Little Kitty, Big City
Little Kitty, Big City
Game
Game2010
X: Tension
Developer Egosoft
X-Tension is the eagerly awaited expansion pack to X: Beyond the Frontier. The expansion is not limited by a linear plot line but makes use of new ways to expand your empire. You can now take part in missions that are offered to you throughout the game. From the Steam store page
65 reactions from 1 source (Steam reviews) · newest Jul 26, 2026 · last updated Oct 8, 2026 · How this works
Audience score
74
Fresh
48 positive · 17 negative
95% range 62–83%
| Source | + | − | = |
|---|---|---|---|
| Steam reviews | 48 | 17 | 0 |
Steam's own rating
Mostly Positive
113 of 145 reviews positive (all languages, per Valve)
What people are saying
Summary pending — the reactions are listed below.
Reactions
60 of 65 · most liked firstThis is the sequel to X: Beyond The Frontier. If you master the X-BTF game and getting bored stuck in the X-Shuttle, try this! The only thing you have to keep in mind is the pirates and Xenon forces. Your X-Universe empire and reputation is EVERYTHING. Also the X-Shuttle is locked until you master the X-Universe, but when you get a special mission from the Paranid, I strongly advise you read the Egosoft forums on a secret guide on how to progress the mission fully. Because this mission is a…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →X-Tension is the expansion to X Beyond The Frontier and this is where the series really really begins to take the shape we know from the later games. Multiple starting points have been added as well as the ability to change ship at your leisure making this a much more smooth and enjoyable experience than Beyond The Frontier. The graphics and interface have received a major overhaul not only making the game far more pleasant to look at but also much easier to figure out. The addition of…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →As a matter of full disclosure I've been playing this game (on and off) for around 17 years. I tried X2 and didn't like it; I haven't tried any of the X3 games yet either so my review is based solely on the X-Tension gameplay and not the progression of the series. All that said; I love this game and always have. I like the fact that you have the flexibility to fly around in almost any ship you choose (or at least can afford) and I like the fact that you can run a small empire of ships and…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Ok, so I have been playing this game (X-tension) after starting with X: Beyond the Frontier. The first thing that immediately stands out is that it fixes a lot of the problems with the UI that made the first X game so painful. This is a much more pleasant experience - far from perfect, but a vast improvement. It's also a lot less directed. There is no primary story mission that points you where to go - you stumble on missions as you travel, and initially this was fine, but ultimately this…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →I didn't buy this game on steam, I bought the boxed version as soosn as I could get my hands on it. X-Tension (be sure you have the V2.0 upgrrade. is more than an addon it's really a new version of X-Beyond the Frontier. And the game it always should have been. It's a true open world sandbox game where you can fly any ship in the game from shuttle to Carrier. It is also the game where the X series hit it's peak as far as I'm concerned. X2 had a different Manga type style Ididn't like and…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Garbage is all I can say for it. Totally worthless game. Uninstalled and requesting a refund now.
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →umm, no idea on how to even start the game correctly i think, let alone how to use controls :/
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →This is when X truly became X. Buy it, put about 150 hours into XBTF, then XT, then X2, read all the books, then open up x3, finish all the dlc, everyting, then move onto rebirth for something a little different, not terrible, just not like the previous games. Then X4. X4 is it boys and girls... that is legit awesome.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →i purchased this game as part of the x series sale on steam which was several months ago. i have had no issues at all running all of the other titles. this game, however, just does not run. if you are running win 7 64 bit and are interested in the x series i would set your targets to the other titles which run just fine. the forums are of little help in terms of troubleshooting and egosoft doesnt seem to pay attention to them. would have really enjoyed this game...kind of a let down.
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Game starts off slow..however once one starts trading goods in an upgraded ship and adding on needed ship upgrades it becomes addictive. Like the first X Beyond the Frontier, starts slow then it is up to you to do what you want. If you like action, then you'll have to find the fight and like real time everything cost money. Don't cheat it really takes away from the game. Yep! No real story line just do you thing, what ever that may be.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →I have no idea how i got 10 hours on this game, dont listen to my review i didnt play.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →IMPORTANT: If you end up buying the game, read the manual - as you always should with any game released before 2004. The main guide of X-Tension is actually very well made, at least compared to X:BtF. This game is a standalone DLC for X: Beyond the Frontier. I've made a review for it [url=https://steamcommunity.com/id/hanapon/recommended/2840/]here. Keep in mind that many of the things I said in that review still apply to X-Tension, so I'll focus on stuff added compared to X:BtF. This can make…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Excellent follow-up to the first game. However, this is more of a game for fans of Egosoft's X-series. For newbies, I recommend looking at X2, or one of the X3 titles. With that being said, this is WAY more accessible than the first game, with an enormous number of useful features being added. This game is very light on plot, so some players may pass it over if they prefer a more story-driven game. There is exactly one plotline, which is unlocked fairly late (you need good relations with the…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →I played the original X Beyond the Frontier in October of 1999, took some time off from a stressful job. I had fired up the game and loved the music, but didn't have time to invest. So, given some time, I decided on a staycation and invested my time in X-BTF. It was well worth it. I finished the game by the following weekend and outside of some performance issues in the final battle. X-Tension came out in 2001 or 2, and I got into the open universe. I got really good at it, built quite…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Classics of the elite-like games. Really feel free to do in space. Perfectly works on win7.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Works on win 10 just fine. However, using the mouse to steer the ship is awful. Thankfully, you can use a controller to control the ship and use keyboard controls for everything else. The gameplay is very similar to X:BTF but slightly improved and expanded upon. There's missions you can accept, you can fly any ship (Except destroyers and carriers) and there's more sectors to explore.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →X-Tension is the sandbox addon to the Original X game. While a brilliant game in its own right back then, it has aged terribly and not even mods and scripts can make this truly worthwhile these days. I replayed it after so many years for nostalgia alone, but to be entirely honest I cannot truly recommend this to anyone anymore. Main issues being unable to change the control scheme, VERY clunky controls and abysmal gameplay, all things considered. The only space sim / combat game back from…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →By 2019, is barely playable.
