If you are looking for moderation, you will not find it in Nova echo point. For the first 30 minutes of the game, you'll find yourself equipped with a hoverboard capable of scaling any vertical surface, a grappling hook that can latch onto clouds, and a triple jump. This game does not retain assets.
Nova Echo Point is an open world FPS that offers almost total freedom. Once you have your basic equipment, you can explore the huge map of hundreds of floating islands and enemy bases. There's a story, conveyed via text pop-ups in the world, but you'll probably miss much of it as you fly over a mountain of ice trying to dive-bomb a giant robot. It's a power fantasy with no strings attached.
The freedom to explore reminds me Breath of the wild – You will truly be surprised by what this game allows you to do, although don't expect to be totally impressed by the presentation or art design. Stylistically it has more in common with arena shooters of the early 2000s, with unreal tournament vibes. But unlike those multiplayer-focused shooters, Nova Echo Point is more interested in providing a satisfying journey that will quickly turn you into a god.
The game's single-player campaign has you jumping from island to island, clearing nests of enemies. For each one taken out, you can unlock a new weapon (expect standard weapons like SMGs, grenade launchers, and sniper rifles) or a new perk, like one that lets you hit enemies with a big explosion. There are dozens of these challenges, enough to keep you busy for several hours, and completing each of them will make you even more incredibly powerful. I found myself with around 15 different weapons and 10 perks to choose from after just five hours. I was drowning in resources with which to dish out punishment.
However, enemy bases increase to meet your capabilities. Later in the game, I started facing 50-foot mechs and hover tanks. There is even shadow of the colossus-Style boss fights, where you swing atop a giant moving monstrosity and try to take out weak spots while dodging an endless hail of enemy fire.
All of this worked surprisingly well on a relatively underpowered device (in this case, a Steam Deck), running the game at an incredibly smooth frame rate. When playing on the Deck or with a controller, the game offered generous aim lock-on, allowing me to land some sick mid-wall headshots that made me look much more talented than I am.
Heck, you can even bring a friend to witness your splendor, thanks to online co-op throughout the campaign. I found that this function also performed without any problems, despite the speed of the game and several thousand miles between me and my compatriot. It's easy to see why some people may have missed the boat Nova Echo Point when it first fell in September. On the one hand, the title is horrible. But on the other hand, there is actually no analogue for this game. It stands on its own as a strange combination of some of the best games ever made, one that gives you so many toys to play with that you'd think the end result was just chaos. But then you start asking yourself: Yes, why? not able I cling to the clouds in Breath of the wild?
Nova Echo Point was released on September 24 on Windows PC. The game was played on PC using a copy of the game purchased by the author. Vox Media has affiliate partnerships. These do not influence editorial content, although Vox Media may earn commissions on products purchased through affiliate links. Additional information about Polygon's ethics policy can be found here.