Developer: GameCrafterTeam
Publisher: GameTomo
Platform: PC, Switch
Tested on: Switch
Project Nimbus: Complete Edition – Review
Robots, everyone loves them, right? Well, fighting robots might seem something for the far future but in Japan this is starting to become more of a reality with each passing day. This makes games such as Gundam and Wartech Fighters become more real and we can only dream of piloting a mech ourselves someday. Project Nimbus feels like a combination between a robot shooting game and the fast-paced action of Ace Combat. As both games seem like a good match, Project Nimbus appears to be promising.
Story
Let’s immediately start by saying that you just get dropped into the game. There isn’t a long intro or too much information. The first few lines will not make any sense and the deeper you get into the story of the game, it’s still hard to tie up the loose ends. What’s vaguely said is that you are working for the ‘good guys’ and there is a terrorist group called the ‘Children of Fallen Nation’ that is using pre-historic weaponry (just like in real life) but is trying its hardest to get its hands on the latest technology. The main story is all about this war for weapons and the tug-of-war between both factions. You can follow the story very light-heartedly as it isn’t that deep or interesting but the fact that it’s there is a nice addition to the game.
Graphics
In the past, there always was an excuse that Nintendo titles would have lesser graphics because of the hardware limitations of their consoles (take the Wii for example). Now the Switch has proven itself to be able to support high graphical quality without too much of a drawback. Sadly, with Project Nimbus it feels like we are going back to simpler times with the graphics we are presented with. The game looks very basic with not too many details, guessing this has been done to ensure smooth gameplay with a high and stable frame rate. Battles look alright but not like in other titles where you get blown out of your chair with the many colorful explosions taking place on the battlefield. Maps look large but feel rather small at certain moments, there is this fake sense of depth present.
Sound
The music is quite good in this title as it ranges from various styles but it has this strong heroic vibe. Very melodic orchestral music plays while shooting down many fighters, which is something that makes you feel like a million dollars. Voice acting is also pretty decent in this game with many characters talking to each other and a narrator telling the story between missions. Weapons might sound a bit simpler but you won’t care that much thanks to the great soundtrack.
Gameplay
Project Nimbus: Complete Edition is an action game that feels like a combination between Gundam and Ace Combat. You will fight many epic battles high in the sky against a fleet of different enemies, from simple bots to advanced mechs. The game starts with a short tutorial teaching you the ropes to control your advanced war machine. Controls are fairly easy to learn and while other mechs will have many weapons, it might get a bit cumbersome to manually switch from every single weapon. Don’t worry about having to slow down as there is a weapon wheel like in GTA to quickly switch hardware. While the game plays smoothly, it sometimes feels a bit too imprecise, i.e. you are sometimes lacking fine control over your vehicle like an arcade game. Your missions are quite easy, just enter the mission area and destroy all the opposition there is. To do so, you get a large range of weapons at your disposal, from normal machine guns to homing rockets, lasers, drones, and even swords. The best part about all these toys is you have infinite ammo for everything.
As said in the story section, you are playing with a stronger faction, and while the enemies might have a lesser quality of hardware, their fleet is substantially larger. There will be some epic fights and storming into a pack of enemies might be a quick death for the others but you will feel the pain by getting attacked at all sides. There are three difficulties available and these are labeled very correctly, easy is a true beginner difficulty and hard will make you cry for your momma. The main story consists of 26 missions and if you are done with those, you can enjoy all the extra features of this edition.
You’ll get some extra content in the Complete Edition, as there are the additional Survival mode, the Warfront mode and the graphical overhaul of the game. People who already owned the base game get this as a free update, while new players can pick up the complete version at a discounted price. Survival mode is pretty straightforward: see how long you can survive an endless stream of enemies. In Warfront you pick a faction to fight for and work your way up in the ranks from crappy basic bots to high tech war machines.
Conclusion
Project Nimbus: Complete Edition is a game that lacks a bit in each section. While you will piece together the story after a while, it is unclear in the beginning. Graphics are rather simple with large empty open spaces but the soundtrack is pretty good. The gameplay feels a bit imprecise, so there is a strong arcade feel to the overall gameplay. The extras added to the Complete Editions are very nice for new or returning players and those who enjoy the game will surely have hours of fun with it. For others, the game might feel like an expensive arcade title.
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