Retro Replay Review

Gameplay

The first hour with X Superbox is really the first hour with a choice. This is not one game with a single, tidy onboarding path; it is a box containing five separate entries: X: Beyond the Frontier, X-Tension, X²: The Threat, X³: Reunion, and X³: Terran Conflict. That can be liberating if you want a long-running series to dig into, but it also means you should pick a starting point and give it room rather than bouncing between discs.

Beginning with X: Beyond the Frontier gives the collection its clearest sense of progression. Moving forward through X-Tension, X²: The Threat, X³: Reunion, and X³: Terran Conflict turns the package into a long-form tour rather than a pile of unrelated games. That continuity is the central pleasure here: each new entry feels like another stop in the same universe instead of an arbitrary bonus.

Frustration can set in if you expected a compilation to smooth everything into one unified experience. It does not. Each game remains its own game, and the box makes a serious commitment of time feel more inviting rather than making that commitment disappear. If you only want one quick, self-contained game, five installments can feel like overkill. If you enjoy settling into a series and seeing where it goes, the scale is exactly the point.

Graphics

There is no single graphics verdict for X Superbox, because it houses five separate X games rather than one shared visual package. Launching different entries means seeing different stages of the series, and that changing look is part of the value of playing through the collection in order.

Story

The connective thread is Kyle Brennan and his adventures in the X Universe. That matters more than it might in a usual anthology: this is presented as a chronicle, so the games have a reason to sit together beyond simply sharing a name.

Starting early gives the story room to accumulate. You are not handed one compressed recap or a greatest-hits version of the universe; the collection invites you to follow its route across five releases. For a newcomer, that makes the first game a sensible place to start, even when later entries may be tempting.

The included X Encyclopaedia is the smartest extra in the box. A reference covering planets, characters, and more is useful when you are committing to an extended run through a shared universe, and it has more lasting value than a throwaway physical bonus. The soundtrack DVD and poster are pleasant collector additions, but the Encyclopaedia is the item most likely to deepen the trip.

Overall Experience

X Superbox succeeds because it treats a series history as something worth owning together. The core package is substantial: five games, including X-Tension alongside the numbered entries, collected in one release. That makes it a better fit for someone curious about the X Universe as a whole than for somebody shopping for a single evening’s entertainment.

The collector extras add warmth without distracting from the main event. The soundtrack DVD and poster make the box feel like a celebration, while the Encyclopaedia gives you something useful to browse between sessions. None of that replaces the games, but it makes this feel more considered than a bare reissue.

Give X Superbox a chance if you want to start at the beginning and are happy to spend real time with one universe. The payoff is the scope: you can trace Kyle Brennan’s adventures across the full set instead of entering midway and wondering what came before. It is a generous, focused compilation for the gamer who wants the long journey.

Retro Replay Score

8/10