In these uncertain times of economic instability, what better way to relax than to play the game as a contract worker while paying off unreasonable debts? Huge ships must be scrapped in order to relinquish financial obligations. This decidedly shady conglomerate requires you to fill out questionable questionnaires before giving up your life, both metaphorically and physically. As you work your way through the tutorial of your new life as a cutter, the first few hours feel like a glacier. With patience, you’ll discover an atmospheric and deeply immersive experience.
Armed with grapples and lasers, it slowly floats around holds, scanning cut points and awkwardly loading materials into designated gravitational fields. Oxygen and fuel must be replenished regularly. That means going back and forth to the “hub” and adding Lynx debt for basic things like breathing.
You are introduced on the radio to shipwreckers from other ships, who talk and empathize with their destinies in life. The central conflict between kindly foreman Weaver and negligent middle manager Hal is charming and heartfelt. The strength of the story is truly amazing. You care about the plight of all your colleagues.
As your career progresses, new types of ships add complexity to the core loop, while the tech tree unlocks more tools (demo fee!) and suit upgrades to make the salvage process smoother and faster. to
The change in functionality feels tremendous as cutting becomes second nature and comfortable pacing from ship to ship. transform. Extracting them becomes a tense set piece once power cores are introduced. Then there’s the claustrophobic horror in the form of a “ghost ship”, where an abandoned ship is overrun with whispering AI drones.
There’s a lot more going on in Shipbreaker than its simple premise suggests. Outside Career are a series of difficulty modes that offer challenges by limiting resources and respawns. You can also compete with other cutters online to see who can scrap a specific class of ships in record time.
A blue-collar simulator and puzzle game where each ship feels like a mini-campaign, Hardspace: Shipbreaker can be a truly unique and rewarding experience if you can put your time and patience into it.
