Nexus: The Jupiter Incident

Nexus: The Jupiter Incident
Developer(s)	Mithis Entertainment
Publisher(s)	HD Interactive Sierra Entertainment THQ Nordic (Steam)
Engine	Black Sun Engine
Platform(s)	Windows
Release	November 5, 2004
Genre(s)	Real-time tactics, Space combat simulator, Science fiction
Mode(s)	Single player, multiplayer

Nexus: The Jupiter Incident: A supply ship with destroyer escort.

Nexus: The Jupiter Incident is a science fiction themed real-time tactics computer game developed by the Hungarian-based Mithis Entertainment. The game focuses on tactics and ship management instead of resource collection and base construction.

Gameplay and features

In each of the game's missions, the player is given a small number of large space ships (always less than ten, and sometimes just one or two), along with accompanying fighters and bombers. The ships are large and cumbersome, and the battles between fleets protracted, giving the game a noted cinematic feel.^[1] Nexus uses the Blacksun Engine, made specifically for the game. Based on DirectX 9, it makes extensive use of vertex and pixel shaders, a parametric particle system, and other visual effects.

Story

The game is set in the 22nd Century. The player is Marcus Cromwell, a famed spacecraft captain whose father, Richard Cromwell, the first spaceborn human, captained the colony ship Noah's Ark through a wormhole near Mars that was presumed destroyed when the wormhole collapsed. Cromwell sets out on the SpaceTech heavy corvette, the Stiletto, for Jupiter.

The events that unfold are "The Jupiter Incident", which escalates into an interstellar war. Cromwell engages in battle with several ships and responds to a Kissaki Syndicate (a rival corporation) research base's SOS call. Inside, he finds a cruiser-sized ship of alien origin, named the Angelwing by the Kissaki. The ship's logs show the corporation has another hidden base close to Pluto, with the base that sent out the SOS call being a distraction for the top-secret research being carried out at the Pluto base.

A normal ship would require almost 4 years to make the trip; however, the Angelwing can make the trip in several weeks using its special IP Drive. After a battle with the Syndicate fleet for the control of the Angelwing, Cromwell is given command of the cruiser and ordered to investigate the secret base. At Pluto, an artificial intelligence, named Angel, uploads herself into the Angelwing and commands Cromwell to escape from a strange entity - later known as a Mechanoid - through a nearby wormhole, the same wormhole that collapsed near Mars.

Cromwell finds himself in the Noah system populated by the colonists from Noah's Ark, who survived the wormhole collapse and started a colony. The Noah Colony fights as a mercenary race for an advanced but peaceful alien race, called the Vardrags, against another powerful race, the bloodthirsty, reptilian Gorgs, and a local group of renegade Vardrag elites, known as the Raptors.

After a successful raid at the Raptor's base, they are then enlisted again to fight against the Gorg Empire. In fights against the Gorg, the Ghosts occasionally seem to help the Angelwing. However, all the races would soon find themselves facing their greatest threat: a virulent race of nanomachines called the Mechanoids. Nothing seems capable of stopping the Mechanoid invasion, and the Vardrag homeworld and Earth are overrun. Only an organic, insectile race, known as the energy-consuming Locusts, are immune to the Mechanoids. With technology adapted from the Locusts, Cromwell is able to rescue Earth and all the other solar systems and shut down the main control system of the Mechanoids, the Entity.

The fate of Angel, who fought the Mechanoids, is left ambiguous, as she was not shown leaving the Entity and returning to the Angelwing.

Aliens

Vardrags One of the most advanced races in the game. Their main home system is Chakaris (which was eventually evacuated after the attack of the mechanoids on Chakaris III). They are very peaceful and have many strong allies, like the Noah colonists and the ghosts. Their squadrons are led by the fearful Raptors. Though they do not know much of war tactics, they could gather very useful information on the enemy and could subsequently defeat them. Catacalysm missile is one of the deadliest creations of this alien group.

Gorgs Terrific and blood thirsty and enemies of Vardrags and their allies. Though most of the clans of the Gorgs are brave, some, like the Raghara clan, execute many cowardly attacks. They do not even fear the Black Moon. The siege laser is one of the deadliest weapons of this alien group. Notable ships are Titan base and Warcry (ship of a ruling general).

Ghosts Terribly intelligent creatures. Their home system is Mist and generally perform stealth missions for the Vardrags. Their ships have a special ability of camouflage.

Locust Insect like creatures. Like ants or honey bees, their community is divided into warriors, workers and queen. The Energy Skeeter is their most powerful weapon.

Raptors They are actually the fearsome allies of Vardrags, but some turn rogue against their masters and revolt against them. They are subsequently massacred by the Noah colonists.

History

Nexus: The Jupiter Incident was developed by the Hungarian-based Mithis Entertainment, intended by the publisher CDV originally as Imperium Galactica 3.^[2] After the business relationship between Mithis and CDV broke apart and also the Imperium Galactica license got lost, the game was revisioned together with Most Wanted Entertainment as tactical strategy game.

The game was finally released in 2004 for PC.^[3]

Sequel

A technical demonstration video for the sequel, Nexus: The Jupiter Incident 2, was "leaked" to the Internet in 2006.

On August 16, 2011 Most Wanted Entertainment announced a sequel, named Nexus 2, on the crowdfunding website GamesPlant with a funding goal of €400,000.^[4] The €104,867 pledged fell short of the €400,000 goal.^[5]

In 2012 the original Nexus was digitally re-released on gog.com.^[6]

On September 28, 2012 a second campaign on Kickstarter.com was launched to fund the development of a sequel named Nexus 2: The Gods Awaken, but ultimately failed to raise the required amount, with only $161,731 of the $650,000 goal.^[7]

Legacy

Nordic Games announced that they acquired the intellectual property on 16 September 2015.^[8]

In March 2016 a patch was released for the game fixing long standing issues, like widescreen support.^[9]

Reception

While the game received positive reviews, particularly for its visual effects, it was criticized for its steep learning curve, trial and error gameplay, and poorly designed stealth missions.^[1]

References

External links

• Nexus: The Jupiter Incident at MobyGames
• Nexus 2 Interview (October 2012, archived)