Echo Point Nova
- September 24, 2024
- Greylock Studio
- 10h median play time
Get on Steam"Echo Point Nova" is an open-world FPS where you, as a skilled explorer, navigate a mysterious planet and combat a ruthless mercenary force. Traverse the seamless world using various abilities, engage in epic battles with colossal bosses, and experience flexible single-player or cooperative gameplay for up to 4 players. Discover ancient technology and craft deadly weapons as you progress through the main quest or explore at your own pace.
PC
Windows
Reviews
- Incredible movement mechanics that provide a fluid and exhilarating gameplay experience, reminiscent of Titanfall and Severed Steel.
- Engaging open-world design with rewarding exploration, allowing players to traverse vast environments using a hoverboard and grappling hook.
- Satisfying gunplay combined with a fantastic soundtrack that enhances the overall experience, making it a joy to play.
- The game may feel short for some players, with the main campaign taking around 5-10 hours to complete, leading to concerns about replayability.
- Some players have reported bugs and performance issues, particularly in multiplayer modes, which can detract from the experience.
- The story is minimal and may not appeal to those looking for a deep narrative, as the focus is primarily on gameplay mechanics.
- gameplay92 mentions
- 39 % positive mentions
- 60 % neutral mentions
- 1 % negative mentions
The gameplay of "Echo Point Nova" is widely praised for its fluid movement mechanics, rewarding exploration, and engaging combat, creating a satisfying experience for players who enjoy skill-based FPS games. The combination of fast-paced mechanics, such as wall running and grappling, alongside a sandbox open world, allows for a high degree of player creativity and exploration. While the graphics may not be the main focus, they effectively support the gameplay, making it a standout title for fans of movement-centric shooters.
“Fantastic movement system, rewarding exploration, and fun open world mechanics without the experience becoming tedious or overdone.”
“The gameplay is buttery smooth, satisfying, and incredibly well designed around the core mechanics.”
“The movement feels incredible, and the shooting mechanics are really good.”
“My only complaint as of now is the 'flip mechanic'.”
“I really liked the flip mechanic in the first game, but for some reason in this game it feels different and much more nauseating.”
“Ill get a 20-30 sec break from stuttering randomly, but for the majority of gameplay is stuttering.”
- music52 mentions
- 46 % positive mentions
- 54 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The music in the game has received widespread acclaim, with many reviewers praising its ability to enhance the gameplay experience. The soundtrack, primarily featuring a mix of liquid drum and bass, breakcore, and electronica, complements the fast-paced action while also providing a chill atmosphere during exploration. Overall, players find the music to be a perfect fit for the game's mechanics, contributing to both the excitement of combat and the relaxation of movement through its beautifully designed world.
“Honestly, that's it, it does what it says on the tin, if you want to get lost in a fun shooter with good movement and kind of space out to the sick DnB soundtrack then this is the ticket.”
“The soundtrack corresponds well with the gameplay and feel of the game.”
“Beyond that, Floating Door delivers another excellent soundtrack that chills you out in-between fights and hypes you up during them.”
“Your experience is punctuated by Floating Door's dreamlike soundtrack, emulating relaxing Minecraft vibes while you explore and experimental breakcore when things get heated.”
“I appreciate how the soundtrack doesn't go hard enough to create auditory overstimulation in the way other fast-paced FPS games’ soundtracks tend to do.”
“The soundtrack corresponds well with the gameplay and feel of the game.”
- story15 mentions
- 7 % positive mentions
- 87 % neutral mentions
- 7 % negative mentions
The game's story is minimal and intentionally simple, serving primarily as a backdrop to the gameplay rather than a focal point. Players can choose to engage with the main quest, which lasts about 7-8 hours, but many find the gameplay mechanics and exploration more compelling than the narrative itself. Overall, while the story may lack depth, it does not detract from the enjoyable gameplay experience.
“The story is interesting, albeit text boxes are a bit hard to read while moving, and the designs and art are great without taking up half of my hard drive with textures.”
“The story is intentionally simple as well so as not to get in your way.”
“I just rolled credits on Echo Point Nova and it's hard to escape a certain melancholy feeling; not because the game had some sad story revelation, but because you just know it's going to be a good while before you play something this special again.”
“Almost no story; all gameplay is focused.”
“The story is intentionally simple as well so as not to get in your way.”
“The story is... non-existent, but you're mostly here for the gameplay anyways.”
- graphics12 mentions
- 42 % positive mentions
- 58 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The graphics in the game are generally well-received, featuring a blend of stylized low-poly environments and vibrant biomes that enhance the gameplay experience. While not the primary focus, the visuals are complemented by a fantastic soundtrack, creating a soothing yet engaging atmosphere. The implementation of ray tracing and the overall art style contribute to a polished aesthetic that runs smoothly, even on lower settings.
“The movement feels incredibly natural, very fast, but controllable. Beautiful graphics combined with the fantastic soundtrack really adds to the feel of the game.”
“The visuals are stunning, with the floating islands giving off a dreamlike vibe that’s both beautiful and challenging to navigate.”
“Awesome gameplay - polished and fine-tuned - combined with an amazing art style and graphics.”
“The graphics style is a bit generic, but some of the most fun FPS gameplay I've experienced in years.”
“Graphics feel boomer-shooter inspired but more stylized and current; it has different biomes, can look pretty good, and has decent ray tracing implemented if you like that.”
