Flight Of Nova
- May 31, 2022
- Aerovery Lab
- 116h median play time
Get on Steam"Flight of Nova" is a thrilling aerial combat game that takes place in a futuristic world. Players take on the role of a skilled pilot, battling against enemy factions in intense dogfights and strategic missions. With a variety of customizable aircraft and upgrades, players can tailor their flying experience to their preferred playstyle.
PC
Windows
Linux
Reviews
- The flight physics are incredibly satisfying, providing a realistic and immersive experience that keeps players engaged.
- The game offers a unique blend of space trucking and realistic orbital mechanics, making it appealing to fans of both flight simulators and space exploration.
- Despite being in early access, the game shows great potential with regular updates and a solid foundation for future content.
- The game currently lacks a variety of missions and content, leading to repetitive gameplay after a while.
- There are issues with peripheral support, limiting the ability to customize controls for various flight sticks and devices.
- The graphics and overall presentation feel dated, which may detract from the experience for some players.
- gameplay188 mentions
- 21 % positive mentions
- 77 % neutral mentions
- 2 % negative mentions
The gameplay is centered around mastering realistic flight mechanics and orbital physics, offering a rewarding challenge for players familiar with concepts like relative velocities and gravity. While the core mechanics are praised for their depth and satisfaction, some players note a lack of guidance for newcomers and suggest that additional tools and content could enhance the experience. Overall, the game is seen as a solid foundation for a space flight simulator, appealing particularly to fans of orbital mechanics and atmospheric flight.
“The core gameplay mechanic (you know, the flight) is already absolutely amazing - it alone, coupled with random procedural missions kept me going for hours upon hours.”
“Realistic flight model for atmospheric flights, seamless transitions from atmospheric to orbital flight, newtonian physics in space with fully fledged orbital mechanics, random missions generator for infinite content.”
“The orbital mechanics and newtonian physics make this better than any other space flight sim out there currently.”
“It lacks some essential tools for efficient navigation and orbital rendezvous, which would improve the gameplay experience.”
“For a presumably solo developer or very small team, it's a solid enough game, though at full price I think it may be putting some people off, considering the gameplay rather basic and after a while, repetitive; obviously you're just going from point A to point B.”
“Maybe the finished version will solicit a different reaction, but in its current state, you need an extremely solid understanding of orbital mechanics to be able to dock at any station, and it requires a ton of replays/watching people do it since the game has zero guidance to teach you how to go there.”
- story186 mentions
- 15 % positive mentions
- 77 % neutral mentions
- 8 % negative mentions
The game's story aspect is notably lacking, with no overarching narrative or character development, leaving players to engage primarily in basic mission-based gameplay. While there are procedural missions that provide some structure, they often feel repetitive and serve mainly as a means to experience the flight mechanics rather than to tell a compelling story. Many players express a desire for more engaging missions, a campaign mode, and additional content to enhance the overall narrative experience.
“The missions do have some flavor text such as 'station x requires some water' and chains together several drop-off/pick-ups for some missions.”
“While the mission system is nothing to get excited about, and is more just an excuse for you to fly around, they do lend to the very atmospheric feeling of the game currently.”
“Albeit it would benefit from a bit more storytelling/campaign but maybe that is coming in some future?”
“At first glance, this game might seem like not much; the looks are somewhat dated, there's no storyline to it, and almost no in-game progression or unlocks.”
“There is no story and no commerce, so there is no cost to fuel or repair; it just requires you to be landed at a station.”
“Right now, there is not much else here besides the missions, however, so people wanting a story are going to be left wanting.”
- atmosphere82 mentions
- 49 % positive mentions
- 48 % neutral mentions
- 4 % negative mentions
The atmosphere of the game is praised for its immersive and realistic flight mechanics, combining atmospheric and orbital physics that create a satisfying experience for players. Users appreciate the stunning visuals, engaging soundtracks, and the sense of velocity during flight, although some note that the atmospheric flight model could use refinement. Overall, the game offers a compelling blend of sci-fi elements and realistic space navigation, making it a standout in the genre.
“The combination of orbital mechanics and atmospheric flight makes it feel like a sci-fi immersive version of KSP, because that's the only game I am able to compare it to, unfortunately.”
“Though things look significantly better when in orbit, where you're treated to some lovely vistas of the main planet, and overall even when you're flying in-atmosphere the visuals are more than enough to build a pretty immersive atmosphere.”
“The dev can make it even better by adding more content, but as it is he's built a fantastic foundation with great gameplay, performance, and an immersive atmosphere.”
“The realistic orbital mechanics are kind of underwhelming considering the lack of time warp and the shallow atmosphere.”
“I doubt that the freighter ship is designed to fly in a more or less dense atmosphere, especially without devastating consequences for the hull, especially at supersonic speed.”
