Back in 1995 I played my first flight sim on a PC and was enamored with it. Not too long after I bought Air Combat from the bargain bin in Toys R Us (RIP) for the PlayStation, which brought about a type of obsession with the ability to fly in games, whether it was the likes of Battlefield and Ace Combat, or something more sci-fi like Zone of the Enders and Armored Core. We have gotten a few flight sims that take place in space recently (Everspace comes to mind), but we haven’t seen the likes of a mech game like this for quite some time.
I’ll admit that I haven’t played something like this in a long time, so it’s possible that I view the likes of Z.o.E. in rose tinted glasses, but that series was the pinnacle of this genre for me. However, that was nearly two decades ago at this point. Armored Core was always a fun alternative with their expansive customization (I wonder if From Software will consider making a new game in this series), and this plays similarly to some of those titles without the customization options.
The mechs and their abilities will no doubt seem familiar to those that love Gundam or Macross, and it has the frantic gameplay that people love from the genre. For those that struggle with these types of games or have never played them before, there are three difficulty options, the easiest of the three allowing for health regeneration and auto-aim. This allows for anyone to see the story of the game, although it’s not necessarily something that will be grabbing anyone’s attention. The writing and English voice acting leaves a lot to be desired and I often found myself not even paying attention to it during the levels and especially between missions. It’s a shame, as it certainly has potential. The other difficulties avoid health regen and have a stronger focus on your abilities.
The game puts you in the role of three different factions with a large assortment of battle frames (mechs), some obviously better than others. A few of these allow for you to switch between a flight mode and battle mode, each obviously having their own pros and cons. While you won’t find yourself in flight mode often, it’s a nice way to cover distance without running out of your boost on a regular basis. Mirai will likely be players’ favorite early on, as the weapons systems are ample compared to the others you’ll use, and it shows as this character is put through the ringer very early on.
Weapons systems include different types of missles, machine guns, rail guns, and laser swords. Each will have their uses, and after running out of ammo, there’s a cool off period as they reload – depending on the weapon, the timeframe for cool off differs. When you’re completely out, it’s in your best interest to evade attacks, which you can do with well-timed boosts and the bullet time mode that lets you see where the attacks are coming from. The game provides radar to see where enemies are located, which show up as red x’s when staring at them in the distance and you are unable to lock-on to them. They’ll also be shown with arrows on the sides of the screen showing you which direction you can find them, which is helpful considering you have three planes to be checking, and it’s easy to lose your sense of direction. If you have trouble with motion sickness like our very own Chad, I’d recommend avoiding this game.
In addition to the game’s story, there’s a survival mode that allows you to pick your battle frame of choice and see just how long you can manage against endless waves of mechs. This is nice for those that like to just whoop on some flying machines without any other mission. As much fun as it is protecting Air Force One going in circles for no reason, it’s nicer not having to worry about escort missions and just taking on the waves as they come. One of the more pertinent issues that stood out in this was the movement in the game, which not only felt a bit unpolished, but ended up with me getting stuck in different pieces of the environment, requiring me to take damage or restart the level. This meant undue frustration in a game that requires fluid mechanics.
For anyone with dreams of flying through the sky in a giant bipedal mech with lazer sword in tow, and the current options from the Gundam series aren’t blowing smoke up your skirt, Project Nimbus: Code Mirai is a great option. Despite its issues, the game offers a lot of enjoyable gameplay, even with the ludicrous story and missions.
6 out of 10
Pros
- Multiple Battle Frames
- Varied Environments
- In-Depth Mid-Air Battles
Cons
- Writing/Voice Acting
- Occasional Movement Issues
Project Nimbus: Code Mirai was developed by GameCrafterTeam and published by KISS Ltd. It launched on PC in 2017 and on PS4 on April 10th, 2018 for $19.99. The game was provided to us on PS4. If you’d like to see more of Project Nimbus: Code Mirai, check out the official site.
Here at GBG we use a rating method that you are more than likely familiar with – a scale of 1 to 10. For clarification, we intend on using the entire scale: 1-4 is something you should probably avoid paying for; 5-7 is something that is worth playing, but probably not at full price; 8-10 is a great title that you can feel confident about buying. If you have any questions or comments about how we rate a game, please let us know.
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