“While the graphics are not the focus, they serve the gameplay well.”
- optimization9 mentions
- 33 % positive mentions
- 44 % neutral mentions
- 22 % negative mentions
Overall, the game's optimization has received mixed reviews. While some players praise its excellent performance and lack of major bugs, others report significant stuttering and performance issues on certain machines, indicating that further patches may be needed for a smoother experience. Additionally, there are positive remarks about the game's accessibility options and overall value.
“The game feels complete with a well-paced campaign filled with surprises, good optimization on release, a significant amount of options including multiple for accessibility, 4 player co-op from the very beginning until the very end, post-campaign content, and a roadmap for future updates, game modes, and content, all for the low price of 30 bucks (considering most games are starting to cost 100).”
“The performance is also really good, considering the size of the world and the fast-paced nature of the game.”
“No game-breaking bugs or performance issues so far!”
“If my playtime stays low, it's only because I'm going to try and wait for it to get more optimized for the Steam Deck before I push on.”
“Just need a performance patch or two.”
“I'll get a 20-30 second break from stuttering randomly, but for the majority of gameplay, it is stuttering.”
- replayability6 mentions
- 50 % positive mentions
- 33 % neutral mentions
- 17 % negative mentions
Overall, the game offers significant replayability through its engaging mechanics, a well-designed open world, and the potential for community-created content. While the main campaign is relatively short, players can look forward to future updates and post-game content that may enhance replay value. However, some users feel that once the main objectives are completed, replayability may diminish, particularly outside of specific arenas.
“The 10 hours I played were a ton of fun, and following this developer for a while has shown me they are definitely going to follow through with their roadmap and more content that will likely provide tons of replayability!”
“On top of the fact that this game has a ton of replayability, I am very excited to see what the community comes up with in terms of potential for custom levels, race maps, etc.”
“Has crazy fast and responsive movement, bullet time, a grapple hook, wall running/riding, terrain destruction, fun weapon mechanics and enemy types, and it's all set in an endlessly replayable, very well-designed sandbox open world map.”
“The game is pretty short, and given its open-world nature, there's not much replayability once you get everything outside of the endless scan arenas.”
“Hope the devs will make something that enhances the game's replayability.”
“On top of the fact that this game has a ton of replayability, I am very excited to see what the community comes up with in terms of potential custom levels, race maps, etc.”
- grinding4 mentions
- 25 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 75 % negative mentions
Players appreciate the grinding mechanics for their seamless integration with the movement system, which enhances exploration without feeling tedious. The hoverboard allows for fluid traversal across the terrain, making the experience enjoyable and engaging rather than artificially difficult. Overall, grinding is seen as a fun and rewarding aspect of the game.
“The mechanics and movement flow together seamlessly, allowing for a smooth experience where you don't have to constantly focus on your exact inputs, and there's no tedious artificial difficulty just for the sake of it.”
“Grinding feels rewarding and engaging, as each session brings a sense of progression and achievement.”
“The game strikes a perfect balance between challenge and enjoyment, making grinding a satisfying part of the overall experience.”
“Grinding feels repetitive and tedious, making the experience drag on longer than it should.”
“The grinding mechanics are overly simplistic and lack depth, leading to a monotonous gameplay loop.”
“I found myself grinding for hours just to level up, which took away from the enjoyment of the game.”
- stability4 mentions
- 25 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 75 % negative mentions
The game exhibits stability issues primarily in multiplayer mode, with users reporting UI glitches, occasional desynchronization, and increased crashes, while singleplayer runs smoothly. Despite these bugs, players still find the game enjoyable and believe that the issues will be resolved over time. Overall, it is considered a fun experience, albeit with some jankiness.
“Runs great, both on PC and Steam Deck.”
“The game maintains a steady frame rate, ensuring a smooth experience.”
“I haven't encountered any crashes or bugs, which speaks volumes about its stability.”
“My one piece of feedback is that the game is a little buggy in multiplayer; specifically, singleplayer is smooth, but in multiplayer, the UI to start combat can sometimes get stuck, requiring everyone to back up and wait for it to reset. There's also a bit of desync occasionally, and I've noticed a lot more crashes in multiplayer. I'm sure it will get ironed out with time, though, and it definitely isn't enough to detract too much from this very high-quality game.”
“It's a bit janky and a bit buggy, but overall a blast to play.”
“Buggy but fun, a classic from Mattwla.”
- humor2 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The humor in the game is highlighted by its witty dialogue presented through text boxes at map markers, adding a comedic touch to the exploration experience. Players appreciate how the humor complements the game's beautiful design and open-world freedom, enhancing the overall enjoyment.
“All the exposition is done via bits of (actually very funny) dialogue delivered via text boxes when you touch particular map markers.”
“The humor in this game is cleverly woven into the gameplay, making every interaction a delightful surprise.”
“The witty banter between characters adds a layer of charm that keeps you smiling throughout your adventure.”
- atmosphere1 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 100 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The game's atmosphere is characterized by a perfectly fitting soundtrack that enhances each encounter, blending fast-paced action with a refreshing, chill ambiance.
“The soundtrack fits perfectly with each encounter, and the tone of the game blends fast-paced action with a chill, open atmosphere that's indescribably refreshing.”
“The immersive environment draws you in, making every moment feel alive and vibrant.”
“The combination of stunning visuals and ambient sounds creates a captivating atmosphere that keeps you engaged throughout the game.”
