Nexus: The Jupiter Incident

71%
Game Brain Score Based on 514 reviews
  • story
  • gameplay
  • graphics
Nexus: The Jupiter Incident Game Cover
In this space simulation, you play as the famous and accomplished Captain Cromwell. The first few missions teach you how to operate your ship; eventually you take the lead in multiship missions ranging from simple escorting to huge battles. Completed tasks reward you with ship and crew upgrades. Gra
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"Nexus: The Jupiter Incident" is a single-player Historical Role Playing game set in a future where mega-corporations monopolize space exploration. Discoveries at the edge of the solar system lead to a new conflict, and players must control up to a dozen battleships in real-time tactical space battles to save Earth. The game is known for its interesting plot, stellar game mechanics, and masterful visuals.

  • PC
  • Windows
Genres & TagsPlay Modes

Reviews

71%
Audience ScoreBased on 514 reviews
story114 positive mentions
stability7 negative mentions
  • Engaging and immersive storyline that keeps players invested throughout the campaign.
  • Deep tactical gameplay with the ability to customize ships and manage their systems, providing a unique experience in space combat.
  • Stunning graphics for its time, with detailed ship models and impressive visual effects that still hold up today.
  • Clunky AI that can lead to frustrating moments where ships do not follow commands effectively during battles.
  • Some missions can be overly difficult or frustrating, particularly stealth missions that require precise execution.
  • Lack of skirmish mode and multiplayer support, limiting replayability after completing the campaign.
  • story402 mentions

    The story of "Nexus: The Jupiter Incident" is generally well-received, featuring a classic sci-fi narrative centered around saving humanity, enriched by colorful characters and engaging mission variety. While some players find the plot linear and occasionally disjointed, many appreciate its depth and the immersive atmosphere it creates, complemented by solid voice acting and cinematic presentation. However, the gameplay can be frustrating at times, particularly with certain missions that require specific strategies or ship configurations, which can detract from the overall experience.

    • “The story might follow a familiar theme of saving humanity, but Nexus: The Jupiter Incident has its own unique spin on it, with colorful characters and varied missions.”
    • “The story is well done and keeps you interested, wondering what comes next.”
    • “The campaign is an epic story, delivered via solid voice acting and well-written dialogue/scripted events.”
    • “The plot is pretty thin and disjointed, which makes one wonder why there was so much time and effort spent shoving it down the player's throat.”
    • “The story feels a bit rushed and the characters, although impressive, are not memorable.”
    • “The game is just painful to play at times, and some of the missions are absolutely appalling with instant fails wasting minutes of game time.”
  • gameplay102 mentions

    The gameplay of the game is characterized by its deep tactical mechanics and complex ship control, offering a unique experience for fans of space combat simulations. While some players appreciate the evolving gameplay and strategic depth, others find it slow-paced and frustrating due to a steep learning curve and occasional design flaws. Overall, the game is praised for its engaging mechanics and visuals, though it may not appeal to everyone due to its challenging nature and lack of skirmish modes.

    • “While the learning curve is unforgiving, if you love space combat sims, this game is definitely worth checking out, as its unique gameplay truly gives you fine control over every ship under your command.”
    • “The gameplay is simply brilliant.”
    • “Detailed mechanics and ship design give you a vast set of options for the solo and fleet battles you're going to fight.”
    • “The gameplay is terribly bland.”
    • “The game is brutally punishing, omitting key details and not explaining critical mechanics which will leave you frustrated and restarting simple missions over and over.”
    • “Unfortunately, the gameplay is what killed my experience.”
  • graphics94 mentions

    The graphics of the game, originally released in 2004, are widely praised for their impressive quality that still holds up well today, with many reviewers noting the beautiful design of ships and environments. While some textures and models show their age, the overall visual experience remains captivating, enhanced by recent updates that allow for higher resolutions. Despite being an older title, the graphics are considered a standout feature, contributing significantly to the game's enduring appeal.

    • “The graphics are beautiful and the GUI is well thought out.”
    • “For a game released in 2004, it is still decent on graphics and gameplay today.”
    • “Despite age, the graphics are quite nice; the game runs smoothly and the latest patch unlocked higher resolutions – I’ve played on native 4K :)”
    • “The graphics really don't hold up well either... everything is super pixelated, and all the models are like 100 triangles each, but that's not anything I would deduct points from the game for.”
    • “Graphics look really old, but playability seems to be still very high.”
    • “I really wanted to love this game, despite the outdated graphics and UI.”
  • music13 mentions

    The music in the game is generally praised for enhancing the overall experience, with many noting its high quality and ability to elevate the storytelling and gameplay. While some players find the soundtrack a bit repetitive and wish for more variety, standout tracks are described as epic and enjoyable. Overall, the sound design, including voice acting and combat sounds, contributes significantly to the immersive atmosphere, despite some opinions on the music being somewhat dated.

    • “The stories are alright, but the sound design, music, and voice acting elevate it even more.”
    • “If you can, get the OST as well.”
    • “I also wish the game's soundtrack was a bit more extensive, but for most people that's a minor gripe.”
    • “Graphics and music are a tad dated.”
    • “The music, the voice acting, and the story are top notch and worthy of a space operatic novel.”
  • atmosphere12 mentions

    The atmosphere of the game is widely praised for its immersive world-building, stunning visuals, and realistic space combat, creating a captivating experience that draws players in. While the initial intrigue and quality of cutscenes contribute positively to the atmosphere, some players feel that the gameplay can detract from the overall experience as missions become repetitive. Overall, the game is noted for its rich and engaging atmosphere, making it a standout in the tactical space opera genre.

