Escape Velocity Nova

9.0

Format Macintosh

Developer Ambrosia Software

Publisher Ambrosia Software

Genre Sim / Strategy

Ambrosia Software's Escape Velocity is a legend in the Mac gaming world.

Years after its 1996 release it continues to accumulate fresh devotees drawn to its complex and unique world. It has already spawned an acclaimed sequel, Escape Velocity Override, and Escape Velocity Nova is the latest release to attempt to repeat the triumph of the original. It succeeds brilliantly.

Fans of the original game will be relieved to know Ambrosia hasn't interfered with the winning formula. An updated graphics engine and better plot don't attempt to mask the broad similarities between all three games in the series. Like its predecessors, EV Nova represents an almost indefinable mix of genres: part space trade simulator, part shoot 'em up, part text-based role-play game.

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But if Escape Velocity Nova is hard to pigeonhole, it's very simple to understand. It's true to the same basic principle of its predecessors: you start by captaining a tiny shuttlecraft space vessel represented by a small dot in the middle of the screen.

In order to gain enough money to enhance your spaceship you must explore the universe, landing at spaceports and trading goods at a commodity exchange, or accepting missions from the Mission BBS. You can then outfit your ship or replace it with a better model if funds allow. The spaceport bar lets you hire escorts to accompany you or you can adopt a riskier policy and invest your earnings in a gambling den.

Plot boilers
It's a simple and involving concept and EV Nova makes it easier for newcomers by offering help in the shape of an old space captain who can guide them through the basics of space trading and missions. More experienced users can buy, sell and explore immediately: as you discover areas they are tracked on a map of the stellar system to enable you to examine your progress.

The game is divided into a handful of exclusive – though intertwined – plots, in which Federation forces are battling to regain control of the interstellar community from the rebelling Aurorans. Against this backdrop of intrigue, which is supported by exhaustive PDF documentation, you are free to construct your own role as a trader, fighter or pirate.

Take on a mission that antagonises one side, for example, and you'll find the going gets rough when you enter its territory. While the stories have more depth than the others in the series, the major appeal of EV Nova lies in the fact that it doesn't impose a way of playing. Even if you exhaust every storyline (which could take weeks) plug-ins and add-ons expand the EV Nova universe indefinitely. Perhaps the only disappointment is the continued lack of a network option.

EV Nova has made more improvements to the graphics, where it has been criticised in the past as outdated. While the display remains two-dimensional (it still bears a resemblance to Maelstrom, Ambrosia's Nineties arcade-style hit) the new 16-bit graphics engine brings pixels to life, adding support for transparency and a realistic glow to ships' engines. The appearance of high-quality QuickTime-based cut-scenes adds extra polish but never interrupts the gameplay. Stunningly attractive hypergates enhance the game's freshness and let you jump between systems without any loss of energy.
An immersive sci-fi adventure like EV Nova doesn't have to worry about trifling concerns such as realism, but the improved artificial intelligence is still welcome. It means, for example, that enemies now retreat when outfought rather than fight to the death.

Size counts
Other changes are more subtle. Navigation is simple and unashamedly retrospective in a joystick-oriented world, with all major controls accessible by half a dozen keys. But a couple of useful navigation helpers have been added: you can now use the mouse cursor to select items, which is much faster than using the Tab key to cycle through targets. EV Nova now also provides a temporary mini map of the local system so you don't have to switch to a separate map window to check your location.

EV Nova is a stunningly involving game that more than matches the addictiveness of its predecessors. Its enormous scope is illustrated by its size: on the sluggish Ambrosia server it took more than two hours to complete an 80Mb download on a broadband connection. On the evidence of this game, that lengthy wait is the only serious obstacle between you and several weeks of gaming heaven.

Mac User staff