With so much to explore, don't expect this to be a game for the casual game session. You're likely to spend hours exploring the different races, stories, and planets. Like and other epic space-based games, the more dedicated you are to unraveling the world, the more you'll get out of it. Hopefully, this does not mean that players new to the series will be turned off.

Essentially, X3 looks to be a game where it is what you make of it. "We sell you a universe. Do with it what you like," Bernd Lehahn, managing director at developer Egosoft, said in press materials accompanying X3's release. "We brought the storyline full circle, but we've also given players an even larger playground for exploration, trade, combat, and more."

Truly immersive space simulators are rare on the Mac platform, and sci-fi fans and dedicated strategy enthusiasts alike will want to give this game a look.