Nexus: The Jupiter Incident

by Vivendi Universal

Product Features

• Epic campaign with 6 Episodes and more than 26 thrilling missions
• Powered by Mithis' unique Black Sun 3D engine
• Spectacular real-time battles with breathtaking motion picture quality
• Diverse mission types - espionage, fight, stealth, sabotage, rescue, science, etc.
• NPCs and crew with improving skills

Product Details

• Shipping: This item is also available for shipping to select countries outside the U.S.
• ASIN: B0007PB0C0
• Product Dimensions: 5.4 x 1.2 x 7.5 inches ; 8.8 ounces
• Media: CD-ROM
• Release Date: February 22, 2005
• Average Customer Review: 3.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (34 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #7,774 in Video Games (See Top 100 in Video Games)
• Discontinued by manufacturer: Yes

Product Description

Amazon.com

As much as everyone wanted to be Luke Skywalker, Han Solo, or Princess Leia when they grew up (or Darth Vader, if you're sadistic like Joe), there's something to be said about a game that puts you in Admiral Ackbar's command seat. Nexus does just that, and succeeds pretty well. Typically, the kind of moderately hardcore strategy found in Nexus is accompanied by a frustratingly obtuse interface and novel-sized manual. This could not be further from the case here – though the control isn't quite as intuitive as that of a Blizzard game, it does an admirable job of allowing you to jump right in and have some fun without requiring a degree in warfare.

Nexus forgoes any sort of base construction and puts you in real-time command of a group of units (though you can upgrade them between missions) and tasks you with various objectives, usually involving stomping an opposing force. This gameplay is fun rather than annoyingly complex due to the commands being very general in nature and leaving the individual tasks of firing weapons and turning to the AI. Movement is similarly abstracted; given that the whole game takes place in gigantic, open 3D space, traditional RTS maneuverings would be impossible. Instead, you issue orders to move towards or away from objects (though you do have the option to manually set up new points), which on the whole makes the third dimension much easier to deal with.

As for the combat itself, it's a far cry from the fast-paced shootouts of most RTS games. Lumbering capital ships circle each other, vying for position, while fighters enact their own deadly dance at breakneck speed. Much of the time, there's an additional twist to the scenario, be it a black hole, subspace rift, or hulking battle station projecting a thousand-kilometer wide force shield. Even so, engagements can drag on at times as shields wear down and energy slowly depletes – but after about the halfway point of the campaign, the scale of battles is large enough to require your constant attention. However, some of the more unconventional missions miss the mark a bit. In particular, the stealth ones are about as exciting as commuting with a broken car stereo.

This epic spectacle (and by epic I mean that some scenarios dwarf the most massive space conflicts seen on film) is brought to life by some of the best graphics I've had the pleasure to see. Blinding explosions rip across the screen and superheated plasma bolts spatter off of shimmering energy shields against the majestic backdrop of stars and colorful nebulae – watching Nexus is literally almost as engaging as the strategy itself. Plus, the story is intriguing in that sweeping fate-of-the-galaxy sci-fi kind of a way, without being completely overblown and melodramatic. All in all, despite its occasional frustrations, Nexus has a lot to offer anyone with an interest in strategy.

Concept:
Become humanity's savior through your tactical wizardry…in space!

Graphics:
Wonderful on every level. You really have to see it to believe it

Sound:
Competent voiceovers and a nicely moody atmospheric score do a good job of setting the tone

Playability:
The abstraction of control is great, but an option for some more in-depth orders would have really helped

Entertainment:
Unique and well crafted, this is a title strategy fans should get serious mileage out of

Replay:
Moderately High

Rated: 8.25 out of 10
Editor: Adam Biessener
Issue: March 2005

2nd Opinion:
Who knew space could look this breathtaking? Knowing close to nil about this title prior to my playthrough, I was blown away by the fantastic visuals that fill the dark reaches of the galaxy. As the first hours of the game passed, I wasn't sure if I could proclaim the same praises for the gameplay, which seemed overly simplistic during early missions. When you play this (because you should), push past that barrier to the deeply strategic and incredibly challenging mission structure that lies beyond that early hump. The ships, characters, and plot will remind you of every sci-fi epic you've ever come across – in a good way. Once you get used to the interface and the special demands of three-dimensional combat, you'll marvel at the futuristic naval conflicts, especially as the campaign mounts to its climactic finale – a battle scene that makes all the earlier challenges worthwhile.

