Sports Games

After Modern Combat: Sandstorm, also hailed as the best pages on our first-person shooter for iPhone and iPod Touch , you knew that sooner or later Game loft would shift his attention to science fiction, so satisfying, after fans of Call of Duty and Medal of Honor, even those of Halo, Dead Space, Doom and Metroid Prime. It is precisely these tutelary deities to have deeply inspired the development of NOVA, greeted by a little 'all over the world press as the "Halo for iPhone" and in fact very close, at least for some setting and game play, the classic Bungee.

After the Middle East Modern Combat: Sandstorm, NOVA fact leads us to a distant future where Earth has for decades accustomed to space travel on a grand scale, is facing a very serious threat in the form of repulsive and evil aliens. As both a super marine we are called to resolve the unpleasant situation started our mission on board a spaceship, and then move on some planets just like dear old Master Chief.

The locations are a total of five for a total of thirteen levels game (twelve plus one tutorial), with alternating internal and external but not big news at the scenic, at least for those who already have some experience with the little shooter mentioned above. The game play itself is based on a model of classic shooter and very old style, the fights are the order of minutes (the enemies often appear suddenly as in Doom), there is little room for exploration (even on planets) and, apart from mechanisms to activate and open containers of ammunition through a mini-game, it all boils down to a frantic shooter with very few moments of rest between combat and more. The only changes in the game play, we believe that more oriented to Doom to Halo, shooter sections provide a fixed location, a race against time to escape to the depressurization of some rooms, some of the inevitable clashes with bosses and a fun trip zero gravity with a lot of asteroids to avoid, not really innovative solution for those familiar with Dead Space. For the rest we should be content to follow corridors or paths up to an arena (or an open space), where we usually expect six or seven enemies to face (or more depending on the difficulty level chosen).

The weapons available are many and are very traditional (machine guns, shotguns, sniper rifles, plasma rifle, a pistol by default), while for the power system was chosen (as in Halo) to a shield that recharges automatically with each passing second. Later in the game our alter ego will be able to use some powers such as the "freezing" of an enemy and a boost of speed, but despite these minor additions do not think you find something very different from an old-style shooter action throughout and no brains.

Fortunately, Game loft has studied well the touch control system, was almost identical to that of Modern Combat: Sandstorm, even here, in fact you are using an analog stick to move, to fire an icon (we would have preferred more large), one for charging, a horizontal slide to change weapon and a change of view (360 degrees) committed to dragging the finger across the screen. The two variants are (you can also play with a kind of split screen in half) and in addition has seen fit to include a target "automatic" very effective, if you wish, you can disable, but given the difficulty of congenital touch controls in a first-person shooter that does not hurt little help, because it never comes even to distort the game or make it too easy or driven. Indeed, juggle five or six enemies at once is not easy and, despite the few levels available, we will put at least four or five hours to finish all at the medium level.

The experience of NOVA does not end, however, in single player, offering a multiplayer segment a little 'bitter but pleasant. The five maps to play, inspired by the game's many locations, are sufficiently large and contain within them a good amount of ammunition, boost and weapons to collect, and you can challenge other three players in the local but also online via Wi-Fi and, unlike Modern Combat: Sandstorm, we found a lag excessive or sudden disconnections.

Unfortunately a little to restrain 'the success of the multiplayer segment we find the absence of many important factors such as growth of its alter-ego, or trophies achievements or weapons customization, plus the fact that the only available mode is a classic for-all death match. On this side of another high-level shooter as a Pro Eliminate despite the bugs, offers many more options and an online experience more rewarding, but almost certainly Game loft is already working on an update of the game able to overcome these small limits .

Even the graphics we would have expected a little more, mostly improvements than Modern Combat: Sandstorm instead we have not noticed. Despite this, however, the environments are very well modeled and redefined with taste, especially with regard to outside locations, and the impact of three-dimensional environments do not go unnoticed, even if the enemies are fairly anonymous in design and their animations are not course perfect. Of note some fluidity 'discontinuous iPhone 2G, while on the 3G model greatly improve things and allow you to enjoy the game without slowing down the frantic fighting of any kind.