“Don’t understand how atmosphere works on re-entry?”
- graphics54 mentions
- 41 % positive mentions
- 54 % neutral mentions
- 6 % negative mentions
The graphics in the game receive mixed reviews, with some praising the stunning visuals in space and the overall aesthetic, while others criticize the simplistic and basic textures, particularly on the ground. Many players note that while the performance is solid, the lack of graphical options and detail in certain areas detracts from immersion. Overall, the graphics are seen as serviceable but in need of improvement to enhance the gaming experience.
“The graphics, particularly in the celestial expanse, are a breathtaking testament to the wonders of the universe.”
“Absolute stunning graphics, flying feels incredible.”
“Though things look significantly better when in orbit, where you're treated to some lovely vistas of the main planet, and overall even when you're flying in-atmosphere the visuals are more than enough to build a pretty immersive atmosphere.”
“The visuals aren't anything to write home about.”
“I think the graphics and especially the textures could use a little bit more love, whilst in orbit it looks absolutely fantastic but ground and building textures are a little on the basic side.”
“I really hope they add more detail to the terrain and buildings though as the planet side graphics look really depressing at the moment.”
- music22 mentions
- 64 % positive mentions
- 23 % neutral mentions
- 14 % negative mentions
The music in the game is widely praised for its atmospheric quality and immersive experience, enhancing gameplay with a trippy and relaxing soundtrack. Players enjoy the ability to complement the game's music with their own selections, creating a personalized and enjoyable environment while completing objectives. Overall, the soundtrack significantly contributes to the game's aesthetic and emotional depth.
“Great graphics, great atmospheric soundtrack.”
“Cannot skip on the great BGM music that adds to the immersion, of course.”
“The music is very trippy.”
“I can lay back, put my own music on, and do challenges in space for hours.”
“The music of Dreamstate Logic in the game was the first positive inclination that I was going to enjoy this EA title.”
- optimization14 mentions
- 57 % positive mentions
- 21 % neutral mentions
- 21 % negative mentions
Overall, the game's optimization is praised for its solid performance and lack of major bugs, providing a smooth experience for players. The simple yet effective art style complements the gameplay, creating an immersive atmosphere without compromising performance. While there is room for additional content, the foundation laid by the developers is considered strong and well-executed.
“The dev can make it even better by adding more content, but as it is he's built a fantastic foundation with great gameplay, performance, and an immersive atmosphere.”
“Performance wise, the simple but effective art style works just fine for an independent game and it is clearly made with some love.”
“Performance is good, so far no major bugs encountered.”
“I did not experience any performance issues or bugs; however, the optimization could still use some work.”
“Performance-wise, the simple but effective art style works just fine for an independent game, but it feels like it could be optimized further.”
“While the game has its charm, the optimization leaves much to be desired, leading to occasional frame drops.”
- stability4 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
The game shows significant potential, but currently suffers from numerous bugs that affect its stability. Despite not being classified as early access, players have noted that the game's performance is inconsistent and requires further refinement.
“It has a lot of potential, and I will be following the game, but at the moment it is very buggy.”
“It is not an early access title; it's just buggy and feels rushed out.”
- replayability4 mentions
- 25 % positive mentions
- 25 % neutral mentions
- 50 % negative mentions
The game boasts high replayability, with players noting that the full version offers significantly more content and diverse gameplay modes compared to the demo. Features like the rogue mode provide endless replay value, and some users report investing hundreds of hours into the game, indicating its lasting appeal.
“(Update: after 600 hours, still a great game. It's possible I may eventually end up with more hours in this than KSP. Rogue mode already gives the game infinite replay value, even though the full career mode and story aren't added yet.)”
“The replay value is high considering how much I played the demo, but really the full game is vastly more rich with great content and varying modes of play.”
“(Update: after 600 hours, it's still a great game. It's possible I may eventually end up with more hours in this than KSP. Rogue mode already gives the game infinite replay value, even though the full career mode and story aren't added yet.)”
- grinding4 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
Players find the grinding aspect of orbital missions to be tedious, particularly due to limited time warp speeds that prolong waiting periods during launches. However, "Flight of Nova" is praised for effectively balancing simulation with automation, alleviating some of the more monotonous tasks while still maintaining essential gameplay mechanics.
“Orbital missions also get a bit tedious after a while - time warp maxes out at 20x on the ground and 10x when docked to a space station, which really isn't enough if you want to do back-and-forth runs between ground and orbit without sitting and twiddling your thumbs for 5-10 minutes every time you wait for a launch window.”
“The grinding aspect of the game can feel overwhelming, as the repetitive tasks often lead to a lack of engagement and excitement.”
“The need to constantly grind for resources can detract from the overall enjoyment of the game, making it feel more like a chore than an adventure.”
