This would be a bargain at twice the price. Each of the X3 games are simply excellent, no matter what spin you attempt to place upon it, and getting them both at once is quite a deal. While everyone seems to lean towards the X Superbox, you can safely stick with X2 and X3 and get everything you need out of the series -- with perhaps the notable exception of making first contact with the alien species that are simply assumed as "givens" in these later entries in the series. What's a Boron? A Split? A Paranid? Well, you can pick it up as you go and to me it's almost more rewarding if you do -- you learn something about the universe that everyone else takes for granted. Very epiphanic.
However, be very prepared to dredge through the slow and unexciting initial stage, investing a significant amount of time in getting to the good part of the games. After that, the game begins to shine as it converts from a tactical lone wolf trading simulation to a strategic business management simulation. Bear in mind that the main campaign assumes that you are spending significant time "leveling up" between missions; the initial missions are very pleasant but their difficulty ramps up exorbitantly in almost no time at all -- the game makes no real indication that the next mission is going to be well outside of your capabilities and the difficulty can almost seem arbitrary.
Sadly, as the series reached X3 Reunion and then further to X3 Terran Conflict, the game community increasingly moved towards turning the game into a spreadsheet rather than a visceral hands-on view. Those who were used to X2 will find that the cockpit views in X3 are rather lacking -- and in Terran Conflict, missing entirely. The game practically begs for a Hands-On-Throttle-And-Stick combination and the interface of the latter games is oriented towards the keyboard and mouse. Thankfully, those of the community who are fans of simulations as opposed to economic sims have created high quality cockpits for (almost) all of the ships in the game, so you can be a trader and still get your hands dirty with all of the throttle and roll your heart desires.
All in all, unless you pick up the Superbox, this is a must in your collection. The soundtrack is nothing special, but Reunion and Terran Conflict should be on every serious sci-fi gamer's digital or physical game shelf.
