It definately raises the bar of quality for the PS Minis.
What I can testify to is that NOVA is a full length game and at times appears larger than its PS Mini format. Its 32 bit visuals are very well done and even has voice acting throughout the majority of the game. The shooting action is solid and you are appropriate given a variety of weapons suited for most situations. While the arsenal is a bit small, its revelvant for the most part. You have your standard pistol (/w infinate ammo), assualt rifle, shot gun, sniper rifle, particle beam, grenade launcher, and grenades. The first 4 weapons listed are the most useful and relevant...the other are discresionary throughout the majority of the game but are a MUST for the final boss fight. The enemy AI is nothing to write home about. I honestly died on NOVA a handful of times and mostly due to my own misjudgement. However, that's not to say that the game isn't challenging because most of the challenge comes from an area that you wouldn't expect in a game like this: puzzles. While none are manditory they are nice to attempt to break up the pacing of the game a bit and do add variety to the gameplay. These puzzles come in the form of lock boxes that usually just reward you with ammo or something. Still, the puzzles themselve can range from simple to very thought provoking. They usually involve trying to properly place items around on a digital interface that will guide a beam of light into each outlet, uninterupted. Also, you will have to hack into a few door consoles in the later levels where it requires a color/dot alignment puzzle to solve before you can proceed. While these are mandatory, they are far less difficult.
The story in NOVA was a bit cliche but was never lost behind the action. Its about a retired space marine being forced back into duty in order to stop and impending alien invasion. From there things a bit more complex but nothing that hasn't been seen before repeatedly in other games. The voice acting was surprisingly well done and each character (for the few there were) each felt like they had their own individual personality especially the primary lead.
My Breakdown:
What's Good:
- Very impressive overall for a PS Mini
- Solid action
- Solid voice acting
- Nice visuals
- A relevant arsenal
- Mixes gameplay and storytelling well
- Lost of fun and clever puzzles to solve
What's Not-So-Good:
- Cliche story
- Could have offered weapon enhancements or upgrades
- The most powerful weapons don't become relevent until the end
- Enemies could have been a bit more of a challenge
What's Bad:
- The rewards of the puzzles usually don't match the intensity
- The ending was "Meh"
- The game felt a bit too long and dragged out
In all, whether its a Halo knockoff or not, NOVA is one of the best PS Minis you can find.