Rated: 8.5 out of 10
Editor: Matt Miller


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Product Description

Platform:  WINDOWS 98/2000/XP Publisher:  SIERRA Packaging:  DVD STYLE BOX Rating:  EVERYONE At the dawn of the 22nd century ambitious mega-corporations monopolize the colonization of the solar system.  As Captain Marcus Cromwell you find yourself in the middle of a conflict that could destroy the balance of the universe.Focus on tactics and bat as you mand fleets of capital-class ships. Encounter alien species explore unknown solar systems and discover other phenomena in your struggle to save Earth.Features Epic campaign with spectacular real-time battles in breathtaking motion-picture quality Jump right into the action; take mand of more than 80 weapons and over 80 other devices. Unprecedented fleet customization Tailor and control multiple detailed spaceships; choose from over 40 ship types. Flexible star map system with pla movement based on real physics Zoom in on stunning objects in an expansive fully 3D universe. Multiplayer via Inter and LAN with diverse missions and modes Create new content with extensive incorporated modding tools. System Requirements Windows 98/2000/XP Intel Pentium III 1.0 GHz or AMD Athlon 1.0 GHz 128 MB RAM 1.4 GB free hard disk space 4x Speed CD-ROM drive NVIDIA GeForce 2 Sound: Windows 98/2000/XP-patible sound card DirectX version 9.0b 64 kbps modem for LAN/Inter play

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

65 of 66 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Fantastic!, March 11, 2005

By 

A Reader (CA, United States) - See all my reviews

= Fun:5.0 out of 5 stars 

This review is from: Nexus: The Jupiter Incident (CD-ROM)

Nexus:TJI combines the very best aspects of role playing, RTS, and strategy gaming into a uniquely wonderful gaming experience.

Probably the best way to describe Nexus:TJI is 'Babylon 5' meets computer gaming. A mix of Homeworld and Star Fleet Command is another apt analogy. You command anywhere from a single vessel to a sizable fleet in an amazing amalgamation of RTS and tactical gaming. The gameplay, cinematics, and world are similar to the look and feel of `Babylon 5' including the Newtonian-based space combat. Yet it also combines the best aspects of space combat in `Battlestar Galactica' (the new series), `Star Wars', and `Star Trek'. Anyone with an interest in space combat will be very pleased with this game.

The graphics in the game are outstanding. The ship models are very well done but the 'space terrain' you fight in is even better. Asteroids, planets, sun flares and more are marvelously rendered with great lighting and shading. Sound is also well done. The story is solid and interesting and offers more depth if you care to read the diary entries and character bios. Voice acting throughout ranges from good to excellent.

Gameplay starts with bits of the story and a mission briefing. You are then left at the Starmap to outfit your ships, check on crew, read diary entries (more story plot), and generally get yourself ready for action. As an indicator of the overall quality of the game this section is almost a great game in its own right. The Starmap lets you literally explore the Universe like an astronomer. You can browse around solar systems and look at planets and moons. The game begins in our own solar system so you'll have some familiar surroundings from which to start.

Once you leave the Starmap and start your mission the main game begins. The game plays out in real-time but you can pause the game to give orders at any moment. What is so unique is that the game blends three levels of detail into an amazing and seamless whole. At the highest level it is similar to a regular RTS game (without the resource gathering) where you can just command your units as you would in Homeworld. But there is also another deeper level where you can exert direct control of certain units and do things such as launch fighters, assign specific target points, dictate posture, etc. Yet there is a third level to the game where you can dig one step deeper and take very detailed control of certain units and assign energy distribution, repair systems, control detailed movement orders, and much more. Best of all is that you can play the game successfully at the level YOU enjoy most. On occasion you'll need to dig down (or with the larger battles back up) but mostly you can play at the level of detail and control you enjoy. These multiple levels really set the game apart from previous space combat games. You are not stuck at one level but can move up and down in detail as appropriate.

All of the various ship types (fighters, capital ships, alien ships) and actions (boarding actions, energy management, and more) you would expect (and want) in this type of game are present. The ability to pause the real-time action makes Nexus:TJI a great tactical combat game that rewards sound tactics and understanding of your units' strengths and weaknesses and not just an exercise in how fast you can click. The AI is quite good and certainly doesn't do anything overtly foolish. The game's first couple of missions ease you into play and provide tutorial tips along the way. This is almost enough to play the game but you'll be best served spending some time with the well done manual as you it details some wonderful features not discussed in the in-game tips.

The game interface is a study in elegance and efficiency. Most of it is immediately intuitive and the rest easily digested after a read through the manual. There is an incredible amount of information displayed in a clean, useful fashion that greatly adds to the enjoyment and atmosphere of the game. You can easily command your ships, see ship status, and information on enemy ships. Many of your actions can be assigned directly with the interface without the need to hunt around for particular ships in the 3D display.

So far the game has been very stable and runs just fine at high resolution with full effects.

