Nova Drift Reviews

It took me a few tries to get into it. First few times it just seemed overwhelming- give it a chance if you're not getting the overwhelmingly-positive rating at first. Once it catches... it's a hoot. It does not control with the traditional twin stick mechanics, and ultimately that is for the best, for this game. Trust. But at first, I was like... why are you making this harder than it has to be. There is a purpose. I prefer the mouse for controls- another piece that takes a little getting used to, as it feels different from other games that 'look like it.' But, now I'm quite addicted :)

Thoroughly unremarkable, albeit visually pleasing. Nova Drift is a game derived from Asteroids with its velocity based movement and wrap-around. The game's artstyle is more reminiscent of Geometry Dash with the simple vector-like spaceships and simple procedural animations. Looks good. Has the advantage that visual clarity is easy to achieve. Game does none of that however. It's another typical roguelite game in the sense that game-design takes the backseat to the developer having had fun while developing it. Color palettes used entirely at random. Constantly losing track of where my ship is. Projectiles having the same color as mine. My own "constructs" having the same color as enemies. Way too many particles and bloom to make out what is going on. It's your run-of-the-mill stuff. Roguelite elements are again a big "but why?" element. Constantly being interrupted by some menu that doesn't control seamlessly at all compared to the actual gameplay breaks the pace. First time I tried the game I completed a run in 22 minutes (i.e. killing the final boss). I did practically nothing that would warrant a victory: I just clicked on upgrades that would do the work "for me" and ooga booga'd my way through. I fail to see how this constitutes a good challenge to anyone. Sound design is nice, albeit a bit minimal, Missing some punchier sounds for explosions. UI looks good enough, even if the use of space is suboptimal for almost every window I have seen (take a look at the screenshots on the storefront to see what I mean). Just a completely unremarkable game in every way. Not designed well. Typical roguelite clumsiness. Looks pretty and sounds alright.

it's a great game!! i just wish there was a smaller draft gamemode, at 35 upgrades the process is quite long and without being able to save or edit presets quickly it becomes tedious.

This is the ideal game for the "what do i want to play" contemplation phase. Start it, have fun, instantly. The builds you come across can be really enjoyable, and with the daily challenges and variables, this game always fresh. It is a great game for the steam deck.

This game is quite fun, just a typical roguelike but in space with unique bosses and enemies, just have some fun trying to break the game

Remember how tank.io was fun but kinda hurt your eyes to look at for awhile? This is tank.io but with the stacking upgrade depth of a proper roguelike game, and seriously gameplay changing perks of an ARPG. Excellent game, too bad there's no space whale. Probably the *perfect* Steam Deck game.

I played this game before it had an ending for like 40 hours after I unlocked everything. I just wanted to try more builds. It's a perfect roguelike. builds are fun, every upgrade feels impactful, enemies are simple enough to learn and don't feel cheap, risk vs reward feels balanced, playing risky is so damn fun. it's like the only thing i use my steam deck for its a game i put in peoples hands without telling them anything and i have to ask for my steamdeck back hours later when they want just one more run and it's not even $20

Shoutouts to Aliensrock for getting me interested in this game back a few years ago. I bought it recently, and enjoyed every second of playing it.

One of my favourite little gems I have in my library. Whenever I feel bored, I boot up the game and enjoy the DOPAMINE FLOODING MY SYSTEM AS I WRECK HUNDREDS OF ENE- oh... I died.

This is a great game! [i]Nova Drift[/i] is essentially [i]Asteroids[/i]—momentum based, single screen with wraparound—with waves of enemies, bosses, upgrade trees, and a techno-neon sheen. The game is laser-focused on a specific experience and does it extraordinarily well. Is it for you? Ask yourself these questions: [list] [*] Do you like your space games with conservation of momentum? Do you [i]dislike[/i] ones where the player is essentially a turret, stopping on a dime and turning any direction instantaneously? Were games like [i]Asteroids[/i], [i]Gravitar[/i], or [i]Subspace[/i] your jam back in the day? [*] Do you like build-crafting and upgrade trees? How about unlocking upgrades? [*] Does the [i]concept[/i] of a bullet hell game appeal to you, but all the ones you tried required a bit too much precision and memorization? [*] Do you dig games where you can achieve a [i]flow state[/i], where conscious thought fades and you just zone out, operating almost instinctually? [*] Do electronic music and pulsating lights help you enter such a state? [*] Did you ever hang out in arcades, chasing a high score? [/list] If you answered most of those in the affirmative, you’ll dig [i]Nova Drift[/i]. No technical issues to report, and really no nitpicks, either. If you are on the fence, why not give the demo a whirl?