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Nova Drift is a very difficult 360 degree shooter. If you are unfamiliar with it, you will not be able to control the inertia by accelerating your own machine, and the game will be over immediately. However, once you get used to the operation, you will be able to operate with a feeling of drift, and the feeling of exhilaration will jump at a stretch. The possibilities for building as a roguelike are fairly wide, but the randomness is kept low. Therefore, it is relatively easy to improve the failure, and it is an exquisite balance that can not stop the play once. Since I played the Early Access version this time, I classified it as recommended for the time being, but there is a possibility that it will be reclassified as God Game following the official version with a full range of modes is released.
| Score evaluation | 90 points |
| Play status | Up to Wave 186 (Early Access THE ENEMIES 2.0) |
| Play time | About 15 hours |
| Release date | March 27, 2019 (Early Access) |
| Compatible models | Steam |
| Play model | PC |
| Developer | Chimeric |
| Selling agency | I’m pixelating |
| Genre | Roguelike shooting (The idea of the genre isClick here) |
Nova Drift is a radio-controlled top-down view shooter where enemies approach from all directions. The power-up of your own machine has randomness, and it also has a roguelike game-like element, such as expanding the range of builds by playing repeatedly.
To the quest for endless combinations
Nova Drift is a roguelike game. I think that many people decide not to touch it when they hear it as roguelike, but shooting x roguelike has a different taste from the usual RPG type roguelike, soIf you like shooting games that operate your own machine, please be interested first.
The classic roguelike game is Permadeath, which loses everything and starts over when it’s defeated. This is one of the factors that roguelikes avoid, but in Nova Drift you don’t have to be prepared to hear it as a permadeath. The reason is that shooting games that operate your own machine, regardless of type, such as vertical, horizontal, and 360 degrees, are natural from the beginning when the game is over. (Although continue is not available)
So, what kind of roguelike elements are adopted in Nova Drift are new mods (abilities) that are unlocked each time you play, random presentation of mods that can be selected when leveling up, explosion by combination of mods. Synergistic effect.
Speaking of shooting games, there are no exceptions in the east and west, and you will defeat enemy planes and acquire power-up items. And, the power-up is provided with a certain degree of freedom, and the shot pattern and the characteristics of the aircraft are often changed to the liking. Nova Drift is no exception, defeating enemy planes and repeatedly powering up.The types of mods (abilities) provided are unusual.
First of all, 64 types of mods are prepared at the beginning of the game. After that, 48 types of mods will be released, and under certain conditions, nearly 60 additional unpredictable mods and what are called super mods will appear as selection candidates.If you describe it as a shooting game with more than 150 types of power-ups, you can feel the scale of the game.
MODs include attack systems such as increasing the number of bullets fired at the same time, increasing the bullet speed, strengthening guidance, and enlarging the ammunition, support systems such as installing turrets and following drones, and increasing the durability of shields and aircraft. Auxiliary systems to be used are prepared in different colors. It’s a common sight in other shooters as long as the number of bullets increases or increases. However, Nova Drift has an extraordinarily large effect of modding on bullets,Depending on the combination, the characteristics change so much that it is unlikely that they are the same weapon.
Also, in a typical shooter game, power-up items are often profitable, but Nova Drift mods have their advantages and disadvantages. For example, increasing the size of the ammunition will reduce the firing rate, and strengthening the guidance will reduce the speed of the ammunition. The major impact is the same as the disadvantages, so care must be taken as it may be weakened at once if the selection is incorrect.
Due to the overwhelming variety of mods, the great influence of each mod, and the synergistic effect of the performance of trade-off relationships,The range of power-up combinations is wider than ever in traditional shooters.
There are 12 types of weapons that are affected by such mods, and the way you fight will change depending on the barrier and body selection. If you’re looking for a powerful combination on your own, trial and error will definitely not end in tens of hours. There is no other shooting game that takes so much time to elucidate the full picture of shot characteristics.
Speaking of roguelikes, randomness is the selling point, and synergies are ups and downs. You might think that the quest for builds wouldn’t progress given the randomness, but Nova Drift has a system called Reroll that allows you to redraw the mods presented when you level up. In addition, items for rerolling are dropped frequently, so the threshold for performing rerolls is low. for that reason,It’s not possible to build 100% as you want, but regarding 70% can build the build you planned from the beginning.
It’s exquisite that regarding 70% of this is what you want, and it often leads to great joy when you find an unexpected combination while searching for a build. Also, if you are aiming for a score, you will feel that you might update the high score if you were lucky to reroll a little later.It will motivate you to play once more.
