Project Nimbus

About

"Project Nimbus" is a high-speed mech action game set on a futuristic Earth devastated by war. Players control a weaponized Battle Frame, engaging in battles against enemy units, huge bosses, and unique ace pilots. With over a dozen playable Battle Frames, 26 missions, and various weapons, experience the story of a young ace pilot fighting in a war between three different factions.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Single-Player Play through the game's story or campaign solo

+27

87%

Audience ScoreBased on 1,551 reviews

story230 positive mentions

stability38 negative mentions

Fast-paced, adrenaline-pumping action that captures the essence of mecha anime.
Gorgeous environments and impressive mech designs that enhance the gameplay experience.
Engaging soundtrack that complements the combat and story, creating an epic atmosphere.

Lack of customization options for mechs, limiting player agency and personalization.
Inconsistent voice acting quality and awkward dialogue that detracts from the story immersion.
Performance issues and frame rate drops during intense battles, affecting overall gameplay smoothness.

story
1,294 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
18%
77%
5%
The story of "Project Nimbus" is often described as a mix of familiar anime tropes, particularly drawing inspiration from the Gundam and Ace Combat franchises. While some players appreciate the emotional charge and campy elements, many criticize the narrative for being disjointed, generic, and lacking depth, with abrupt character transitions and minimal development. Overall, the story serves as a backdrop to the engaging mech combat, but it may not satisfy those seeking a profound or coherent narrative experience.
- “The real star of the show is how all of this comes into play with music that just makes the combat and story feel epic and amazing.”
- “If I were to describe the plot of Project Nimbus, I'd go with something akin to 'Ace Combat 5: The Unsung War mixed in with Gundam's ideals about peace and newtypes.' There were many times I found myself groaning only to smile as a character makes a reference to Ace Combat's iconic lines of dialogue.”
- “Overall, Project Nimbus: Complete Edition is a solid game with fun combat and a story that'll leave you smiling, not from some profound commentary about humanity, but because of how it makes you go 'wow, they're really gonna reference that, aren't they?'”
- “The story is a mess that barely makes sense but is very emotionally charged.”
- “The biggest issues come from the story, which is complete nonsense, and the game gives you very little reason to care about the characters you play as, which jump around from faction to faction with as little transition as possible.”
- “The story jumps around player characters so much that it's impossible to care about anything going on.”
gameplay
464 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
40%
57%
3%
The gameplay of Project Nimbus is characterized by fast-paced, aerial mech combat that draws inspiration from titles like Armored Core and Ace Combat, offering a mix of engaging mechanics and chaotic action. While many players appreciate the core gameplay loop and the variety of mechs, some criticize the controls for being clunky and the mission structure for lacking depth, leading to a somewhat repetitive experience. Overall, despite its rough edges and need for polish, the game provides a fun and intense experience for fans of the genre, especially given its budget-friendly price.
- “In terms of gameplay, Project Nimbus has a fun mecha gameplay loop that reminds me of the fourth generation of Armored Core games, specifically Armored Core: For Answer.”
- “The gameplay is fast-paced and the amount of things happening all at once on the screens can be rather scary, but once you get the hang of it, you really feel like an ace pilot of some sort.”
- “The gameplay is where this Project Nimbus shines.”
- “Now the gameplay issues: the way the game calculates lead leaves much to be desired, especially noticeable with your machine guns which will miss 80-90% of the time unless you're either literally touching your target or within one of the very few, narrow angle/closing speed envelopes it can accurately calculate, and there's no gun dispersion to help you out here either.”
- “The gameplay resembles a little of Zone of the Enders, but with much less impact... and then I actually learned how to play... and it really felt like a mecha version of an Ace Combat game.”
- “The game's major problems, however, come in the form of its mechanics, level design, and general gameplay.”
graphics
322 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
34%
61%
6%
The graphics of the game receive mixed reviews, with some praising the beautiful cityscapes and mech designs, while others criticize the overall quality as dated or inconsistent, resembling early PS3 titles. Many players note that the game runs well on lower-end systems, but there are significant issues with graphical glitches and performance drops during intense battles. Overall, while some aspects of the visuals are appreciated, there is a consensus that improvements are needed, particularly in customization options and the quality of certain environments.
- “Beautiful graphics for everything from cityscapes to missile contrails.”
- “Graphics are pretty good, doesn't require a super powerful rig to run at all max settings; some models are a bit low poly and the ground can have a strange look, but the city levels are stunning and the lighting is perfect.”
