Making an attempt to explain Echo Level Nova, a newly launched PC shooter, is a difficult factor. I might describe it as a sport that mixes Titanfall’s motion, trendy Doom’s gunplay, Minecraft’s destructibility, Skyward Sword’s floating islands, and depraved rad hoverboarding into one oddball bundle—although that most likely simply makes it sound like a horrible mess. However belief me, Echo Level Nova isn’t a large number. As an alternative, it’s probably the greatest shooters I’ve performed in years.
Right here’s the setup for Echo Level Nova: You’re a cool soldier with a candy hoverboard and grapple hook. You crash on a planet that’s nothing greater than a whole lot of floating islands. The place has been invaded by a big group of asshole mercenaries trying to exploit the traditional know-how that probably led to the planet’s destruction within the first place. To cease them, you’ll have to journey across the numerous islands utilizing your aforementioned hoverboard and grapple hook whilst you unlock new weapons, upgrades, and perks to tackle larger fights and large bosses.
On paper, I’ll admit that Echo Level Nova doesn’t sound like a lot. However when you begin enjoying this new FPS, you’ll shortly uncover a shooter that gives a ton of freedom and choices, all of that are enjoyable and awesome-looking.
I misplaced monitor of what number of instances I zipped up a wall utilizing my hoverboard, spun round, killed some enemies with my assault rifle, grappled towards a distinct wall, triple-jumped to an enemy mech, after which killed it with a grenade launcher earlier than slowing down time and sniping some flying baddies from afar whereas the other way up. It sounds difficult, it seems to be spectacular, however Echo Level Nova’s controls and gunplay are silky clean, tremendous responsive, and simple to grasp.
It is a sport that’s extra enjoyable to play when you’ve got somebody behind you watching you do wild acrobatics as you struggle off waves of enemies to unlock new upgrades or weapons. And since it’s an open world, you management how laborious or simple you need issues to be. You possibly can give attention to simpler outposts first or goal difficult missions to get higher gear. It’s as much as you! You see that big floating desert within the sky, you’ll be able to go there.
Nevertheless it’s not simply Echo Level Nova’s fight and motion that received me over. The sport has eerie and unusual vibes. You’ll be hoverboarding throughout tiny little islands floating within the sky after which attain a half-buried temple. You possibly can discover it, utilizing your decide axe to mine out a tunnel ala Minecraft, or simply preserve transferring on to your subsequent goal. Different instances I encountered large valleys, hidden underground bases, deserted army outposts, or unusual structure that appeared virtually medieval. And out of doors of the massive fights, until you play in co-op, you might be on their own on this large open world of floating islands and forgotten locations.
It’s an odd combo, Doom-like FPS motion with empty and lonely alien vistas, nevertheless it works very well in Echo Level Nova— particularly as a result of exploring these locations occurs at 200 MPH whereas on a candy hoverboard.
Echo Level Nova has a couple of tough edges, like the primary large boss struggle being a ache within the ass and the well being system feeling a bit too punishing for gamers who won’t be down with flying round like maniacs on a regular basis throughout main fights. Nonetheless, I believe Echo Level Nova is value enjoying because it’s one of many weirdest shooters I’ve ever performed, but additionally a few of the most enjoyable I’ve had in a online game in 2024.
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