Jump Space is an engaging cooperative PvE game where players crew a spaceship and seamlessly switch between starship combat and on-foot firefights, emphasizing teamwork and adaptability through dynamic missions and strategic ship management. While it offers fun gameplay and promising potential, it currently faces challenges like limited mission variety, customization options, and mid-mission joining restrictions, but remains a recommended co-op experience with anticipated future improvements.
Jump Space is a cooperative PvE game set in a futuristic universe where players crew a spaceship with up to three friends to battle mechanized enemies. The gameplay combines elements of starship combat and on-foot firefights, offering a seamless transition between piloting the ship and engaging in FPS-style combat during missions. Each mission involves navigating enemy ships, protecting your own, completing objectives, and extracting safely, all while managing the chaos of combat, repairs, and firefighting. The game’s design encourages teamwork and adaptability, with no fixed classes, allowing players to switch roles as needed.
Missions in Jump Space are well-designed with varying lengths and types, allowing players to fit sessions into their schedules, from quick runs to longer, more involved operations. Each mission branches into multiple stages with different paths, offering strategic choices that affect the resources and rewards available later on. Players begin by scanning the area to plan their approach, avoiding unnecessary enemy engagements and targeting objectives or caches. Additionally, randomized artifacts add unique buffs or quirky effects, such as increased melee damage or healing mechanics, which can dramatically change how missions unfold.
The spaceship itself is a central feature, with a large hero ship initially and smaller ships available later for solo or smaller groups. The ship’s systems—shields, thrusters, weapons, and reactors—are all physically simulated and can be damaged, requiring players to repair and manage fires or radiation leaks amid battle. Crew members rotate between piloting, engineering, turret operation, and damage control, creating a hectic but engaging environment. Players can also exit the ship for external combat or boarding enemy vessels, adding further depth and excitement to the gameplay.
On-foot combat is robust, featuring a variety of weapons and tactical options such as deployable shields, healing stations, and damage boosts. Mobility tools like grappling hooks and jetpacks enhance combat dynamics, requiring teamwork to tackle different enemy types and objectives. The game’s economy involves collecting materials during missions to repair and upgrade the ship mid-run, with leftover resources contributing to long-term ship progression. This system adds a strategic layer to both individual missions and overall advancement, with meaningful choices about ship configuration and defense.
Despite its strengths, Jump Space has areas needing improvement, including mission variety, visual ship progression, and a more immersive hangar experience. Weapon upgrades and storage are limited, and character customization options are sparse. A significant issue is the current mid-mission joining system, which restricts rejoining players until the next mission stage, complicating gameplay when teammates disconnect. Nonetheless, the reviewer praises the game’s fun and potential, recommending it as a solid co-op experience that captures the fantasy of crewing a spaceship and looks forward to future content and refinements.