Blood Nova

This game was a very mixed bag. On the plus side, it was quite long, the soundtrack was very competent, and the pixel art was serviceable, but nothing special. On the minus side, the writing is really, really bad. It resembles a spoiled child playing with too many dolls - characters lack proper exposure, depth, motives, personalities, often paper-thin props for the erratic plot, they appear and disappear on a whim, often serving as disposable ballast to plug the many plot holes. For a sci-fi game/story, nothing is ever properly explained, there are some infuriating oversights like a vent just let open after expelling toxins into space - who cares, eh? It's like an open car window anyway. The puzzles are also often illogical, a mundane task that could be completed by dozens different ways (you need to clean something, you pass a sink, but you cannot interact with it). Moreover, the strange move system often leaves you confused - you see a space dome, but where exactly are you? Are you inside, outside, floating somewhere...? And why, for the love of photons and parsecs, is a futuristic bodyguard armed with a katana of all things? Such a cliche...

Я купила эту игру после прохождения квеста Neofeud: захотелось чего-то ещё про фантастику и принцесс, и тут это всё есть. Это олдскульный квест с приятной, не мешающей прохождению музыкой; ещё бы слотов сохранений побольше, да и сама игра проходится быстро. P.S. Neofeud тоже могу посоветовать: нечасто найдёшь игру с Windows 98 в минималках))

Graphics, music, sound, are all fine for a retro pixel adventure. But this had a half-butted, irreverent tone to it that really put me off. The (human-ish) characters are all terribly mid, like they were pulled off discarded community college student IDs. They all look sleepy, and they talk like arrested-development suburban high-schoolers. The story is grand Space Opera, huge in scope, dealing with the fate of empires and galaxies, but everyone is so small and trivial, sleepwalking through life and probably on antidepressants. Then the non-human-ish characters are cobbled together out of junkyard trash. Why? Odd for the sake of odd. Speaking of simply for the sake of odd, why are literally all of the romantic entanglements lesbian? That's one head-scratcher for the cosmology of this game's universe. It all comes together as noise. Generic space yarp. I guess there is some community-level pleasing that happened here, like a Homestuck-type situation, but it's lost on me. For my money it comes across as inappropriately casual and insular for a commercial product. Oh well, I hope its community enjoyed it; but I doubt it has much appeal outside.

A point-and-click adventure game in a deliberate old-school style, Blood Nova tells the coming-of-age tale of a young space princess suddenly poised to inherit the throne of a galactic empire. A petulant character unready to accept responsibility, she must face the music against her will as an assassination attempt leaves her stranded on a space outpost in the middle of nowhere, now littered with bodies, with her personal bodyguard as her only alive companion. Mixing the themes of cosmic-scale political intrigue, burden of power, class privilege, and loss of youthful insouciance; the tones of tragedy, melancholy, and adolescent parlance; an apparent hodgepodge of diverse and weird sci-fi elements ranging from a sentient psychic snowglobe to dark techno-magic: in all honesty, it initially all sounds like a recipe for absolute disaster. One would legitimately expect the whole thing to immediately collapse on itself into a black hole of cringe under the weight of its lofty but overreaching ambitions, unsustained by limited technical means and narrative naivete. Yet it does not. Instead, it comes together, confidently finds its stride, and brings the player through a tight 5-hourish narrative. It is a small miracle, achieved through working with, not against, the limitations of the medium, as well as a knack for minimalism, restraint, and economy of writing. The latter reminded me of Dave Gilbert (of the Blackwell series), though in a completely different style. The sci-fi setting, which has a strong /Dune/ vibe, feels original and coherent despite its diverse ingredients, thanks to not letting any thread hang loose. The lore and story elements are never throwaway one-offs. Often first introduced as cryptic references, they are echoed at various points throughout the narrative in a manner that finally clicks together in a satisfying way, progressively building the feeling of a coherent universe. In contrast, the entirety of the story is located in a single station, creating a strong sense of place. The number of characters is limited, but each of them has their personal arc, motivations, and brings a few surprises. The game is presented in a limited color palette, using almost static first-person point-of-view scenes reminiscent of pre-Lucasarts adventures on 8-bit machines. Navigating between them uses a clickable minimap, which is unusual but easy to use. The art is somewhat crude, the puzzles are mostly perfunctory, and there is the occasional narrative awkwardness... If any of this sounds like it could bother you, try the demo first. In the end, none of this gets in the way of a feeling of genuine charm and freshness, which I had not experienced in a long while, and left me with a large grin.

Very unique story and a wild ride! The puzzles and gameplay are good. Challenging enough without being obtuse. But the story is really gripping and uncovering the mystery feels fantastic. I started this tonight, expecting to play for a half hour and then move on to something else, but I was locked in and couldn’t stop playing until I finished the game. I’m excited to pick up more games from this developer soon!

