YAB Review: N.O.V.A.
Posted by meredith on 03-11-2010
Today’s Ypulse Youth Advisory Board review is from one of our resident gamers Julia on iPod Touch/iPhone shooter game N.O.V.A. Below we see another good example of play that doesn’t simply appeal to the girl in the gamer so much as the gamer in the girl (see Julia’s earlier post for more on thoughts on this). Remember, you can communicate directly with any member of the Ypulse Youth Advisory Board by emailing them at youthadvisoryboard at ypulse.com…or just leave a comment below!
YAB Review: N.O.V.A.
What was the biggest draw?
I had been looking for a decent shooter for my iPod Touch for a long time with little luck. I wanted a Halo-like game that I could take on-the-go, and play at school without having to use a computer.
How’d you get the game?
I bought it from the ITunes store. It was very affordable at $7. When something is that inexpensive I don’t mind paying.
What’d you expect going in? How much did you know beforehand?
I am usually low on money, so before making any purchases I always check reviews. The game had been well received by critics as a decent Halo clone. I expected a great shooter with online multiplayer and a long story mode, just like Halo.
Describe the set up
Because it is a shooter game, N.O.V.A doesn’t really attempt to create much of a back-story. If you’re looking for character development, I’d recommend checking out Final Fantasy XIII instead. However there is a brief story to give some context for the alien action. You play as Kal Wardin, a master chief-esque ex-marine coerced into protecting earth from Xenos, which are this game’s alien threat.
Of course, the gameplay more than compensates for lack of interesting (or new) ideas, in characters and setting. Classic guns such as shotguns, sniper rifles, assault rifles, and rocket launchers are all included, leaving the game with a decent amount of firepower in a small package. Ammo is usually easy to find, as it is generally lying around stages. The game includes a lengthy, and entertaining campaign mode, though more enemy variety would have been appreciated. Most enemies are common in the genre, and include elite-like snipers, and large brutish creatures. There are some great parts where you get to shoot from a turret, or use vehicles as well (though N.O.V.A lacks the variety of tanks that Halo has). This all will sound familiar to anyone who has played Halo, or most other shooters for that matter. It even steals Dead Space’s ship exterior sequences. N.O.V.A is more interested in using a formula that has proven successful, than attempting to try something new.
The controls are where the game really shines. While other iPhone/iPod Touch games’ controls have been sloppy and difficult to use, N.O.V.A’s run and gun system works well. The d-pad is responsive, and is used to move Wardin, while aiming is done by dragging a finger around the screen. The fire button is easy to find, and there is a nice aim assist system, that doesn’t do the work for you, but will give a nudge in the right direction.
The online multiplayer is also noteworthy. Five maps are included for deathmatches, and the games play out much like Halo multiplayer (with less vehicle variety). Unfortunately there aren’t any private-only matches, which in annoying when you want to play with just your friends. Still, the community is great and there aren’t any hackers to spoil the fun yet.
How’d it look? Any advertising?
The graphics are simply fabulous. The environments are colorful and surprisingly realistic for an iPhone/iPod Touch game. The high tech spaceship areas are full of great texture and color, and look straight out of Halo 1. The jungle environments are bright and interesting, and everything generally looks more like a Xbox game than an iPod Touch one. Weapons look great and as high tech as they are supposed to, and the use of lighting makes the environments really pop. N.O.V.A sets a new standard for mobile game graphics. There is no in-game advertising.
What’d you think?
Although it completely steals its guns, enemy types, and characters from Halo, the formula for Halo’s success still works here. With a terrific control scheme, and a decent variety of weapons, N.O.V.A is a fantastic example of the genre. The fact that the gorgeous graphics function on a mobile device is amazing within itself. Online multiplayer is relatively good, and N.O.V.A is all in all something that any shooter fan will enjoy. I know that I am relatively addicted already.
About Julia
Julia is a freshman in high school in Claremont California. A self proclaimed Otaku (anime obsessive person) she strives to complete her immersion into the world of Japanese pop culture. In between school and homework she watches the latest Japanese anime on the internet, reads manga, plays video games, and practices Japanese. Though she is not a fabulous writer by nature, Julia does enjoy writing fan fiction related to said interests and occasionally immersing herself in online role-play sessions. In addition, she loves mashing up anime and game clips into anime music videos which she posts on YouTube, participating in her school’s debate team in novice LD, and of course reading. Julia is incredibly excited to be on the Youth Advisory Board, and able to express her opinions, which she has plenty of.
Categorized under: Gaming, Web, Youth Advisory Board