X3: Reunion beta begins

The third game in Egosoft's trading- and spaceflight-simulation series is edging ever closer to release. The German developer is now letting active members of its online community sign up for the game's beta test of the PC version. Members of the official Web site's DevNet forums can send in their information now.

In development for the Xbox and PC, X3 expands on the previous games in the series by adding a stronger storyline to the ultimately open-ended gameplay and by expanding the combat options. The company has also implemented many fan requests, such as larger space stations and more ambient life.

Egosoft has taken the bigger-is-better approach when it comes to the new graphics engine; targeted toward higher-end PCs, the Reality engine generates truly enormous and detailed ships. Due to hardware limitations, the Xbox version will have slightly scaled-down graphics and game content, but it will essentially be the same game.

For more on X3: Reunion, check out GameSpot's designer diary, as written by Egosoft's Greg Kingston.