Technical Information

Developer: Chimeric
Publisher: Pixeljam
Release Date: March 27, 2019

Nova Drift is a multidirectional shooting with gameplay similar to the classic Asteroids, but with roguelike mechanics. It’s possible to evolve your ship, acquire new skills, and accumulate points to unlock new game modes. And, of course, no arcade game would be complete without a ranking system featuring the best scores!

Final Thoughts – Analyzing the Game as a Whole

At the time this review was written, the game was still in early access. It’s possible that things have been improved or modified since then.
Once the game is fully completed, I’ll play it again and update this analysis.

Graphics and UI

The game has a very minimalist aesthetic, applying the concept of “less is more” very effectively.
The colors are well-balanced, making it clear to the player what each element is.

The backgrounds have singular beauty, they’re a pleasure to look at.

There are several menu options, and each one is self-explanatory. When starting the game, the “Start” button appears at the top, and you need to click it after selecting the desired game mode. Personally, it didn’t feel very intuitive that after selecting a game mode I still had to click “Start.” I thought it would be enough to simply press “Enter” to begin the match.

Soundtrack and Sound Effects

Excellent soundtrack, with music that is calmer rather than aggressive, which pairs very well with the game’s spatial atmosphere.

Gameplay

During a match, you can evolve your ship’s level, allowing you to improve its skills through a full skill tree system. There are both very weak and very strong skills, and you’ll have to gradually combine them to discover which ones work best together.

Since it’s a roguelike, with each new wave you never know what enemies await you or which new skills will be available. This makes every run feel unique.

The game features a ranking system that increases as you accumulate points after each match. As you rise through the ranks, new skills and game modes are unlocked. This progression system is excellent and can turn what starts as a casual match into something more engaging. There’s also a separate points leaderboard showing the top 10 scores.

The main drawback is that the gameplay isn’t very accessible at first. Despite supporting mouse, keyboard, and controller, moving and shooting the ship can feel a bit awkward and requires good coordination. It took me some time to get used to it, and playing with a controller was the most comfortable option for me.

Replayability and Game Retention

Matches can end fairly quickly, which keeps the game casual and easy to jump into.
It’s addictive to keep trying to go further and further while experimenting with different skill combinations.
Once you get the hang of it, you’ll definitely want to play again.