Have you always wanted to get into the rogue-like genre, but always have been turned off by the difficulty or base mechanics that are undesirable like leveling and losing all of your stuff? Well today is you lucky day, as Nova-111 is a rogue-lie, but it actually feels more like a puzzler. It’s been stripped of what makes the genre intimidating, while making the game more accessible and enjoyable to casual. The result is a fun little game.
The game is about a scientist and his team who got stranded on a foreign world and displaced by Time Science. Yes, that is indeed “a thing” the game says, and no, it doesn’t explain what that is. You actually play as the pilot of the vehicle the team used to traverse the world. However the mishap that set all of this in motion has left the ship in disrepair, and you have to slowly build its functions back up as you get through the levels. There are environmental hazards as well as enemies to watch for, all waiting in the unknown areas outside of your peripheral vision. So the Fog of War element featured in most rogue-likes are in place. The enemy confrontations themselves are a bit of a puzzle, as they act depending on a turn based system. You can skip turns to let the enemy come to you, or lure them into range of falling spikes or other enemy fire. Firing lasers or phasing through enemies are also options. There are plenty of upgrades that are hidden or earned through the story, like a shield that lets you take an extra hit, and it recharges later; extra health shards to last a bit longer.
Unlike other rogue-likes, there is no leveling or loot system, so the game is more of a puzzle game. It strips much of what might be overwhelming about the genre and makes the game a casual fair that’s more accommodating to newer players. As such, the game can be called a rogue-lite. The music is nice but it’s not very memorable, and there is no voice acting, which makes it hard to pay attention to the game’s humorous commentary. The Wii U version does benefit from the map screen on the Gamepad though. Secret areas are easier to identify now, as the unexplored areas on the map are shown clearly. It’s a fun game, and there is a nice helping of levels and challenges to get through. To anyone looking for a decent puzzle game, or is looking to get their feet wet on the rogue-like genre, Nova-111 is a good place to start.
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