Hover

Slightly above average or simply inoffensive. Fans of the genre should enjoy them a bit, but a fair few will be left unfulfilled.

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"Hover" is a Sci-Fi Open World game set in a futuristic city where fun is illegal. As the leader of a rebel team, known as the Gamers, you must sabotage propaganda, help citizens, and find a way to reach the Orbital Station to end the oppression. The game offers both single and multiplayer experiences, with the option to switch between offline and online modes to play with friends or other players. Although it boasts good gameplay, masterful graphics, and a delightful soundtrack, it can be quite grindy and buggy.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Reviews

64%

Audience ScoreBased on 1,956 reviews

story185 positive mentions

grinding126 negative mentions

Fun and engaging parkour mechanics that provide a sense of freedom and fluidity.
Colorful and vibrant art style reminiscent of Jet Set Radio, with a catchy soundtrack featuring tracks by Hideki Naganuma.
Large open world with plenty of missions, collectibles, and opportunities for exploration and customization.

Repetitive missions and objectives that can feel tedious and grindy, especially with time limits.
Poorly designed navigation and lack of clear direction, making it easy to get lost in the world.
Bugs and performance issues, particularly in multiplayer, that can disrupt gameplay and lead to frustration.

story
1,312 mentions
14 % positive mentions
78 % neutral mentions
8 % negative mentions
The story in "Hover" is generally perceived as lackluster and underdeveloped, serving primarily as a backdrop for the gameplay rather than a compelling narrative. Players note that the plot revolves around a rebellion against an authoritarian regime that bans fun, but the execution is often criticized for being shallow, with much of the storytelling conveyed through text boxes rather than engaging cutscenes. While some appreciate the colorful world and character designs, many agree that the missions are repetitive and poorly designed, detracting from any potential enjoyment of the story.
- “The story is the typical anti-establishment allegory; a plucky gang of expressive urban youths vs. the fascist anti-fun regime, and this is written with about as much subtlety as you'd expect.”
- “What is ultimately an excuse to run, jump, and climb all over two massive city maps doing flips and tricks for kicks is the story of an evil tyrannical overlord of the saturday morning variety deciding to ban all forms of fun and entertainment in order to turn the city and its denizens into a boring, efficient corporate machine.”
- “The story is written like a 40-year-old pretending to be a 13-year-old to appeal to the youth (the underground faction you join to fight back against the dictatorship is literally named 'the gamers').”
- “The missions are all, without fail, chores, and the blame for this is equally distributed between the missions being awful, the map itself being awful, both the mission and the map simultaneously being awful, or the occasional 'everything is awful plus the mission type is inherently awful' ones.”
- “The story isn't terribly informative as quests go back and forth, but it comes together later on as a rag-tag group of unlikely heroes overthrow a dictator.”
music
639 mentions
35 % positive mentions
60 % neutral mentions
5 % negative mentions
The music in the game has received mixed reviews, with many praising the contributions of Hideki Naganuma, known for his work on the Jet Set Radio series, as standout tracks that capture the game's vibrant atmosphere. However, players have noted that the overall soundtrack is limited and repetitive, often leading to a lack of variety that diminishes the experience over time. While some find the music enjoyable and fitting for the gameplay, others express disappointment in its repetitiveness and the need for a broader selection of tracks.
- “The music is very fun and lively.”
- “The soundtrack is absolutely terrific, with tracks made by the glorious Hideki Naganuma, and the song itself fits the situation and the theme of the game.”
- “The music is top-notch electronic, some real bangers to look forward to, so don't disable music.”
- “I've also never heard the Hideki Naganuma songs play in the game even once as of my current playtime.”
- “The music is okay, but it doesn't switch it up enough; there are some good tracks, but they are area locked and short-lived.”
- “Just two hours in and the soundtrack has become annoying and repetitive; some songs will even start as soon as you enter an area a few dozen meters wide, interrupting the previous song and then, because you're no doubt blazing through on the way to somewhere else, end with the previous song starting again.”
gameplay
531 mentions
37 % positive mentions
58 % neutral mentions
5 % negative mentions
The gameplay of "Hover" is characterized by its fast-paced parkour mechanics and a vibrant open world, drawing comparisons to titles like "Jet Set Radio" and "Mirror's Edge." While many players find the core movement mechanics satisfying and engaging, criticisms arise regarding the clunky controls, repetitive missions, and a lack of clear tutorials for certain mechanics. Overall, the game offers a fun experience, especially in multiplayer settings, but it suffers from design flaws that can detract from the enjoyment.
- “Gameplay is really fun, it feels really smooth.”
- “The gameplay is quirky yet satisfying, especially after playing for a while and getting used to the mechanics while unlocking upgrades.”
- “The city is amazing, the gameplay is great with super satisfying traversal across the city, with jumps, grinds, wallrun, tricks, it's just super fun and addictive, all of that in a city with a great level design and very comfy ambience.”
