FIN FUNNELS RELEASED. I AM THE RED COMET. CHAAAAAAAAAAAAAR. THIS IS WHAT YOU GET FOR KILLING LALAH, AMURO RAY! IT WASN'T MY FAULT CHAR. PSYCHOFRAME ACTIVATE! THE AXIS SHOCK! THIS IS THE POTENTIAL OF NEWTYPES. I WON'T GIVE IN. FOOL! YOU CANNOT BEAT THE SAZABI! THE NU-GUNDAM WILL PREVAIL, YOU WILL NEVER WIN CHAR!

Project Nimbus, the 3D mecha-action game, is one of the more ambitious early-access titles that I've had the pleasure of playing. Alongside the sweet graphics, this game offers an intriguing plot (all two acts of it), and the missions showcase a great balance between "destroy this" and "protect that". The voice-acting and subtitles are a little suspect, but the space-opera vibe is appreciated.

Most importantly, the game is a lot of fun. The controls are fluid, and allow the player to easily soar in-between scores of enemy mechs. I love the amount of freedom available to the player. Enemy targets can be approached from any direction, and the chaos can take place anywhere, even at insanely high altitudes. The ability to boost from the ocean to the end of Earth's atmosphere in less than two seconds is just awesome. I also appreciate the little things, like how Survival Mode's scoring changes, depending on which mech is used. The slow-motion button is also really cool. Sometimes I use it just to admire some kills. Altogether, Project Nimbus is fast, frenetic, and very entertaining, and it'll undoubtedly impress gamers when it's finally completed.

But I believe that the game can be even better.

First off, I'm not too concerned about the amount of content in this game. The final version is going to include 27 missions, a "sand-box" mode, and Survival. While you can't expect a Path of Exile amount of hours from Project Nimbus, you're certain to get your money's worth. However, If I could make a suggestion right now, it would be for additional maps in Survival mode. These maps could offer different sets of enemies, and perhaps even unique lay-outs. Perhaps the developer is already kicking around this idea, and they're just setting it aside until the campaign is finished. In any case, I expect this game to deliver in terms of content.

Secondly, it's worth pointing out that there are some technical issues present in the game. I had to restart a mission early on, because an enemy had somehow become trapped inside a building. The option to toggle v-sync is currently unavailable, which results in some bad screen-tearing. A number of the effects - such as bullets and booster-trails - look unfinished. The frame-rate can also take some knocks in a few missions. The camera can also be problematic depending on the current situation, but I'd hard-pressed to come up with a 3D game that hasn't suffered from camera troubles. These issues can be resolved, so I'm not too worried. Even now, the quality of the game still shines through these problematic aspects.

Now this is where it gets complicated. I have a few suggestions of my own that I'm going to share. While I believe that implementing them could make Project Nimbus an even better game, the possibility exists that it could have the opposite effect. Honestly, I probably shouldn't say anything, because I adhere to one of the strictest rules of game-design:

Do not give the player exactly what they want.

This is a rule that can go hand-in-hand with the saying: "It's not for everyone". If a game tries to do everything for any and all gamers, the final result is liable to be very bland and unremarkable. For the most part, the development team should stick to their vision, and try not to accommodate the whims of the gaming populace. All that said, here are my suggestions for improving Project Nimbus.

- The sword needs tweaking. Usually melee weapons in mecha games are immensely satisfying. Here, it just doesn't quite hit the mark. Most of the time it feels like swings don't actually connect, and my mech will just move past the target, and they may or may not be destroyed. It's hard to appreciate a good melee kill. To counter this, I'm thinking that the mech should swing the sword downwards, or perhaps at an upward angle. Better yet, there could be two melee attacks, with the trade-off being that the more powerful one can stop the mech just in front of their target, which could leave them open to attack. One thing I've noticed is that the sword seems to work better when not locked on to a target.

- Larger explosions. While I'm no rocket surgeon, I know when the "Heck Yeah!" sensors in my brain are being tripped. Destroying an enemy and being treated to a worthy explosion never really gets old. Granted, if the explosions are too large they can become disorienting, so it's best to shoot for a subtle but still noticeable effect. Also, while it can be difficult to notice (due to distance and scale), I'd like to see enemies shatter to pieces when they explode(especially when hit by a powerful gun). On occasion, I'll see a transporter or other ship break apart, but the effect looks rather cheap. Maybe the inside of the mechs (at least the parts that are exposed to the player) should have a basic "circuitry" texture. Players notice it enough to say "Wow! That's cool!" but not to the point where they'll think "Wait. Does that make sense?"

- Better damage indicators. Whenever your mech takes damage in this game, the screen turns red. I think it would be less distracting (and possibly more immersive) if damage caused the UI to scramble for a second, or even just blink red. The damage to the UI should match the severity of the weapon. A few bullets from a machine-gun should feel very different compared to getting hit with a missile spread or a blast from an ion cannon. The UI effects shouldn't be permanent though; just a visual effect to get the point across.

- Changes to the weapon system. Currently, the Mirai and its variants are a little overpowered. This is mostly due to the presence of smart missiles and funnels (AI drones). I propose that there should be a customizable load-out before each mission. This would give players the opportunity to select different guns. Furthermore, these load-outs would limit which weapons could be taken along. There's really no reason to have both missiles and funnels, as they offer the player the option to stay far away from most engagements and let the automatic weaponry do all the work. I suggest that players should be forced to make a choice, but also have a selection of weapons that allow them greater flexibility to develop their play-style.

Again, these are all just suggestions. Even if the developer of this game were to ignore them all*, I would still consider Project Nimbus a game worth looking into. Its development still has a long way to go, so I'll be sure to keep you all updated as it progresses.

