Hardspace: Shipbreaker

Even though Hardspace: Shipbreaker is still in early access, this is a fantastic space sim where you need to scavenge for parts from spaceships that are flying above Earth. It is the kind of game that sounds like it should be full of action and danger (well it does have a lot of danger) however, this is a very relaxing kind of game that can put you into a Zen-like state when you get really into it.

Space Junk

The setting of Hardspace: Shipbreaker is many, many years in the future and above Earth is a whole bunch of space junk! These ships have very valuable resources that are far too valuable to just be left there. A huge company has hired you (and others like you) to go into these different spaceships and break them apart, taking the valuable resources that are inside so that they can be used for other stuff.

One Part At A Time

I would say that the best way to approach Hardspace: Shipbreaker is to think of it as a large puzzle box that you have to peel away piece by piece. You know those 3D puzzles you can get? Well, it is kind of like that or like a game of Jenga. You have the schematics of the ship so you can see where the valuable resources are located and you then have to carefully remove parts to gain access to them.

The Right Tools For The Job

As you would expect, you have a solid arsenal of tools at your disposal to make your ship demolition work easier and more fun. Hardspace: Shipbreaker gives you this cool gravity gun style thing that takes a while to get the hang of, but it is so much fun to use! I love the way that if you try and grab something that is too heavy, you will be dragged along with it. You can grab heavier parts with this lasso type thing and it will drag them slowly to where you want them to be or just out of the way. The tools you have are a lot of fun to use and while there is a learning curve here, before long you will be slicing and dicing like a real pro.

The Dangers Of Working In Space

While Hardspace: Shipbreaker can put you in a Zen-like state, I do have to say that the game can still be tense. These ships can still have many of their functions live, you cut into a fuel line for example and it can go boom! You can depressurize a part of the ship, cut into a live wire, and much more. You do have to think before you act in this game as one wrong move can be deadly. I think they have a great balance here where you can relax while playing, but you still have to pay attention to what you are doing.

Pros:

• I loved the idea of being this space salvage guy
• It is awesome to see the Earth below you
• The gameplay has a very puzzle-like element about it in the way you disassemble the ships
• While the game is relaxing, it can still put you on edge

Cons:

• The game is not yet complete
• It may be harder than some people realize