- “Gameplay-wise, it's mostly collectibles with some janky races and a not fun sort of sports game involving a ball you move from checkpoint to checkpoint.”
- “I wanted to like this game, as it looked like Mirror's Edge meets Skate 3, but unfortunately the gameplay is not satisfying, nor are the characters interesting.”
- “The gameplay is clunky, the parkour isn't that fun, the city feels extremely empty, and the MMO mode feels forced as all hell, which was pathetically implemented.”
graphics
233 mentions
37 % positive mentions
61 % neutral mentions
2 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game are characterized by a vibrant, cel-shaded art style that evokes nostalgia for titles like Jet Set Radio, blending funky aesthetics with a cyberpunk theme. While many players appreciate the unique and colorful visuals, some criticize the outdated design and technical issues, such as graphical bugs and performance drops on higher settings. Overall, the graphics are seen as charming and fitting for the game's atmosphere, though they may not appeal to everyone and could benefit from further optimization.
- “The aesthetics and energies of the game maintain a fun, funky, and upbeat vibe, while still maintaining some of the cyberpunk themes of fighting oppression in a dystopian, authoritarian, and technologically advanced future.”
- “Amazing parkour and awesome graphics!”
- “The cell-shaded graphics lend it a nice cartoonish but vibrant world, and player models look great.”
- “But instead, Hover suffers from outdated design and visuals in a very similar way to its idol, Jet Set Radio.”
- “The graphics look like an HD port of a DS game.”
- “The graphics and animation can be underwhelming and give the game an unfinished vibe.”
grinding
128 mentions
1 % positive mentions
1 % neutral mentions
98 % negative mentions
The grinding mechanics in the game are a central focus, offering satisfying movement and speed as players navigate the open world. However, many reviews highlight the grind as tedious and repetitive, particularly when unlocking characters or completing missions, which can feel unbalanced and lacking in guidance. While the core gameplay of grinding and performing tricks is enjoyable, the overall experience can become frustrating due to the excessive grinding required for character progression and the clunky mission design.
- “The way hover uses this is not as a stamina bar (thank goodness), but every time you jump, or do almost anything that isn't grinding on a rail, your energy can drain very quickly.”
- “The game is super tedious doing the same stuff over and over again with little to no guidance other than your scan.”
- “I'm not saying the game is horrible, it's just repetitive and very grindy.”
- “A lot of the missions are unbalanced and preposterously difficult, and I'm not sure how the game expects me to constantly nourish this little... 'pet' thing without grinding missions.”
optimization
104 mentions
10 % positive mentions
73 % neutral mentions
17 % negative mentions
The game's optimization has seen some improvement since its early access release, but many players still report significant performance issues, including low frame rates and bugs. While some users have experienced stable performance on older hardware, others struggle with severe drops in frame rates, particularly at higher resolutions. Overall, the game is viewed as needing substantial optimization work to enhance the gameplay experience.
- “The gameplay, leveling up system, hardware optimization (my computer is quite old), presentation, etc. is all mostly good.”
- “There are a lot of reasons to pick this game up: excellent core mechanics and gameplay, tons of replayability and optimization to truly feel the progress of your team as the game progresses.”
- “With recent updates, the game's performance has drastically increased from the 1 fps I experienced the first time I played this game.”
- “The game's graphics need to be better optimized, as anything over 3200x starts to make the framerates drop in both the Windows and macOS versions.”
- “It's currently let down by some absolutely abysmal performance, dipping below 10 fps on all the lowest settings.”
- “Where it goes wrong is the abysmal optimization.”
stability
48 mentions
4 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
96 % negative mentions
The game is currently plagued by numerous glitches and bugs, including graphical issues and mission-related problems, which can detract from the overall experience. While some players report that these issues are manageable and do not significantly hinder gameplay, others warn that the game's stability is lacking, especially given its early access status. Overall, potential buyers should be prepared for a bumpy experience with frequent bugs and performance drops.
- “The game runs great and there is little to no lag while playing online.”
- “The game is also buggy; you randomly get dropped from missions, and in the second area, retrying a mission will cause you to go through the floor.”
- “If you are searching for a game that is finished and works perfectly without bugs, glitches, and crashes, I suggest you don't purchase this game as it will be a waste of your Steam wallet and your time.”
- “The game can be buggy, and sometimes the framerate drops to unplayable numbers.”
atmosphere
30 mentions
47 % positive mentions
43 % neutral mentions
10 % negative mentions
The game's atmosphere is widely praised for its vibrant, neon aesthetic and energetic tone, reminiscent of classics like Jet Set Radio. Players appreciate the unique cell-shaded art style and the engaging soundtrack, which enhances the overall experience. The combination of stunning visuals, a welcoming online environment, and thematic depth creates a captivating and enjoyable atmosphere that resonates with fans of open-world and extreme sports games.
