Nova Lands explores the concept of production evolution. Moreover, it mixes it perfectly with island management, farming, and a smattering of exploration. En route, this cute and often calm experience throws in some interesting curveballs. Consequently, you are kept on your toes as unexpected things often occur.
Developed by BEHEMUTT and published by HypeTrain Digital, this is a cute adventure title. What’s more, there are management elements and base building, and combat to master. Accordingly, there is plenty to do as you explore this odd but relaxing blend of genres.
Nova Lands focuses on automation.
Nova Lands has a rudimentary story, but the action focuses on research and automation. Subsequently, there is a reliance on resource “grinding”, levelling up, and a semi-linear progression system. Therefore, it is a bit of a time sink, but its straightforward nature allows you to enjoy it casually if you can put it down.
You are the inhabitant of a strange island, and your task is simple. You must expand your base, upgrade your factories, and unlock new resources. However, the strange happenings and extraterrestrial beings make this anything but ordinary. Consequently, you’ll enjoy a weird blend of Factorio, Forager, and Satisfactory. This weird combination of games shouldn’t work, but it does. As a result, you enjoy wonderful automation and some out-of-this-world evolution.
Stay alert and expand your empire.
The early game focuses on basic resources such as sticks and rocks. However, roll on a few hours and you’ll be producing steel, iron, and copper. From here, you’ll create new buildings such as electrical refineries, solar panels, and coal power plants. Once you hit this stage of evolution, the world is your oyster.
Talking of the world, the map is broken into many different islands. However, accessing each one isn’t simple, as you must build a machine to unlock them. Furthermore, you’ll require certain resources to access them permanently. Now, you may think, what’s the point? Well, each island is key to your expansion. One contains oodles of ore, while another has almost unlimited water plants. Additionally, some hide cruel bosses or interesting surprises.
Bosses and aliens.
I don’t want to give too much away, but you will come across extraterrestrial beings. These out-of-this-world creatures help with base expansion whilst improving the end-game facilities. This was an interesting twist on the normal tropes and something that took me by surprise. Consequently, I applaud the developers for their unusual approach and their expansive gameplay.
Nova Lands has a small roster of bosses and an intriguing upgrade system. The bosses are cruel, large, and difficult to take down. Therefore, you’re going to need to make the most of the upgrade system. Once you unlock the main island, you can upgrade your extractor gun, armour, jetpack, and much more. These brilliant additions make it much easier to explore and it’s undeniably quicker to improve your base.
Automation.
Like its peers, Nova Lands has an interesting automation mechanic. You are free to do every task yourself. Yet, the game pushes you towards an automated system. Therefore, you’re best not to fight it, as it improves your gaming experience and allows you to reach the end goal quicker.
With an array of robots at your disposal and plenty of buildings to house and shift goods, you can let the robots take the strain. This was incredible, as it was like poetry in motion. Subsequently, once you understand the fundamentals, you can mine each island for its resources whilst you work towards research goals or each boss encounter.
Nova Lands is sensationally vivid.
I adored the calm and easy-to-follow core concept. However, I cherished the graphics. The vivid colours and adorable sprites bring the game to life. Additionally, the unique island environment ensures it never becomes tiresome. Alongside this, the UI is refined and simple to manage. Accordingly, you can focus on expanding your empire.
A relaxing game needs a serene soundtrack. Thankfully, Nova Lands has plenty of laid-back tracks to enjoy. However, each high-energy moment is complemented by an aggressive tune. This was a great artistic decision that adds a spark to an already interesting title. Furthermore, the excellent sound effects add weight to the sci-fi edge. Accordingly, this is a rounded audio experience that’s enjoyable to listen to.
A technophobe’s dream.
The idea of automation and hundreds of robots could be daunting. Yet, Nova Lands simplifies the matter and therefore, this is a technophobe’s dream. Thanks to the incredible UI, you can easily set your robots to work. Furthermore, the control layout and responsive inputs are excellent during the boss battles. My only complaint is the aiming system. Occasionally, you’ll shoot wild animals in error and all hell breaks loose. It’s a minor thing, but something that should be looked at by the developers.
If you enjoy a colourful time sink, then this is the game for you. You’ll need to invest around 60-70 hours to unlock every layer of technology and visit the end-game segments. Moreover, it is great fun to tweak each element of your automated system. Subsequently, if you so wish, you can spend much longer refining each production line. As such, this oozes longevity. However, once you’ve completed it, I see little reason to start over again.
Nova Lands is a great addition to the genre.
BEHEMUTT has done a great job with Nova Lands. This relaxing and adorable island management sim ticks many boxes. Moreover, it is full of secrets and will keep you entertained throughout. I found it hard to find fault with this great title, but its lack of replay value and slightly clumsy cursor system are my only negatives. Consequently, I adored it and I recommend that you buy it here! Can you create an automated factory and unlock every island? Grab your tools, evolve your setup, and see what you can discover.
