N.O.V.A. 3 – Near Orbit Vanguard Alliance by Gameloft is only $6.99 in the App Store! BUY NOW!
N.O.V.A. has returned and has brought console-quality gameplay and graphics with it!
Gameplay and Controls:
This game is like HALO and Crysis 2 in one, but for mobile and it doesn’t disappoint! Fight as Kal Wardin in 10 insane levels, from a war-torn Earth to a frozen Volterite city. Run, shoot, drive vehicles, and pilot a mech to defeat hordes of enemies! Join 12-player battles in 6 multiplayer modes on 6 different maps. For the first time, multiple allies can jump inside the same vehicle and spread destruction on the battlefield. Pick up awesome weapons, stealthily attack your enemies, blast them to bits with some insane machinery you find around. This is another one of the console-like games that doesn’t disappoint in almost any area. I say almost because the screen does seem quite cramped. The game has a nice big environment, but you can’t see a lot without moving and turning around. I hope Gameloft fixes this in an update. I’d like to be able to see more of what’s going on around me at any given moment, so I can attack and don’t get attacked by some alien creeping up behind me. The only other issue is distance. The enemies seem tiny when you’re not even that far from them. Up close, they’re nice and scary, but what I think would be a couple feet away, they looks kind of small compared to the previous games and others in the App Store. The gameplay is insane – killing, smashing, hiding, activating, picking up weapons and more – it’s all freakin’ awesome! The controls are good, but need some getting used to to be great! Like I said about the cramped space, that’s a factor when you need the controls to fight and not be constantly trying to make sure everything around you is gone and not a threat. It seems like I’m bashing this game, but don’t get me wrong. This is one awesome game that just needs a couple fixes. It’s definitely worth buying and is being featured as a Top 5 iPhone App at iNsaneOS!
Graphics and Audio:
Here’s where N.O.V.A. 3 really shines (no pun intended)! When apps say they have “console-quality graphics”, it usually ends up being terrible, but Gameloft pulled this game off pretty well. Enemies look nice and evil, guns look pretty great and all-in-all, the graphics are superior to most other apps in the App Store, possibly setting the benchmark for FPS and graphics in general. This quote is from Gameloft’s description of the game and I believe it’s true: “Discover the new FPS benchmark for graphics and gameplay on iOS (real-time shadow & lights, particle system, ragdoll physics, etc.)”. Audio isn’t what it could be. The shooting doesn’t sound as good as other games and the background music when fighting enemies isn’t all that great either. I was kind of disappointed in the audio department. It’s not bad, but it definitely could have been much better. I’m kind of surprised, since the rest of the game is great and Gameloft usually gets the music perfectly. Stunning graphics make up for it, though!
Finally:
This game is superior to any other FPS in the App Store, despite its minor flaws in audio and viewing area. I personally love playing this game. If you’re a fan of Crysis 2, HALO or the N.O.V.A. series in general, you will most likely not be able to put this game down. It’s intense and for the hardcore gamer as well as the n00b (beginner).
Rated 9/10 for intense gameplay, graphics and sub-par audio.
Nice game! Wish I can play it soon