Project Nomads Preview

Whoa, my eyes still hurt from playing Project Nomads for the past couple of hours. In a word, this game is strange. But, strange in a good way, unique, as it were. Project Nomads is a classic example of a genre-bender if ever there was one. The game is a mix of furious arcadish action and some strategy elements, which include base building, structure upgrades and so on. If I had to compare Nomads with anything, I’d say it’s quite similar to Shiny’s Sacrifice, but only as far as its basic gameplay premise goes.

Look mah, I have my own island now!

Do not approach my island unless you're bearing gifts.

Project Nomads is all about islands, as the in-game world is divided into these huge floating land masses that were created as an aftermath of a big bang that shattered into pieces what once was a prosperous and striving planet. The old civilization of "Builders" (the original tenants of the planet) has left powerful artifacts though, which can be used to modify these huge parts of the old world and turn them into battle ships! The players are cast in the role of a Nomad - a wanderer and a treasure-seeker. You control your island from a third-person perspective, much like in any action-adventure game, running around from one structure to the next, navigating repairing and defending it from fighter craft and other islands. The purpose of the game is to basically complete missions by navigating your ‘battle ship’ through some mighty perilous situations and freeing your other two Nomad friends that are held captive by the newly-emerged evil corporation, bent on taking control of this new and restructured world.

So you see - the game is a mix of many genres - from action to adventure, to arcadish sim elements and strategy. And best of all, the in-game world is very unique, and inspiring, making Project Nomads quite an experience for the jaded gamer.

To top it all off, the game supports some incredibly swanky visuals. You will need a top-of-the-line rig to run this one smoothly, but I’m sure you’ll find that the visuals will more than justify the steep hardware requirements. Nomad’s world is very moody, dark and clearly indicative of the fact that a huge catastrophe has left its mark on it. The islands seem to drift among the clouds, hazy and barren, and yet rich with textures and vivid details once you set foot on them. The in-game models are very high on polygons and they’re excellently animated. The shadows and lighting, as I said look really good, and add quite a bit of (sur)realism to the in-game world. The sound effects are top-notch, too... which is surprising, given the fact that this game is published by the German company CDV. The voice of the narrator is highly convincing and it actually helps you to get into the groove, rather than roll your eyes at the bleak sounds of amateurish voice acting. The soundtrack isn’t lagging too far behind, either. As we’ve come to expect from today’s games, it changes tempo depending on the action on screen, creating a more dramatic battle environment.

Project Nomads is a truly refreshing game title, and I guess those awards at the ECTS show in London cannot be attributed to a stroke of luck. Right off the bat, the game will captivate you with its unique post-apocalyptic settings and refreshing gameplay. I just hope you have a decent enough computer that can easily crunch all the polys and special effects that the designers have put in there...