Hardspace: Shipbreaker Beginner’s Guide – Top 5 Tips & Tricks

by Mike Alexander / Game Guides, General Guides / 26 Apr 2023

Experience the life of a zero-gravity salvage worker in Hardspace: Shipbreaker. This recently released game uses next-generation technology to deliver incredible graphics and amazingly realistic physics simulations. As you slice off pieces of abandoned ships and break them down for money, you will also be able to upgrade your own equipment to do your job better. Hardspace: Shipbreaker is a very complex game, but the sense of gratification you feel once you’ve mastered its gameplay is unmatched.

To help you get through those opening hours and learn how the game works, I have some guidance for you in this Hardspace: Shipbreaker Beginner’s Guide – Top 5 Tips & Tricks. When you’re ready to become the best space salvage associate for the Lynx Corporation, don your space suit, and let’s get started!

Become a Grapple King

In Hardspace: Shipbreaker, your primary means of interacting with the environments will be your handy Grapple tool. With it, you can move all kinds of space junk, navigate objects through tight corridors, and even pull yourself towards an object if it is much heavier than you. Be careful though, if you pull yourself too fast, you can damage your suit which will lead to a whole host of problems. It is also possible to manipulate objects you are grappling by maneuvering yourself. For instance, if a large object won’t fit through a corridor in a specific orientation, you can either grapple it from another angle or rotate yourself freely to make the object fit.

Measure Twice, Cut Once… Carefully

In order to break down these massive ships, you’ll need your laser cutting tool. The white-hot beam of this tool can cut through just about anything, even things that are potentially hazardous. Practice cutting in both vertical and horizontal orientations to break off the most efficient pieces you possibly can. But beware, the laser’s beam will cut through that wall and anything behind it as well, so if there’s a gas line on the other side of your target, you will ignite it and find yourself in a fireball. Outside of vertical and horizontal cuts, you can also switch to the Stinger head for the tool to fire a single focused beam for maximum accuracy and precision.

Get Handsy

Another important mechanic in Hardspace: Shipbreaker is the use of your hands. These ultimate tools can be used for a number of different things, including stabilizing yourself and moving objects. In an all zero-gravity environment, it can be difficult to aim properly as everything is freely moving about. If you’re trying to carve up a ship, it can be beneficial to use your magnetic gloves to anchor yourself to the side to carefully locate the parts you need and shear them off. In a pressurized cabin, you can use your gloved hands to hold onto a wall and prevent being sucked out into the void of space. When you find yourself barreling towards a surface too quickly, you can put your hands out in front of you to break your fall and prevent taking damage.

Get Your Ship Together

To make the most of each job, you’re going to want to pick the best possible ship for the materials you need. There are many different ship classes and shapes with varying roles for you to break down. If you need a certain amount of furniture, you may want to take on a passenger ship for its many seats and appliances. Or, if you just need mountains of metal, you can request an industrial cargo ship might be the way to go. Keep an eye on the requirements for your next certification and select from dozens of ships of all different sizes to progress through the game quickly.

Don’t Start the Fire

Remember those gas lines I mentioned before? Yea, they’ll kill you if you aren’t careful, but you can also use them to your advantage. These pipes are very valuable but will take extra care in extracting them. If you can find a manual release valve, you can expel all of the fuel in the pipe, making it safe to cut and collect. Or if you want to live dangerously, you can do some controlled demolition to remove the part. Just be careful that the ensuing explosion doesn’t damage any more useful materials for you. You’ll also need to be aware of fuel leaks, as when your laser’s beam comes into contact with one, you will have an unexpected explosion on your hands that could potentially be catastrophic.

Mike Alexander

Mike has been playing video games since he was able to hold a controller, having been fascinated by Sonic 2 on his mom’s Sega Genesis. That fascination and passion for the art form has grown exponentially nearly 30 years later, and he doesn’t see that fading away anytime soon.
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