This third chapter in EgoSoft's space combat simulation series casts players as ace pilots who continue through the story arc of an overwhelmed defensive fleet under constant attack from an invading force. As the presence of a mysterious third, threatening race becomes known, the plot thickens. New features in X3: Reunion include graphical enhancements and improved artificial intelligence, which allows NPCs to behave as more realistic traders and causes computer-controlled colonies to develop factories, bringing more realistic sophistication to the game's virtual economy.