- “The atmosphere combined with the amazing scenery and characters is wonderful.”
- “The art style and animations are unique and fully gorgeous; the music is great and really helps sell the atmosphere.”
- “If it was paired with something like what 404 sight had, I think it would have added a lot to the atmosphere.”
- “I don't mean that it's a blatant copy of Jet Set Radio, but it dealt with a lot of the same themes JSR did: corrupt government, suppression of freedoms, etc. and this atmosphere also lends itself to the gameplay.”
- “Credit where it's due, the developers have used Hover's gameplay and limitations to powerfully encourage a friendly and welcoming atmosphere in the online component.”
replayability
23 mentions
43 % positive mentions
43 % neutral mentions
13 % negative mentions
The game's replayability is a mixed bag; while many players appreciate the fantastic aesthetics, online multiplayer, and extensive customization options that enhance replay value, others find certain missions tedious and repetitive, limiting overall replay potential. Collectibles and character optimization provide additional incentives to revisit the game, but some users feel it lacks depth after completing quests. Overall, the game shows promise for replayability but requires further refinement to fully realize its potential.
- “Aesthetics are amazing, fantastic replay value and seeing other players run around and join in on missions adds so much to the experience!”
- “Tons of collectibles, online play and medals on missions make for good replay value.”
- “Now the downsides are that the game doesn't have too much replay value and some missions (especially in the prison) are very tedious and repetitive.”
- “It has little to no replay value, and it is not what I had hoped it would be.”
- “Even when you've done all the quests and seen all there is to see, this game still has an unbridled replay value which players will find by simply roaming around the city.”
character development
19 mentions
58 % positive mentions
26 % neutral mentions
16 % negative mentions
Character development in the game receives mixed reviews; while some players appreciate the balance in depth for certain characters, noting that they are neither overly complex nor completely shallow, others feel that several characters lack sufficient backstory and depth. The character designs are described as interesting but inconsistent, with some players finding them bland compared to iconic designs from similar games. Overall, the customization options and the ability to level up characters are positively highlighted, contributing to the game's appeal.
- “Now as for story and character development, it gets great balance for some characters (being that it isn't so deep and gratuitous but not so shallow as if they just threw them in), and some characters feel under-developed and just seem thrown in there with unexplained backstories.”
- “I love this game... I don't have much time on Steam but I beat it and then some on the Switch... I mean the exploration is great as the spaces are surprisingly big, the soundtrack is great, it has multiplayer (with a small but dedicated base as of now), you can upgrade your squad in different ways, I love the character designs, it most certainly has that Jet Set vibe while being its own thing... it's great... buy it now or on sale and you won't be disappointed.”
- “Just kinda doing fetch quests around a weirdly organized city with some character designs that came from a middle schooler's sketchbook.”
- “It has a bright graphical style very reminiscent of parts of Borderlands and character design straight out of some sort of Ratchet and Clank graffiti on the side of a bullet train.”
- “The art style and character designs didn't originally appeal to me, but they have definitely grown on me as I've played.”
humor
14 mentions
71 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
29 % negative mentions
The humor in the game is polarizing; while some players find the story and mechanics amusing and the characters endearing, others criticize the dialogue as awkward, unfunny, and overly wordy. The humor lacks the charm of previous titles, with many feeling that the comedic elements fall flat compared to the game's vibrant visuals and engaging gameplay. Overall, the humor is seen as inconsistent, with moments of campiness overshadowed by poorly executed dialogue.
- “Hilariously, the idea of building a specialized team is almost completely undermined by the fact that a completely basic all-rounder character can handily complete any mission in the game.”
- “The mechanics are fun, the story is funny, the characters are endearing, the music is awesome and well placed in the game, and the environment is colorful.”
- “The story is campy but still alright, and even funny at times.”
- “The dialogue is just awkward and unfunny.”
- “It has none of the charm that JSR presented; the few music tracks other than the ones composed by Naganuma sound incredibly generic. All of the character designs are super bland compared to JSR's iconic designs, which were able to stand on their own with almost no dialogue. Whereas Hover is rife with unfunny, droll, wordy, and at times completely grammatically broken dialogue.”
- “The dialogue is just awkward and unfunny.”
emotional
4 mentions
100 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
0 % negative mentions
Players express frustration with the emotional engagement of the game, citing numerous technical issues that disrupt quest progression and narrative flow. These problems, such as NPCs being unresponsive and mission markers changing unexpectedly, detract from the overall immersive experience and emotional investment in the storyline.