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →These games are great, fyi.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →if you dont have it get it.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →I can't get the game to work properly. First and second launches crashed. I tried compatibility mode and it launched, but it will only play in windowed mode and the graphics are so terrible that I can't make out whats written on the screen. Moving on I guess.
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →A good and complex sandbox space game for its age.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →I last played the X series back in 2010, and that was already an old game but a classic for me. I own the box version with hardcopy manual, but bought them on steam again just to ensure I would not loose this gem. The X-Beyond the Frontier is a bit too rough for me to play through the whole story again. I believe there are some YouTube video of the whole storyline as a quick playthrough if you want to see it again. The X-Tension on Steam, thanks to the latest updates from egosoft, has an…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →A basic space trading game. Not overly complicated. You trade, upgrade your ship, make money. Buy bigger ships and eventually space stations or factories. Different races have to be able to trust you though before you can trade with them. And there is a few story lines or missions to follow. Simple but engrossing.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →I can't give this game a review because I can't figure out how to play it. There is no players guide that came with the download. I don't even know how to make my ship move once I start a game. I am starting out with the first X-TENSION game because I have never played it before, so I want to learn from the beginning, but I need help. I am a 56 yr. old retired military and not a Gamer. Just looking for a good game that will help me pass the time since I am 100% disabled Veteran and don't get…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →My personal favorite of this franchise so far.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →I did not like X:Beyond the Frontier because it was to tedious and dated. This is supposedly a little better. But I'm skipping it and moving straight to X2.
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →X: Tension, the first add on to the X series, it acts as a sort of sequel to X: beyond the frontier. If you liked the first game you will probably like this.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →found it very boring
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →OG Space Sandbox
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →This is one of the games in the "X" series of "Privateer" style open world space combat/trading sims. The X series is excellent, delivering a full, dynamic universe with a dynamic economy and player owned fleets and factories. X: Tension doesn't have any single player campaign missions where the other games in the series do. Unfortunately, X: Tension is broken and simply doesn't work. The game won't launch in Windows 10's latest builds in any of the compatibility or windowed modes, and…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →i stopped doing crack after i gotten addicted to this game. 8.5/10
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Fun game. This Bridges the gap between X: Beyond the Frontier and X2: The Threat. Unlike in X:BTF, you can buy and fly almost any ship in the game, the only exception being destroyers and carriers. There is no story mode just, a sandbox. Also unlike the first game, you start with 2500 credits and a SETA.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →A truly amazing game..... has everything that gamer may want from a sci-fi game. Provides the best gaming experience ever. I do not have enough words to describe it.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →*Attempts to launch game* - "X-Tension NOT INSTALLED" WTF did I just play? - It's hilarious! Must be even better when you're drunk! Seriously, if you're not used to these types of games or the X-Series itself, when you first boot the game, it's like a puzzle! It's like 2 games in one, a puzzler figuring out what the heck is going on, then the actual game itself, which i haven't managed to witness yet outside of "The End". On the plus side, it seems as though (once your figure it out)…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Recommended for fans of the X-Universe or anyone who enjoys open ended trading and empire building. X-Tension takes the foundation of X: Beyond the Frontier and expands it into a true sandbox. There’s essentially no story here, only random generated missions for trading/combat, and just one actual Story mission that only triggers once you hit a few late game requirements. This entry feels much closer to a modern X-Universe game. You get a proper galaxy map, a property menu, the ability to…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →I like the fact you can pilot new ships and it's expanded in other ways, but unfortunately the crazy price increase compared to Beyond The Frontier, makes this game an impossible grind. Personally I'd skip this one and go straight to X-2 after completing Beyond The Frontier.
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Horrible controls and same problems as X-BTF. Can be interesting only for nostalgia.
