Third in the Elite series, emphasizing trading and fighting
Frontier - First Encounters is a 4x game, combining trading, fighting, a lot of other military and diplomacy elements, and also spying and even bombing options. But, similar to Frontier, the game will see you mostly engaged in trading and fighting. The setting is again space, as the entire series has been built upon, and you will have to try to better your star fleet, and your position. The game brings forth a new race as well, the Thargoids, while other races known from the previous games are present as well. Graphically the game is without a doubt the best looking in the series so far. The texture mapping technology it introduced for the first time in the series allows for better resolutions for the skins applied on ships and on other graphical elements, bestowing the game with a fairly modern look. Another element that will ease gameplay is the introduction of journals, which briefly map out encounters, news from within the universe and so on, making you more connected to the story and making the game feel more vibrant, like there is more activity around you. So overall, Frontier - First Encounters feels like a game on the cusp of modernity, a great example of 4X elements, and is without a doubt worth playing.
