Good, but it coulda been so much more..
1. Installation: Was a relative breeze, just be sure to install the latest patch.
2. Visuals: I enjoyed the visuals of the game but there's nothing ground breaking here. Actually the graphics look a bit "dated" better than "X Beyond the Frontier" but certainly not X3 or anything on the level of games from ubisoft. As far as resolutions and settings, they offer you plenty of options. But even cranked to the max the game only looks but "so good".
3. Sound, sound is adequate and is basically generic space babble.
4 Gameplay Immersive and infectious are two words I'd used to describe how the game can grow on you. The back stories a little lame but the real meat and potatoes is flying around the galaxy, picking up artifacts so you eventually turn your ship into the ultimate "bad mama jamma". You can trade, take missions, be a Merc, Bounty Hunter, merchantman or anything in between While the game pretends to be "open ended" you do have to follow the story line to open up sectors and area's of the galaxy which remain hidden until unlocked. One of the best thing about this game is that you can use a joystick. I've a modded UberCougar rig with Simped rudder pedals and these things make this game a great deal of fun. If they'd have rpovided Track IR support I'd have really been in heaven. Even so, flying this ship is a joy for a while. Then you realize that the game is quite repetitive. Except for the occaisonal story line tirp to a planet or a flak gun installation it's all about "go here, get artifact, fight bad guys and move on." In that you've been jonesing for a Space flight sim for a long time you may take this as a small price to pay.
Overall I loved DSO and can't wait for a sequel or for the bods to start crankng on it.. I'll be back if they do.
Da Worfster