In Hardspace: Shipbreaker, you don't have to save the galaxy or fight an alien army-just show up on time and complete the day's work honestly.
When games make me work, I like it. Working as a forklift operator in Shenmue, driving a taxi in Grand Theft Auto, mining asteroids in Elite Danger, or transporting goods between cities in Euro Truck Simulator, there are some Strange attraction. I think this is because there are too many games that force you to integrate into their world in a violent way, as a character that is somewhat superior to others around you. Therefore, the idea of doing mundane things as a humble person is refreshing. I also think it will attract you to this scene more because you look at these places from the relevant perspective of the ordinary people who live and work there-even if it is a fantasy world, rather than some legendary police or space Marines.
In Hardspace: Shipbreaker, you are not an ace pilot, a bounty hunter or an elite soldier-you are an ordinary person with a rigid job. The game takes place in lifelike sci-fi scenes, but all the exciting things happen elsewhere, to more interesting people. You are a shipbreaker, which means you dismantle old spaceships as scrap. You are not even the best shipbreaker in the galaxy—just one of thousands of grinds in orbit above the earth, trying to pay off the ridiculously huge debts you owe a ruthless big company. This is a future where capitalism is crazy and out of control, and you are an insignificant cog in a huge and cruel corporate machine. This is a serious existence for them, but as a player, it is more interesting than being another hero who saves the universe.
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Below you is a barge that stores expensive, reusable items such as airlocks, chairs, computer consoles, and control panels. At your left and right, a recycle bin and a furnace. Recyclers are used to dump advanced materials that can be recombined into other things; furnaces are used to destroy disposable waste and cheap metals. In the middle of all this is a rusty abandoned spaceship, which you must carefully take apart using various industrial tools. These include cargo ships, science ships, and space shuttles, each of which is different in size and presents a unique set of challenges. The bigger and more complicated the ship, the harder your job will be-the more money you have to pay off debts. This is really hard work, so don't expect Hardspace to be fun.
Well, it's fun-but an unconventional pleasure that won't appeal to everyone. You use the cutter to cut the boat open, then switch to gravity tether, grab the fragments and throw them into the barge, reclaimer, or furnace. Tethered to a large piece of metal, launched from the mouth of the burning furnace, and watched it slowly spin in zero gravity before being consumed, which was incredibly satisfying. Breaking down the smallest ship into its many components is a long and painstaking process, but it is also very relaxing. Like many simulator games, Shipbreaker has some hypnotic effects. It's like using a pressure washer: it's basically a job, but methodically removing the dirt, then step back and see the results of your hard work, it's really rewarding.
More advanced ships are the hazards lurking for Shipbreaker. Some of them, such as scientific research ships, contain volatile materials and are usually hidden. If you cut a metal panel with a knife and you don't notice a fuel tank behind it, this may be a costly mistake. You can trigger huge explosions, blowing ships into hundreds of rotating fragments, making your job more difficult. This may also destroy valuables that should have been thrown on the barge, thereby costing you money in the process. When you have billions of debts, every credit is important. Becoming a shipbreaker is a arduous and challenging job, and the game does not compromise on physics simulation. If you make a mistake, you must accept it and do your best to clean up the chaos you have caused.
Hardspace: Shipbreaker is now available on PC via Steam Early Access. There is a story mode in which you can meet other shipbreakers who will teach you ropes and joke with you as you work. This is great, but for me, the scrapping process itself is the real reason for playing this game. Despite the lack of ship types, the current Early Access version is now well worth a try. The game is in a very beautifully playable state and looks great. As you work, the looming view of the earth below you gives it a wonderful sense of proportion, and the colorful, Chriss Foss-inspired design of ships and space stations is also outstanding. If you like simulators and science fiction, this is a gorgeous collision of the two. I can’t count the number of galaxies I have saved, so it’s great to play a game that allows me to exist in one galaxy.
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Andy Kelly is the feature editor of TheGamer. He likes detective games, anything with a good story, weird indie games and Alien: Isolation.