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 a refreshing addition to the genre.
- Despite being in early access, the game is well-optimized and runs smoothly, with frequent updates from the developer.
- The game currently lacks a variety of missions and content, leading to repetitive gameplay after a few hours.
- There are significant limitations in control options for peripherals, which can hinder the experience for players with advanced setups.
- The graphics and overall presentation feel dated, which may detract from the immersion for some players.
- gameplay94 mentions
- 21 % positive mentions
- 76 % neutral mentions
- 3 % negative mentions
The gameplay is centered around mastering realistic flight mechanics and orbital physics, offering a rewarding challenge for players familiar with these concepts. While the core mechanics are praised for their depth and accuracy, some users note a lack of guidance and essential tools for navigation, which can hinder accessibility for newcomers. Overall, the game provides a unique and immersive experience for those who enjoy space simulation, though it could benefit from additional content and features to enhance the gameplay loop.
“The main challenge lies in having complete control over the spacecraft, which makes mastering the flight mechanics rewarding.”
“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 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.”
“It lacks some essential tools for efficient navigation and orbital rendezvous, which would improve the gameplay experience.”
“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.”
“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.”
- story93 mentions
- 15 % positive mentions
- 77 % neutral mentions
- 8 % negative mentions
The game's story aspect is largely absent, with players noting that it primarily consists of basic mission types focused on delivering cargo or performing simple tasks without any overarching narrative or progression system. While the flight mechanics and mission variety provide a satisfying experience, many reviewers express a desire for more engaging content, such as a campaign mode, improved mission depth, and a richer narrative to enhance immersion. Overall, the current mission structure feels repetitive and lacks the storytelling elements that could elevate the gameplay experience.
“The missions do have some flavor text such as 'station x requires some water' and chain together several drop-off/pick-up tasks 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.”
“It would be great to have an economy going on, upgrades, randomly generated missions, etc. as I said, a lot of potential!”
“At first glance, this game might seem like not much; the graphics 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, people wanting a story are going to be left wanting.”
- atmosphere41 mentions
- 49 % positive mentions
- 44 % neutral mentions
- 7 % 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. The visuals, particularly in orbit, enhance the sense of scale and speed, while the atmospheric soundtrack contributes to the overall ambiance. However, some players note that the atmospheric flight model could use refinement, and additional environmental challenges like weather effects would further enrich the gameplay experience.
“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 has built a fantastic foundation with great gameplay, performance, and an immersive atmosphere.”
“The atmosphere reminds me of Dune.”
“The realistic orbital mechanics are kind of underwhelming considering the lack of time warp and the shallow atmosphere.”
“This is a slow-burn video game for patient cargo delivery sim drivers who love audio, atmospheres, and orbital mechanics.”
- graphics27 mentions
- 41 % positive mentions
- 48 % neutral mentions
- 11 % negative mentions
The graphics in the game receive mixed reviews, with some praising the stunning visuals in space and the overall atmospheric experience, while others criticize the simplistic and basic textures on the ground and buildings. Many players note that while the performance is solid, the lack of graphical options and detail detracts from immersion, suggesting a need for improvement in terrain and building graphics. Overall, the graphics are described as serviceable but could benefit from enhancements to elevate the visual 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 graphics and especially the textures could use a little bit more love; while in orbit it looks absolutely fantastic, the ground and building textures are a little on the basic side.”
“The visuals aren't anything to write home about.”
“I really hope they add more detail to the terrain and buildings, as the planet-side graphics look really depressing at the moment.”
- music11 mentions
- 64 % positive mentions
- 18 % neutral mentions
- 18 % negative mentions
The music in the game is widely praised for its atmospheric quality and ability to enhance immersion, with users highlighting its trippy nature and the enjoyment of pairing it with personal playlists during gameplay. The soundtrack, including notable pieces like Hans Zimmer's "No Time for Caution," adds to the overall experience, making it a relaxing and engaging backdrop for space exploration. Overall, the combination of great background music and robust sound design significantly contributes to the game's appeal.
“Great graphics, great atmospheric soundtrack.”
“Cannot skip on the great BGM music that adds to the immersion, of course.”
“The music of Dreamstate Logic in the game was the first positive inclination that I was going to enjoy this EA title.”
“I can lay back, put my own music on, and do challenges in space for hours.”
- optimization7 mentions
- 57 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 43 % negative mentions
Overall, the optimization of the game is praised for its solid performance and lack of major bugs, providing a smooth gameplay experience. The simple yet effective art style complements the performance, making it suitable for an independent title. Players appreciate the immersive atmosphere and the developer's attention to detail, suggesting a strong foundation for future content expansion.
“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.”
“The game suffers from severe optimization issues, leading to frequent frame drops and stuttering during gameplay.”
“Despite the interesting mechanics, the lack of optimization makes it frustrating to play, especially in more demanding scenarios.”
“I encountered numerous performance problems that detracted from the overall experience, making it hard to enjoy the game fully.”
- stability2 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 or rushed.
“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 game, but it feels buggy and rushed out.”
- replayability2 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- -100 % neutral mentions
- 100 % 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. With features like rogue mode, many users find themselves engaged for hundreds of hours, suggesting that the game can provide endless replay value even before additional modes are fully implemented.
“The replay value is high considering how much I played the demo, but the full game is vastly richer with great content and varying modes of play.”
“(Update: after 600 hours, it's still a great game. 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, 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.)”
- grinding2 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.”
“Keeping in that theme, flight of nova seems to strike the perfect balance between simulating all the important parts (orbit and flight mechanics, fuel and weight management, planning ahead) and automating the tedious bits such as deploying landing gear and forgoing docking permissions.”