*Although I really think they should look into the whole "screen turning red" business.


If you liked this review or want to see more recommended games, be sure to follow our curator group: Follow Original Curator Group

Played this for at least 5+ hours before it was available on Steam.

Project Nimbus is damn great, it's like a mash up of Z.O.E and Gundam, and you can't go wrong with that.
It's great looking, great simple but awesome looking gameplay with a lot of weapons to use. A bunch of missions to play through with a handfull of mechs to play as, and different types of mechs to go againts in swarms. Plus the voice acting is nice, kind of in the same level of old mech games voice acting (but obviously clearer and nicer)

The game just needs a bit of more refinement in terms of the controls and camera (probably the UI and menu too), with a little bit more features to add.

And for the asking price to what you get now up to the finished thing, it's worth it.

Shameless link to original post.

I played the first mission saying "Oh a sword would be good." The second mission I get a sword, micro missiles, a rail gun, decoys, flares and a funnel. They also called me princess. Video proof to come. 11/10

http://youtu.be/T1Fg4lcHEFU <- Video proof

Z.O.E. + Gundam + Armored Core = Project Nimbus = AWESOME ! ! !

and... i still hope for a zone of the enders 3, waiting since 2003

You're basically piloting the Strike Freedom.

If you think that's awesome, buy this game!

If you think Jesus Yamato should've died at the bottom of the ocean like the aim-botting, godmoding degenerate he is, know that I agree with you whole-heartedly, and think you should buy this game!

If you're a UC pureblood and think all alternate Gundam universes are utter ♥♥♥♥, know that there are Char references out the ♥♥♥♥ing wazoo, so you should buy this game!

If you have no clue what I'm talking about and came here because you heard the game played like Armored Core: For Answer, know that you're correct, and you should buy this game!

If you have no clue what I'm talking about and came here because you heard the story had Zone of the Enders vibes, know that you're correct, and you should buy this game!

If you don't care about any of that nonsense and just want an incredibly fast-paced aerial third-person shooter full of autotargeting micromissiles, laser sword, railguns and altitude changes faster than you can say "these Gs I'm pulling right now would probably send my brain flying out of the back of my ♥♥♥♥ing skull", know that your money would be well spent, so you should buy this game!

If you think all mecha is ♥♥♥♥ and just came here for whatever reason, know that I pity you and think you've been missing out on a whole lot of cheesy-dialogue-filled awesomeness, and want nothing more than for you to expand your horizons. So buy this game!

Ever played Armored Core 4, or For Answer, and you get the option of giving every mech out there infinite flight? That's exactly how it is in this game. Just like in Armored Core, you get a lock-on feature, and just like in AC, it's annoying, but useful.

Pros:

-Fast paced
-Reminds me of Armored Core
-Guns, Rockets, LOTS of explosions


Cons:

-Only two Acts at this time
-Lock-on feature zooms in too much
-ZERO customization
-No way to upgrade/buy new weapons


Honestly, it really does remind me of Armored Core, but unlike it, I'm stuck with one mech for a couple of chapters, then I get shoved into a more nimble mech with six or seven different weapons, and it's just a headache trying to figure out how to utilize them to the fullest. I would like to suggest a sort of tutorial where you could try each and every one. Granted, a few are self explanatory, but the others require more detail.


EDIT:

So, I finally got off my ♥♥♥ long enough to hop back onto Project Nimbus, only to find it to be a chaotic mess. Good gods, the second act starts off with the Chinese, then gravitates a little towards the Americans, then forces you into the Russian's side of things, and finally brings you back to the first girl from Act 1. There's little room for character development because of this, which annoyed me to no end.

With Armored Core you have, at the very least, the ability to pick which path you'd like to follow. Whereas PN simply drops you into the hot seat of whatever point of view they wish for you to be a part of. It just feels too damn rushed, in my own opinion.

I'm glad the developers put in a way to change out mechs, but there's STILL zero customisations when it's all said and done. By the way, that's only towards the middle of the second act, and nowhere else in the game.

I don't know, folks. If there was a "Meh" rating, I'd give it instead of saying yes or no in recommending the game. I'll keep it at a "Yes" for now, though, but my personal rating for the game dropped to 6/10 for lack of character development.

Project Nimbus is basically Ace Combat featuring Armored Core mecha - a love letter to fans of both franchises.

Being an early-access game, it does have plenty of rough edges. Controls-wise need some getting use to since you can't customize it(at least not in-game), and while WASD is used to move around as per normal, you use E & C to fly up/down, which makes the otherwise completely free aerial movement feel a bit uncomfortable. The action feels really fast, but combat may feel quite draggy considering the difficulty in landing hits(missiles & funnels ftw!) and it lacks a satisfying hit confirmation. The lock-on system can be a bit annoying at times since it automatically locks on to the next target and focuses your camera on it rather than un-lock on kill. To the credit of the developers though, they recognized these issues and I applaud them for adding Bullet Time, the option to vary the intensity of the camera focus during lock-on and being able to toggle off lock on rather than make it fully automatic.

I would recommend buying to support the developers in polishing this gem, especially if you're a big fan of mecha and games similar to Ace Combat.

EDIT (17 Nov 20214): The developers have recently patched the game to include a hit indicator.

2016.4.19

They did it! Just look at the title screen!

10/10

-----------------------------------------------------
Pros :
Mind-blowing fighting experience,
Fast-paced combat makes you feel like going into robo-anime scenes;
Stunning music;
Fluent control;

Cons:
Where da ♥♥♥ is tat girl in trailers?

9/10 would change to 10 if you guys put that girl into actual game.

I feel like I'm back to the good old days with awesome mecha games on PS2.

Now they have japenese voice patch with some great cast, great!