The imminent Stellar Blade PC release pushed Shift Up's action RPG right to the top of the Steam Next Fest charts for much of this week - but now the game is no longer eligible, a very different one is rising up to take its place.
Stellar Blade spent a good amount of this week right at the top of the charts, vying with a soulslike MMORPG revival for the very top spot. But looking at those same charts today, Stellar Blade is nowhere to be seen. Despite having dominated during the first half of the week, Stellar Blade's official release yesterday means that it's no longer eligible - all three of Steam Next Fest's major charts "only include games not yet released on Steam." Stellar Blade no longer falls into that category, so it's no longer on the charts.
You can still play the demo, but the removal of one of the biggest entries means that the Steam Next Fest hierarchy is in a pretty wild state of flux right now. And while that MMO I mentioned is still sitting pretty high in the charts, one particular game is really taking advantage of Stellar Blade's absence.
That game would be Jump Ship, a co-op FPS in which you and up to three friends act as the crew of a spaceship. Engaging in both space combat and on-the-ground fights, the real selling point of Jump Ship is its seamless transitions from space to ship to planet. That's the kind of thing I really hoped Starfield would be able to offer in place of its repeated loading screens and limited landing spots. While Jump Ship is admittedly not an RPG, a co-op reimagining of the game I wanted Starfield to be is certainly a compelling pitch.
And that's something that I seem to not be alone in thinking. Jump Ship is currently in the top five on all three of Next Fest's major charts, and is currently right at the top of the wishlist charts. Interesting, in the player count-driven 'top demos' chart, it's in third place right behind a very similar proposition - Wildgate, a ship-to-ship combat game that seems to come with a touch of REPO energy. Clearly, between that and Stellar Blade, the Steam Next Fest players yearn for the stars.
Take a look at our Stellar Blade review to see if you fancy the jump to PC.
