Fighter series'. My only beef is that, as the battles draw on, it becomes less and less entertaining and more and more difficult to complete. The set of weapons your ship comes with, twin-laser type blasters, have a power meter. When the meter becomes low, your weapon becomes stunted - shooting at an incredibly slow pace until they have time to power up again. In the heat of battle, this can be a problem as it will take a bit to get used to the controls and every shot counts. Missing to much will drain the effectiveness of your weapon, leaving you the only option of flying around until it recharges - while at the same time, receiving a barrage of enemy fire (who's weapons don't seem to have this problem at all).
As if these weren't problems enough, the space in which you fly is HUGE and probably endless (I never felt the need to fly off into no where to check) and the action takes place in small sectors. Outside if these sectors is... well, you guessed it... nothing. Space is also 3D - being that; north, south, east and west are not N/S/E/W. It feels odd to have this built in compass when it truly doesn't help you find where you need to go, since objectives and ships of all kinds can be above, below and all around you. This only adds to the massive sense of confusion you're probably already feeling just by trying to figure out how to play the game.
On the bright side, as mentioned briefly earlier, the game is beautiful and the sound is top notch. The new age mix of slow and fast techno/surreal music lends to the atmosphere of the game, being its only high point that I can truly appreciate.
In short, X3 barrages you with a ton of information that NEEDS to be learned, giving you a dozen different menus to go through and even more hot keys as shortcuts to these menus. Digesting all this information in a short period of time is impossible, which sails the learning curve through the roof. It'll take time and a lot of patience to enjoy this game.
In the end, X3 is a game you want to be as good as it looks. The visuals are stunning and vibrant. The battles, while suffering from some minor problems, are enjoyable. The story itself though lacks immersion, becoming stale and non-enjoyable. The various other bugs throughout the game will also need to be corrected before X3 can truly become what it needs to be.
You'll love or hate this game, regardless if you're a hardcore space-sim fan. Its not like Tie Fighter and its certainly not like Eve online. Its a variety of both of those packaged into a game that doesn't feel complete. The maps are endless voids filled with a few ships here and there, solidifying the rumor that "in space, you definitely feel lonely". If you can get by with all its problems (and trust me, there are a lot not even mentioned here), taking a chance with X3 may not be a total waste. Its a game thats need more polish and a few patches, which may come in the future. Right now, though, X3 is a boring space sim with a lot of nothing to offer.