- “The graphics are really good and it runs really well; it doesn't seem to get bogged down or lose its edge even in the middle of intense combat, so you can stay into it quite easily.”
- “The game's graphics are extremely dated to the point where it doesn't even look like an Unreal Engine 3 game, and animations are janky and awkward.”
- “Another reason that drove me to give up this game is that the graphics seem more like a 1990's game, which seriously puts me off.”
- “The graphics look like sh!”
music
178 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
61%
38%
2%
The music in the game is widely praised for its epic and atmospheric quality, enhancing both combat and storytelling experiences. Many players highlight the soundtrack as a standout feature, with specific tracks evoking strong emotions and nostalgia reminiscent of classic mech anime and games like Ace Combat. While some reviews mention occasional repetitiveness, the overall consensus is that the music significantly contributes to the game's appeal and immersion.
- “The real star of the show is how all of this comes into play with music that just makes the combat and story feel epic and amazing.”
- “The soundtrack is amazing, the voice acting is decent, the combat is awesome fun once you tweak the keybinds a bit.”
- “The music is beautiful, especially in the act 1 mission: rise, mirai!!”
- “The sound effects/music in the game needs work, and often doesn't seem to fit what is happening on the screen.”
- “Also, if there could be more music done for the game to match with the combat mech mood, like Zone of Enders and Gundam.”
- “I am not sure if it was just because I was on the fourth mission, but I felt like most of the music was relatively the same.”
optimization
90 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
13%
73%
13%
The game's optimization has received mixed feedback, with many players reporting significant performance issues, including inconsistent frame rates and lag, even on high-end systems. While some updates have improved performance, players still express a strong need for further optimization and more customizable graphics settings to enhance gameplay stability. Overall, the game shows potential but requires substantial work to address its optimization shortcomings.
- “Combat is fluid, optimization has also improved.”
- “I like the optimization update!”
- “When the optimization came, it completely changed the game!”
- “First of all, the game is horribly optimized.”
- “Game performance is inconsistent, despite playing on a very well-built gaming rig (i7, GTX 1070, 16 GB DDR4).”
- “First, foremost, and king of the mountain on things that cause problems is that the game has enough optimization issues to fill a novelette.”
stability
38 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game is plagued by numerous bugs and glitches, including soft locks, graphical issues, and control problems, which can significantly hinder the gameplay experience. While some players find the bugs amusing and manageable, others report severe issues like random crashes and frame rate drops, particularly during intense moments. As it is currently in early-access alpha, many hope for improvements in stability before the official release.
- “The game, however, is sometimes a bit buggy; it will sometimes randomly crash if you die.”
- “There are graphical glitches in this game that absolutely ruin the ability to enjoy it.”
- “From hideous typos in the subtitles, to several voice lines piling on top of each other, to the game kicking you back to the main menu randomly after campaign missions, to graphical and game-breaking glitches, to the framerate tanking heavily during late game, regardless of computer configuration or settings.”
humor
26 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The humor in the game is widely appreciated, with players enjoying the abundance of Ace Combat references, cheesy anime clichés, and intentionally bad voice acting that adds to the comedic experience. Many found the opening cinematic and modern warfare-style cutscenes to be particularly funny, while the absurdity of certain plot points and glitches contributed to the overall enjoyment. Overall, the humor is described as memorable and entertaining, making the game a fun experience despite its gameplay shortcomings.
- “But I was laughing all the way at the many Ace Combat references and quotes!”
- “The campaign is utterly cheese and anime clichés, that's why it's so funny, especially since the voice acting is so bad it comes back around to being somewhat enjoyable.”
- “The final mission is just straight up the SOLG from Unsung War, only super funny because the seagulls explode this time.”
atmosphere
22 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
36%
50%
14%
The game's atmosphere is highly praised for its campy, melodramatic tone reminiscent of classic mecha shows, enhanced by excellent sound design and music that contribute to a rich, immersive world. Players appreciate the quirky universe filled with floating cities and a morally complex narrative, although some note similarities to other titles in the genre. Overall, the visuals and user interface effectively complement the fast-paced mech combat, creating a compelling experience.
- “The atmosphere is very Ace Combat-esque: campy, melodramatic, but grounded in military technobabble in a seemingly plausible future.”
- “It is clear that the developers have been trying to make an interesting world and are attempting to replicate the grandeur of what we see in some of the larger mecha shows from Japan: and in this case, it succeeds in creating the necessary grey moral atmosphere and a quirky universe with floating cities, dark undertones contrasted by bright visuals.”
