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It’s been a fairly encouraging week for Mac gamers. Yesterday, we saw the release of Bullet Candy Perfect and The Secrets of Da Vinci: The Forbidden Manuscript. Today, Virtual Programming has announced X3: Terran Conflict for Mac OS X, the final chapter in the X Universe story. Although X2: The Threat and X3: Reunion are available for the Mac (X2 is PPC only), X3: Terran Conflict can be played as a standalone game. It features “stunning graphics and spine-tingling audio that make players feel as if they’re really exploring deep space. They’ll undertake dangerous missions, become economic powerhouses, and engage in conflicts ranging from dogfights between small spacecraft to massive battles involving fleets of ships.”

From the press release:

X3: Terran Conflict continues the X Universe’s story of human, alien, and machine races vying for power—players choose between several different characters, with their selection slightly altering the plot. The X Universe has made contact with the Solar System, but Earth is a much different place than it was centuries ago, when a calamity cut the planet off from a small group of humans.

While exploring the newly rediscovered Solar System and investigating the robotic Xenon race’s odd behavior, players undertake a wide variety of missions or simply chart their own course. They can trade resources with some races, while others may attack players on sight. As they accumulate wealth, players can not only upgrade their spacecraft and buy new ones but also build factories, trading stations, weapon platforms, and a headquarter. The game’s persistent universe spins around them the entire time, creating an open-ended experience that continues after the story ends.

Mark Hinton, Virtual Programming CEO, said of the expansive game, “Its rich storyline, immersive graphics, and dynamic audio create a compelling experience that draws players in and won’t let them go. We recommend reserving a healthy block of time to experience all it has to offer.”

X3: Terran Conflict is available now as a digital download, with retail availability today. The game retails for US$39.95, €34.95, and £29.95.

System requirements call for:

• Mac OS X: 10.5.7 or higher
• Intel CPU, 2.16 GHz or faster
• 1GB RAM
• GeForce 8600, Radeon X1600 or newer 256MB
• 7GB Hard Disk space
• Internet connection for product registration

Product [X3: Terran Conflict]