In all the video games currently being developed, there has been one that has existed in the minds of long-time gamers but struggled to come back to the focal point of games: The space shooter. The digital fantasy for the fans of Star Wars, Battlestar Galactica, and the Last Starfighter space shooters put the gamer in the cockpit of a cutting edge space ship tasked with taking out enemy space ships in the zero gravity environment of space. Once abundant, they are now rare amongst today’s games. The few that are available, however, are fine-tuned and exceptional and No Gravity: Plague of Mind is among them.
Taking place within the very distant future, the year 8002, No Gravity finds mankind continuing to explore the vastness of space. Mankind has expanded into a prosperous, peaceful empire. As they explore, they are prosperous, adventurous, and at peace. Suddenly, on the edges of their frontier, mankind encounters a strange anomaly. The anomaly becomes a mind disease, a plague of mind if you will. Hallucinations, extreme distress, an neurological breakdown all begin to spread upon the empire. Only a small handful of elite pilots can track down and neutralize this threat.
There isn’t much complexity in terms of the story but the simplicity of the game, coupled with the mysterious techno music, give the player a sense that they are on the fringes of space exploration battling an unknown enemy billion of miles away from Earth. The story is passed along within the mission descriptions and cut-scenes that occur in between missions. They are still-shot photos of the citizens of the empire and the futuristic works with a robotic narrator describing the condition of the Empire. With its mystery, there is ambition to keep playing that one extra mission or that one extra chapter and to keep going until the game ends.
As a space shooter, No Gravity puts you in the cockpit of one of three ships, each with its own strengths and weaknesses. You can fly in all directions in full 360 degree combat. You’ll encounter enemy ships, asteroids, enemy bases, capital ships, and strange alien structures. All of which provide a challenging but mesmerizing experience. Even on a portable device, there is a lot of depth and motion to the levels. As you fly, you can collect power-ups to give you an extra edge in combat. This is an important part of the game as missions become increasingly difficult and the exciting boss fights become harder to defeat. You’ll also navigate deep cave systems and plenty surfaces to find and defeat the plague.
The presentation for this game is absolutely exceptional and deserves to be played with earbuds. The music for the game is composed by French sound designer and song writer Alexel. Alexel is known for his interesting, pulsing soundtracks for various games and Alexel provides a sense of mystery, awe, and the unknown as you battle enemies and progress through the missions.  This is different compared to a thrilling orchestra or action-infused metal. Alexel’s score has a form of relaxed tension: You’re fighting enemy spacecraft but you are also on the edges of space.  The Visuals are colorful, vibrant, and clear as you traverse the depths and mysterious of space. Planets, stars, and nebulae all can be seen. Ships and combat can be clearly seen despite the small screen.
If you are looking are an epic game to pass along the time, No Gravity: Plague of Mind hits the mark! From its interesting soundtrack to its exciting space combat action, this is a portable adventure you won’t want to miss.
Platforms: Android devices, iOS devices
Developer: RealTech- VR
Publisher: Anozor Studios
Rating: 4/5