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Arguably the first proper X game, all staples of the series (the classic games up to X3 and its expansions, anyway) - direct and remote control over your ships and factories, ability to fly any ship (almost any, I guess M1/M2 were cut for time), much improved background simulation, galaxy map, generic missions - were introduced here, and the sequels build upon this framework without altering its core, mostly adding features and polish on top of what this game invented. Which begs the question -…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Breathtaking. A real space odyssey. Interesting to see that most of the good things of the X2 and X3 universe were made here already. Including the ambiance music. Everything is big and mature in this game. There's no story though, it's an expansion to X: Beyond the Frontier, with additional features including changing your ship, for the first time in X universe. The joystick or at least the gamepad is recommended. KB+M controls are quite clunky and you can't change the mappings. I was pwnt…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Egosoft Collection is fully worth its money and worth it to buy as a gift to friends.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Space sandbox game, is extremely huge and has good graphics for its time.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →LOL I LOVE SPACESHIPS
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →After starting X4 for the second time in many years, the complexity stopped me. So I thought it might be the best time to start from the beginnings. Beginnings that I was a little too young or uninterested in. My first game was X2 and onwards, but I didn't play those games in too much detail either. So I decided to pause or occasionally play X4 and start from 1999. After a somewhat boring XBF where I finished the story, bought several station, but didn't care about anything else, X-t hooked me.…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →i dont know how to play butt its a good game!
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Это хорошая игра, но у неё очень большие проблемы с актуальностью. Эта часть позиционируется чисто как песочница. Тут нет сюжетки. Если вы хотите проходить сюжет игр по порядку, то пройдите сначала в X:BTF, а потом X2. Если же хочется поиграть в песочницу, то лучше сразу X2 или более поздние части. QoL в X2 на намного выше X: Tension. Плохую оценку игре ставить рука не поднимается, но сейчас я посоветую её пропустить в пользу более поздних частей.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →X: Tension, developed and published by Egosoft, is a space simulation sandbox that significantly expands upon the framework established in its predecessor, X: Beyond the Frontier. Rather than functioning as a traditional sequel with a tightly scripted campaign, it acts as a large-scale evolution of the original concept, broadening the universe, increasing player freedom, and deepening economic and fleet management systems. The result is a title that prioritizes autonomy and systemic complexity…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Yes its an oldie but a classic. Wish EGOSOFT would remake all of there old games as DLC's into there new X4 engine. The ships is already there. Just port over the story and voice files.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →A good game if you like the X series with all its good and bad parts. Its more of an open world unscripted experiance with the ability to fly different ships compared to the original. The economy is also very much rebalanced and more expansive than the original XBtF. Consider it a slightly improved and complex version of XBtF as far as the open world and economy is concerned and a more basic early version of X2: The Threat, while the combat si more or less the same in all of them. I do prefer…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Schöne Fortsetzung von Teil 1. Die Neuerung in Sachen Handel und Grafik sind deutlich sichtbar. Als Vorbereitung auf X2 auf jeden Fall zu gebrauchen. Freue mich schon mein Handelsimperium aufzubauen. Einzig die Controller Steuerung könnte besser sein.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →My first X game was X2: The Threat. It was fun seeing what came before.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →If I want pure space-sim Il play Elite - If want arcade space-sim Il play Wing Commander. If I want massive space-sim Il play Eve - If I want explore space-sim Il play No Mans Sky. Not this...
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Sounds great: build a space empire. Plays bad: horrible controls. I think I got this in some sort of bundle, so no money lost.
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Game of my childhood
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Don"t be fooled by the low data this game has. It is a universe where you must trade to grow and survive. It has many phases to it. If you are patient and love to fly and fight in a 3 dimensional environment this is the game for you . you start as a lone trader making your way in the universe and trade to finance better weapons and better ships to fly . Build space stations to make more money so as to build other stations to make missiles and guns so as to arm your growing fleet of spaceships…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →kubuntu linux 20.04 amg apu produced close to 2010, using proton experimental. Flying normal. Some videos/textures is broken on my linux , f.e. when you communicate with other object, there was some animated face, i remembered it was on win close to 2005, but now it just popup rectangle on right down screen side, filled using pixel garbage. Navigation, gui, and station cameras work normal. Before first run i switched all settings to 32 bit, finally window mode not supported (popup message it…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →I'll have to be honest about this. The game itself is fun to play, but Egosoft needs their knuckles rapped for the pathetic story line (if you can even call it that). One should expect to see continuity between XBTF and X:Tension, but X:tension simply doesn't provide it. Hey, remember me? I'm Kyle Brennan, the Hero of Argon and loved by all of the races for my part in the Xenon War. So then why does no one even know me now, plus the Split and Piranad are downright hostile? I was in a sector…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →i enjoyed the i liked the interaction
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →It is quite nice, but i would recommend a newer game in the franchise. steep learning curve.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Tags: 6DOF - Flight & Space Pilot Additional Tags: Delete Local Content & Remove from Library TLDR: Plays windowed and without FX sounds in-game. Engine is faster and more responsive controls than original but still lackluster compared to sequels. It is a generally accepted consensus to start the franchise at X2 since this is when most of the core features that are liked by the community established themselves. There is no point in trying to troubleshoot the issues given that the experience…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →
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