- “Sound design, music, and atmosphere are all excellently done with only a few encountered instances of voice actors talking over each other.”
- “It is clear that the developers have been trying to make an interesting world and are attempting to replicate the grandeur of what we see in some of the larger mecha shows from Japan: and in this case it succeeds in creating the necessary grey moral atmosphere and creating a quirky universe with floating cities, dark undertones contrasted by bright visuals.”
- “Beside practically ripping off AC:4 Answer's atmosphere (in terms of floating nations, ground level for terrorists and the poor), the game has some decent levels.”
- “Well, I hope the atmosphere looks better in the future, and a better game balance.”
replayability
20 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
30%
55%
15%
The game offers significant replayability through its campaign, skirmish modes, and survival mode, allowing players to engage with various missions and mech choices. While some users appreciate the variety and potential for replay value, others feel that outside of survival mode, the options are limited, suggesting that additional game modes could enhance the experience further. Overall, the game is seen as a solid investment with the promise of more content to come.
- “Once you finish the campaign, there are two skirmish modes that add a lot of replayability.”
- “The war scenario and survival game mode give it enough replayability on its own, however.”
- “2 acts, each containing around 5-7 missions (if I recall correctly), some of which are multi-part, and the end stage missions for act 2 can take up to an entire afternoon to clear. On top of that, there is a survival mode that allows one to choose from any of the in-game mechs to play with for additional replayability or just to simply blow stuff up.”
- “Low replayability outside of survival mode; not enough game modes.”
- “I kinda wish you could choose different mechs/characters for every story mission (you are able to do this in a few of the act 2 missions) to give some more replayability, and there are a few other things I am hoping to see.”
- “It's unfinished at the moment, but there are regular updates and enough replayability.”
character development
16 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
19%
44%
38%
Character development in the game is generally viewed as lacking, with many reviewers noting that it starts off slow and only begins to show depth in the latter half of the story. While some characters, like the protagonist, exhibit growth and emotional complexity, overall, the narrative struggles to provide sufficient development, particularly in comparison to similar franchises like Gundam. Despite this, there are moments of joy and unique storytelling that resonate with players, especially in the design and individual chapter plots.
- “Even the stories are very interesting; each chapter/episode has its unique stories and plots, and I love the character designs that come out every so often.”
- “Starts off rather slowly but progresses along quite well, with the ability to play from both sides of the conflict (the CFN and the UCN) in different stages of the same mission. Although character development could be stronger, it's only in the second half of Act 2 that the main characters of both factions start to display emotions and ask questions about the war and the killing, culminating in a final emotional journey in Act 2.”
- “Maybe a little character development for cute little Mirai.”
- “The story reminds you of Gundam, but unlike Gundam, it isn't well told and there is nearly not enough time for character development.”
- “Starts off rather slowly but progresses along quite well, with the ability to play from both sides of the conflict (the CFN and the UCN) in different stages of the same mission, although character development could be stronger - it's only in the 2nd half of Act 2 that the main characters of both factions start to display emotions and ask questions about the war, the killing, etc., with a final emotional trip ending in Act 2.”
- “No character development.”
emotional
10 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game evokes strong emotions, with players experiencing both grief and joy despite a convoluted story and lackluster character development. While the narrative is described as emotionally charged, many reviewers feel disconnected from the characters, leading to a mixed emotional experience overall.
- “The story is a mess that barely makes sense but is very emotionally charged.”
- “It's fast-paced, has a good story, I cried tears of both grief and joy.”
- “Made me feel like I was back in air combat, all those years ago.”
grinding
6 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Players find the grinding aspect of the game to be tedious, with missions often feeling repetitive and unengaging. While combat has its enjoyable moments, the overall experience is marred by the grindy nature of certain tasks, particularly in the Warfront mode. Additionally, some mechanics, like the sword's effectiveness, contribute to the frustration during gameplay.
- “Warfront can be a bit grindy, though.”
- “The sword especially feels almost useless in its current form as even attempting to attack a capital ship that stands virtually motionless was a tedious proposition.”
- “I found the characters and the dialog really annoying, the story is meh and while the combat is kinda fun, the missions tend to be pretty tedious.”