To most citizens of the Velaya galaxy, Empress Adèle's abdication came as a surprise. Heir to the Crystal Throne is her eldest daughter, Love. Sheltered from the realities of life, the young woman has hitherto shown more interest in pop culture and carefree pursuits than in intergalactic relations and diplomcacy. [i]Blood Nova is her coming-of-age story[/i], one that sees her rising to the occasion when suddenly she and her royal sentinel Kel find themselves the only survivors of a bioweapon attack on the lighthouse where they resided before her coronation ceremony. As their distress signal remains unanswered, it is the Princess herself who must produce the antidote that could save her best friend's life. The game transports you back to a different era of science fiction. It made me think of what it must have been like when [i]Neuromancer[/i] just came out and transformed the genre with its stark depictions of body modification and the fever-dream experience through highly advanced technology. [i]Blood Nova[/i] features pixel-art backdrops in various shades of purple, and in its world, diskettes and cartridges are still in wide circulation. Combine this with ominous beats and spherical sounds, and it puts you just in the right mood. As we navigate Love through the hazardous environment, we find ourselves immersed in a world that surprised me with how alive it felt. Unlike many other video games (or even movies and literature), there is no detached info-dumping to bring you up to speed. Instead, glimpses into the wider lore and political realities flow seamlessly from the narrative itself and make you [i]imagine[/i] what the world was like. In the beginning, our world is the Looping Vale. We don’t yet fully understand the lighthouse's official role within the galactic society, but we quickly learn that the release of fungal toxin was possible because it was produced as a bioweapon in its laboratory. We learn that members of Velaya's Nine Houses sell their deadly creations to warlords. The setting blends cyberpunk aesthetics and esoteric mysticism, with lore becoming relevant as you solve the problems at hand. You care because of the human quality of the events. War may cause a refugee crisis, but it’s the fate of a little girl that is at the forefront of your agenda. Don’t be fooled by the low-budget production—nuanced writing and gripping artwork leave no doubt that this was a passion project. Genre fiction is often frowned upon for generic prose, but it can be elevated when creators find the exact off-beat words to make scenes come to life. [i]Blood Nova[/i] delivers many moments of this variety. You’ll vibe with the lighthearted tone and fun characters, and you might even argue that the happy-go-lucky demeanor of the central protagonist is integral to the story. Love’s youthful disrespect for tradition ultimately proves to be her greatest strength and the quality that makes her worthy of the future she’s destined for. As you may have guessed, the gameplay is story-driven to the core. Instead of actively moving around your surroundings, you solve puzzles by clicking on visible objects and combining your findings. For many players, this might not be enough to feel fully invested, and that’s fair. The game is decisively old-school, and you must be prepared to experience it more like an interactive short story. While limited in your options, the solutions to puzzles can get quite involved. Admittedly, I got stuck a couple of times and had to consult a walkthrough to continue my space-operatic adventures. The plot is driven by mysteries that thrust themselves upon you: Who is behind the attack? Why did the Empress abdicate? Who is the mysterious girl people keep mentioning, and where is she now? These questions form the overarching narrative arcs, while operable tasks keep you occupied in each chapter. I particularly enjoyed how Love begins to lose touch with reality as magical elements creep into the mix. You live through her rite of passage as she meets an oracle amidst the pink dunes of a distant planet, recollects the meaning of star signs, or deciphers enigmatic broadcasts sent directly into her mind by an unknown entity. Then again, there are more immediate threats, culminating in an over-the-top showdown where the various villains reveal their true faces in delightful action-movie fashion. For fans of story-driven games with retro aesthetics and thoughtful writing, [i]Blood Nova[/i] is a gem worth exploring. If you are into cyberpunk or space operas, I'm sure you'll love it’s a poignant tale of growth and rebellion against oppressive traditions. Provided that you don't mind its laid-back and somewhat static gameplay.

“Blood Nova” is an amazingly good point&click adventure of modern cut and in grand space-opera style. The story tells the tale of a spoiled princess travelling to her coronation to become the empress of a galaxy-spanning empire, who stumbles upon a deadly conspiracy and is forced to become the heroine and save the day. The game is done in a retro-style first-person view, with pixel-art graphics using limited color palette but to maximum effect: character portraits are nicely drawn, and the designs of the screens make them appear quite realistic. What really stands out is the music that features some cool and memorable melodies, soundtrack is worth buying on its own. Storyline is linear to the extreme and there aren’t even any dialog choices, but the writing is good, world setting and atmosphere are nothing short of epic, story is engaging and the main protagonist just kicks ass. Game uses simplified controls and easy inventory where you can to combine items, there are also couple occasional puzzles and minigames. Gameplay length is on the shorter end, expect something around 3-4 hours without any major stuckpoints, and for the offered price it’s well worth it. Overall I really enjoyed playing Blood Nova, and can recommend it to fellow point&clickers who like space-fantasy adventure games.

This should be a better known game for point and click fans. I was a Kickstarter backer and have no regrets. The art is phenomenal, gorgeous color schemes and beautifully detailed scenes and character art. The story and worldbuilding are incredibly compelling, making you never want to stop playing until you finish the game. I was surprised that the game didn't end up being 10+ hours at least because it seems there's so much that can be explored and done. It seems obvious for there to be more games in this universe at the least, I hope they do that someday! I wholeheartedly recommend the game.

While I have to admit that I might not be the right audience for this type of blend of sci-fi and mysticism, I just really can't lie that I didn't really enjoy this game. Game is pretty, puzzles are good and I like the two main characters and the banter with ADA is funny but I just think that the plot just adds too much too quickly and there's a lot of lore-heavy thingamajigs that I'm not really interested interested nor care about.

A bite-sized point and click adventure, Blood Nova packs a tremendous amount of sci-fi fantasy world building into its short playtime. The writing is great, a blend of Douglas Adams and Frank Herbert in its inspirations, and delivers some wonderful character moments. The pixel art, with its dreamlike colour palette, is as expressive as it is beautiful. Big recommend for any adventure game fans.