Codex Review Escape Velocity Nova review

[Saint_Proverbius]

Yes, the bar is a bit silly.

It'd be nice if gambling offered more, like missions to race, other types of gambling such as craps, blackjack, etc.

But really, all I'd want is more people and missions available in the bar. Even something like Freelancer's ability to bribe local factions would be nice. That'd be a hell of a lot better than having to run shipping missions and/or kill millions of pirates.

But the thing which annoys me the most about Nova (scenario wise, not an engine issue) is the way in which the stories seem to actively prevent the player from role-playing at all. Not only do we have mostly linear story-threads, but we also have the writers telling the player what he/she is thinking and feeling.

"Oh? I feel sad because I'm doing these things? Ok, well, your the boss I guess."

How I respond emotionally to what I'm doing is MY business, not the game designer's. If they think they need to tell me to feel happy, sad, amused etc. then they have fundamentally failed to create engaging characters and actions.

I agree as well. This is all throughout the game. It's kind of like the Wild Geese mission where the one guy gets killed by McGowan, and the only option was to vow revenge. Maybe I'm a chicken shit coward and would rather spare my neck than get involved? Maybe I just don't care that this guy got killed? Maybe I'm more inclined to side with McGowan, since I have a lust for money?

I also dislike the way that they keep making decisions for me. Sure, I get to choose whether to accept a mission or not, but I don't get any say about whether I'm going to get drunk with a stranger in the bar. *I* don't drink, so it's damn annoying when the game tells me that I do.

Well, I don't run around blowing up Federation carriers, but what the hell?