If all of that wasn't enough Nexus: The Jupiter Incident also includes Mod Tools that lets you create not only new missions but whole new ships and solar systems! I have little doubt we will see many player-created missions available on the Web. This feature gives Nexus:TJI incredible play life. Considering the quality and depth of play I suspect we will see some of the best experiences come from Mod created missions. With luck the designers will produce not only expansions but mission and/or world packs as well.

If you have any interest in sci-fi combat games or the space action in movies/series such as `Babylon 5,' `Battlestar Galactica,' `Star Wars,' or `Star Trek' you simply can't miss this game!

32 of 35 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Well Worth the Budget Expense, March 2, 2005

By 

Terrance P. Ohanlon "panentheist" (Hagerstown, MD USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

= Fun:5.0 out of 5 stars 

This review is from: Nexus: The Jupiter Incident (CD-ROM)

Space Sim fans take heart. There is a new entry well worth your time and expense. Nexus TJI is a great play. As a vet space simmer dating back to WCI, I highly recommend this outing. Not quite Homeworld I but certainly better than HW 2. Intense graphics, captivating storyline and awesome capital ship battles. That's right, it's all capitals here (no frenzied fighter action) but very satisfying nonetheless. Battles move slower and are more strategic. Voice acting is very good (background music could have been better ala HW I). Overall, I would highly recommend you take on this space adventure and enjoy the BIG ship/fleet combat and supurb graphics.

13 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Not a Homeworld clone, March 23, 2006

By 

Yu-jin Chia "Yu-Jin Chia" (Cupertino, CA USA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

= Fun:4.0 out of 5 stars 

This review is from: Nexus: The Jupiter Incident (CD-ROM)

When I first saw screenshots of Nexus:TJI, I figured it was just another Homeworld-type game. Since I rather enjoyed Homeworld, I proceeded to buy it. For those that are expecting Nexus to be that, you're in for a surprise, though not necessarily an unpleasant one.

The most notable difference between the two games is that you don't harvest or build anything in Nexus. You're assigned a few ships (I've never seen more than 10 under my command) and can usually configure them before each mission. Oftentimes you don't even start with all of them, but receive the remainder as reinforcements after an objective is completed. Lost ships are replaced automatically, but with default equipment, which is pretty bad if you get in the habit of taking casualties. The weapons available for upgrade, and the number you can add on, are more or less predetermined. Adding points to the main character's engineering raises the amount you can 'purchase,' but I've found this has little impact in general. Resource units don't carry on between missions, so there's really no management aspect to the game.

That said, the lack of resource focus means you'll be far more concerned with the mission objectives, which run the gamut of stealth to all-out war. The missions in general are well planned and remarkably challenging- on the hardest difficulty I actually got stuck about 1/3 of the way through the game. There are some issues in weapon configuration, which can cause you to scrub out on a mission the first time if you didn't know what you needed to equip, and oftentimes you're given few if any hints in this regard. Despite that, the missions are generally fun and fast-paced.

I have to say, though, that at times I wanted to pull my hair out when playing through some of them. You're often put up against massively superior enemy units, and one wrong move can mean your doom (or losing a ton of ships, which is pretty much the same thing). Some battles can drag on forever, with your fleet exchanging potshots with strong enemy warships until someone's shields finally go down. I actually left to eat lunch during some of the longer ones, and came back to find my fleet happily victorious. If you respec all your weapons for each mission you might be able to go faster, but only at the cost of expensive general-purpose upgrades like shields, power cells, and engines.

The game mechanics in general are well done and quite intuitive (despite what others here have said). There's advanced movement controls, but these are generally not needed. You issue basic orders to your ships, and they do their best to carry them out. Sometimes they may seem to take their time, but this is because even your fastest ships tend to be pretty slow and sluggish.

The graphics and sound are both very well done. This is pretty clear if you've seen any screenshots of the game. The campaign is interspersed with full motion video cutscenes, and all dialogue is spoken. Some of the alien dialogue is really irritating, but that just gives you more reason to kill them all. In general, the campaign is interesting and immersive, and the mission objectives go beyond the usual 'kill them all' scenario. As previously mentioned, the missions are challenging, and get more so as the campaign progresses. Perfectionists will be hard-pressed to finish without losing any ships even on easy difficulty.

I didn't have any serious technical issues with the game, though it doesn't seem to like multitasking. Load times were short, and Nexus ran very smoothly on my rather average PC.

If you're the type that appreciates real time combat, sci-fi, and/or 3-D strategy games, Nexus is certainly a good pick. I would say it's one of the only truly difficult real time strategy games out there now, so those just seeking a challenge of any sort might want to check it out.