    • “They put a lot of effort into the world building as well, long introductory sequence into the characters and their version of the future, plus plenty of information and timelines that you can access before every mission, really helps with the atmosphere.”
    • “Space has never looked this beautiful, from the asteroids you pass by to the ripples in your shields when they get struck everything in this game oozes atmosphere.”
    • “It is a stunningly atmospheric game with highly complex, yet easy to use space combat.”
    • “Overall, I was pulled in a bit by the story and atmosphere, but once the missions started, my interest faded fast.”
    • “And atmosphere is still 'realistic'.”
    • “Large scale space battles, realistic atmosphere, a B-level story that invests you, and original customizable warships.”
  • stability7 mentions

    The game's stability is a significant concern, with users reporting numerous bugs and crashes that hinder the overall experience. While some players note that the issues are not as severe as those found in newer titles, the frequent glitches and the need for troubleshooting make it difficult to recommend without reservations.

    • “What a shame - there's a great game here, but it's very buggy and crashes too much to recommend.”
    • “I really hope they make a remake of this with a more balanced and less buggy game.”
    • “Be warned though, there are some bugs/glitches that show up after playing for a long session.”
  • grinding5 mentions

    Players find the grinding aspect of the game to be a mixed experience; while some appreciate the lack of tedious resource management and base building, many feel that late-game missions become repetitive and frustrating due to trial and error mechanics. The initial excitement of dynamic gameplay can turn into a chore, making battles feel unnecessarily prolonged and dull.

    • “No tedious base building, no resources to collect, just pure decision-action-reaction.”
    • “It can be a bit grindy at times, but it adds to the overall experience.”
    • “Late campaign missions that do introduce new mechanics become tedious, and many mechanics will not work from one level to the next.”
    • “You don't get challenged much like this anymore, but halfway through the story it just became boring and tedious trial and error.”
    • “Then clicking and unclicking the modules that were once an awesome dynamic to the battlefield has now become a tedious chore that prolonged a battle longer than it needed to be.”
  • replayability5 mentions

    Overall, the game's replayability is mixed; while some players enjoyed the unique multiplayer configurations and found value in trying harder difficulty levels or completing missed objectives, others felt the linear campaign and lack of achievements diminished their desire to replay. The presence of mods adds some replay value, but many players agree that once the campaign is completed, there is limited incentive to return.

    • “Back when it was released, multiplayer was quite amazing with the many different servers and configurations users would choose, such as 1 ship per pilot, or which ships were playable on that server, making each unique and fun in its own way.”
    • “Replayability: 5 - the game campaign is based on linear missions, and once you played the campaign, the only real reason to start over is to try on a harder difficulty setting, complete hard secondary objectives you missed, or simply to blow stuff out of the sky.”
    • “The campaign is fun, and the replay value, considering all the mods, is very good.”
    • “To me, this game has no replay value, but I had fun nonetheless.”
    • “No achievements hurt the replay value for me. I never felt like I wanted to try out different difficulty levels once I'd finished it.”
    • “Replayability: 5 - the game campaign is based on linear missions, and once you played the campaign, the only real reason to start over is to try a harder difficulty setting, complete hard secondary objectives you missed, or simply to blow stuff out of the sky.”
  • optimization4 mentions

    Overall, the game's optimization is commendable, with smooth performance and support for higher resolutions, including native 4K. Players have reported no significant issues like crashes or stuttering, although effective combat requires careful micromanagement. However, those with lower-performance PCs may still face challenges.

    • “Despite its age, the graphics are quite nice, and the game runs smoothly. The latest patch unlocked higher resolutions – I've played on native 4K :)”
    • “Combat requires heavy pausing and micromanagement to get the best performance out of your ships.”
    • “I bought the original CD pack and played for some time, but due to having a low-performance PC, I soon abandoned it.”
    • “I bought the original CD pack and played for some time, but due to having a low-performance PC, it was soon abandoned.”
    • “The game struggles with optimization, leading to frequent frame drops and long loading times.”
    • “Despite having a decent setup, I still experience lag and stuttering, which makes the gameplay frustrating.”
  • humor4 mentions

    The humor in the game is noted as interesting and occasionally hilarious, contributing to an overall fun experience. However, some players feel misled by the marketing, as a key plot element involving Jupiter is underutilized, leading to disappointment.

    • “I mean seriously, it's hilariously fun.”
    • “Interesting and sometimes funny story, decent graphics, nice planets and ship models.”
  • emotional3 mentions

    The emotional aspect of the game resonates deeply with some players, evoking nostalgia and appreciation for its craftsmanship, while others find the story lacking and the gameplay confusing, leading to a mixed emotional response. Overall, there is a sense of longing for the game's unrealized potential, highlighting both its impact and shortcomings.

    • “My score is: 100/10 because after so many years, touching this game again just made me realize how much I appreciate it for its craft!”
    • “An exceptional game way before its time and with so much future potential that may go unrealized, it's heartbreaking.”
    • “Meh... boring story... confusing gameplay and controls. I pick up games pretty quick, and this one just didn't click.”
    • “The emotional moments felt forced and didn't resonate with me at all.”
    • “I expected to feel something, but the characters were so flat that I couldn't connect with their struggles.”
Positive mentions (%)Positive
Neutral mentions (%)Neutral
Negative mentions (%)Negative

Critic Reviews

73% average critic score

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Play time

20hMedian play time
27hAverage play time
13-48hSpent by most gamers
*Based on 3 analyzed playthroughs

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