NOVASTORM
FM TOWNS, VARIOUS • 1993
◼︎ One of the best FMV titles ever made,
Novastorm
uses the format to its advantage instead of allowing the technology to restrain its ambitions. The Psygnosis shooter is far greater than the sum of its parts, but at the same time those parts work so well when you consider them individually. Its gameplay is of primary importance, of course, and this is near perfectly gauged. Its waves of one-hit enemies never outstay their welcome and are followed by huge visually stunning bosses. The route through its highly varied rendered environments is on-rails, but unlike landscapes in other FMV games if you make contact with them then you take damage – which is communicated by sounds of wrenching metal as your ship takes a hit. Your craft’s blasters emit a muted tone, and this complements
Novastorm’s superlative trance music. Last but not least, short stylish cutscenes punctuate each phase of the game and announce the next. The end result is both an assault on the senses and an intense arcade shmup.