This month, I decided to try another game that pushes me out of my comfort zone. Hardspace Shipbreaker is a game that I was curious about, but wasn’t sure I would enjoy. Then, I had the chance to get it for free, so I decided to give it a try.
Was I right to be cautious?
Reminder: For the Year of Gaming Challenge, I have to play one of the many games I’ve bought in Steam sales and never got around to playing. I have to give it a fair chance and write up my thoughts by the end of each month. (That may not sound like much of a challenge, but as a father with a lot going on right now, it will be hard to fit it in!)
I was intrigued by Hardspace Shipbreaker when it launched. The idea of a realistic sci-fi game set in outer space naturally appealed to me. But when I watched the trailer and saw the reviews, I was torn. It looked like a well-made game with an interesting premise, but I wasn’t sure if I would actually enjoy the gameplay. It’s not the type of game I usually play, and (as we discovered last month), there’s usually a reason why!
But then I caught my wife playing Powerwash Simulator, and I was fascinated by how absorbed she was. I played a little bit with my son (well, I played, he told me what to do and then got bored after two minutes!), and found myself oddly engrossed. Hardspace Shipbreaker seemed a bit like Powerwash Simulator iiiiin spaaaaaace, so I thought I’d dive in and try to give it a fair chance.
Hardspace Shipbreaker
Hardspace Shipbreaker is an “action-adventure simulation game”, developed by Blackbird Interactive (which goes to show how meaningless the phrase “action-adventure” has become!).
You are a shipbreaker, whose job is to break down and salvage old spaceships. You’re given a variety of tools and a series of spaceships that you have to systematically take apart, salvaging the various components to earn money, unlock bigger, more complex ships and buy better equipment.
Story & Writing
You create a profile, then accept various terms and conditions, all saying that you’re probably going to die (probably not dissimilar to the real-life EULA that I had just skipped over!). You then start the game as a new recruit with an enormous debt to the Lynx Corporation. You are shown how much debt you’re in, including the charge for viewing the debt report. (This would be funny if we weren’t already living in a dystopian capitalist nightmare!) You are then introduced to your mentor, who takes you through the process of dismantling these old ships.
There are lots of interesting environmental details and plenty of flavour text to read, all of which is well-written and tells you more about the world. After a few missions, you’re introduced to the rest of the crew, which adds more character and depth to the game between jobs. Again, this is all well-written and voice-acted; my only complaint is that I wish they had been introduced earlier. And that’s a common theme for me, though there’s also a big caveat coming up later!
Gameplay
You have to manoeuvre your character around in 3D, find cutting points to cut the ship into smaller pieces and then use your gravity gun to fire the parts into one of three different bins. It can be a pretty satisfying loop, if you get into the right mindset. The movement physics are pretty good, though sometimes it feels like you’re just a floating head!
You have to be slow and methodical and get lost in your work. But then you’ll accidentally cut through a fuel line and get set on fire. Or ironically pull a medkit towards you so fast it smashes your helmet and you asphyxiate in the cold vacuum of space. A lot of trial and error is involved, and while your boss keeps saying “call me if you need anything”, you usually don’t get a lot of warning before you blow yourself up!
Initially, the game felt a bit slow and cumbersome. It does improve as you unlock upgrades for your gear, but I would have appreciated having those upgrades earlier. It kind of feels like they deliberately made the gameplay worse to justify having an upgrade tree. Oh, and you have to manage your oxygen supply and fuel for your jetpack. Given that real-world astronauts regularly perform spacewalks that last over 6 hours, it was annoying to have to keep going back to replenish supplies so regularly. And, of course, they both run out at different rates. Again, there are upgrades, but it doesn’t make it any less annoying.
Between jobs, you return to your “Hab”. This is where your bed, computer and workbench all live. There’s a janky navigation system that acts like a glorified menu, taking you from component to component. I would have preferred to be able to freely roam around this space, but it looks great, is full of environmental storytelling details and allows some customisation (not that you spend much time there!).
Craft
Finally, it’s worth saying that it’s a gorgeous and beautifully made game. It feels like it accurately simulates what it would be like to float, relatively unprotected, in the void next to a spaceship that could explode at any moment. It doesn’t have quite the same sense of scale as some other games, like Mass Effect, but it looks amazing.
In addition to the great writing and voice acting, it has well-implemented and immersive sound effects, and a gorgeous Firefly-esque soundtrack. As I said, I did end up putting podcasts on in the background, but it’s not because the soundtrack and effects weren’t really good!
My Experience
I’ve added a new section this month, as I feel the need to describe my experience and why I feel like it’s partly my fault for “playing the game wrong”.
After my first session, I ended up restarting the game on “open shift”. This removed the requirement to refill my oxygen supply, making things less tedious. It felt like I had more control and fewer distractions. You still have to refuel your jetpack, but at least you’re not managing two depleting gauges. That was, I think, the right decision for me.
Where I went wrong was in not having shifts. I didn’t want to be interrupted; to just zone out and meticulously dismantle each ship until the job was done (usually while listening to a podcast). However, this is part of the reason why the game felt slow, and why I felt it took so long to unlock upgrades or meet my crewmates. The story only advances when you return to the Hab, and in normal mode, you presumably have to do this regularly at the end of each shift.
I nearly gave up at one point. But after one more session, I realised my mistake. In that session, I acquired a ship of my own and had to start scrounging spare parts to repair it. I also discovered a mysterious hard drive in the wreckage and became embroiled in a story about forming a workers’ union and the corporation trying to stop us. This made the game much more interesting!
So, my recommendation would be to pay attention to your XP bar and return to the Hab every time you level up to upgrade and advance the story. It might feel like you’ve left a job unfinished, but it will get you to the meat of the game more quickly.
Stats
- I got the game free on the Epic Store (via Prime Gaming). It is currently available at the full price of £29.99.
- I played it for 10 hours (including the hour I played before restarting) and reached Rank 9.
- I can’t see myself playing it regularly, but I may dip in and out from time to time.
Final Thoughts
I’ve tried to push myself to play games I normally wouldn’t during this challenge. I don’t regret that decision, but the last couple of months would seem to suggest that there’s a reason I don’t usually play these games!
I tried to get into the right frame of mind. Hardspace Shipbreaker is not a game you play for excitement and to rush to the next objective. You have to be slow and methodical… and I’m just not sure I have the patience. It also possibly captures the experience of working for a soulless corporation a little too well! And while I eventually became more absorbed in the story, the gameplay just didn’t grip me enough to want to play regularly.
So, it seems my initial instinct was correct: it’s a well-made game that I’m sure a lot of people would enjoy. I just don’t think it’s for me!