By the way, the screen of Nova Drift becomes flashy as the power-up progresses, but the visibility is not bad because both the own aircraft and the enemy aircraft have a simple design like a geometric pattern. The attack characteristics of both enemy planes are determined by the color, and it is good to intuitively understand how to avoid them even in a fierce barrage. It’s a great game that combines rational synergies with instinctively appealing designs.
High difficulty radio control operation swayed by inertia
Top-down view games such as Nova Drift, where enemies approach from 360 degrees, often use twin sticks, not just shooting in space. In other words, in the case of controller operation, it is an operation method that adjusts the front direction with the right stick while freely moving the own machine 360 degrees with the left stick. However, the operation method of Nova Drift is not a twin stick type,The so-called radio-controlled operation type that keeps moving in a straight line in the specified direction when the acceleration key is pressed is adopted.
This radio control operation is very difficult to say clearly. Depending on the selected body and the acquired MOD, the movement speed of your own machine will fluctuate a little, but in any combination, if you continue accelerating, it will reach an uncontrollable speed in a few seconds. Brake operation is not prepared except for some mods, so the only way to stop is to accelerate in the opposite direction to offset the inertia. Until you get used to this operation, you can not aim at the enemy to Roku, you are crushed by the drifting debris, you accelerate to avoid it in a hurry, but you hit the enemy and it is played like a pinball, and the game is often over right. Some people may throw it before they understand the fun.
But as you get used to the operation,As you can see in the game title, you will be able to perform operations with a “Drift” feel.Since the screen is connected vertically and horizontally and loops, the direction of travel is not obstructed. Therefore, it is exhilarating to be able to run around the battlefield endlessly while super-accelerating and defeat the enemy with your favorite MOD build.
We promise to get on the right track and explode!
Official PV released on SteamIf you look at, you can see how it runs around the battlefield non-stop and hits a powerful blow, but learning such a technique is not straightforward. In that case, I don’t think I have to practice high-speed radio control operation silently. Fortunately, there are many mods available that can benefit from stopping, so it’s a good idea to play with the synergies of those mods first and get used to them.
For example, on the body called Specter, which gains stealth function when acceleration is stopped, a calibrated MOD that improves the reproduction efficiency of the own machine while stopped and reduces the spread of bullets when shooting is stopped is loaded, and at the same time it can be stored in the weapon. A tracking missile called Salvo, which increases the number of launches, is selected, and a self-supporting support aircraft is also installed. That way, if you fall into a pinch, you will be able to hide the support aircraft in stealth and prepare for a counterattack while recovering.
The following video shows the Wave 100 boss fighting exactly like the example above. It’s a way of fighting that is far from the official PV, but first of all, it should be better to gradually improve from this point.
Nova Drift wave 100 boss battle. A tactic to save missiles with stealth and shoot them while letting the handset fight. With the accumulation of roguelike synergies, it is refreshing to see a tremendous number of missiles chasing enemies with high guidance. Since I have also acquired a MOD that increases the shield recovery efficiency during stealth, it is OK to be hit a little. pic.twitter.com/FRE9mmRsCD
— About 70% of Sara @ games are talked regarding (@ mig60_net) July 9, 2022
It’s also difficult to aim, so it’s a good idea to use a grenade that affects a wide area as a guided bullet. You might even have a build for close range combat and not even adjust your sights.It is important to manage the tough operability by devising the build.
Nova Drift wave100 boss battle, this time in a grenade. The power is down, but if you make it 3way and add the ability to spread following landing, it becomes like a fireworks display. A slight increase in inducibility also worked effectively. pic.twitter.com/7imh543qAT
— About 70% of Sara @ games are talked regarding (@ mig60_net) July 10, 2022
A weapon that grows like a branch and causes continuous damage, clinging to a tube and fighting in close quarters. A tactic that absorbs the shield from the enemy and scrapes the child machine together with the surroundings. There is a wide range of ways to fight and there is no end to trial and error. pic.twitter.com/CsTnOJFYWm
— About 70% of Sara @ games are talked regarding (@ mig60_net) July 9, 2022
Early access as of July 2022
The Early Access version of Nova Drift was released on March 27, 2019, and 3 years and 4 months have already passed by the time this review article was posted, but it has not been officially released. However, it seems that it is gradually approaching the full release due to repeated steady updates.
Currently, only the endless mode that keeps fighting indefinitely is prepared, but it seems that a campaign mode will be added in the official release. Although you can only play in endless mode, the main content is the search for modding combinations, so even if it’s an early access version, you can definitely pay for the price.On the contrary, I want to guarantee that I can play at a level where I have to be careful not to be too enthusiastic.
Eventually, it is scheduled to be released on home-use machines such as PS, Xbox, and Switch, so it is a work that is worrisome regarding future trends.
