Play Hard Nova Online

Hard Nova is a science fiction role playing game released in 1990 for MS DOS computers. It was developed by Spaceport Malibu and published by Electronic Arts. The game presents a top down perspective and blends elements of cyberpunk, space flight, and dark futuristic storytelling.

Players control a mercenary character who, alongside a navigator companion, must assemble a new crew after their original ship is destroyed. The primary objective involves taking on various jobs across a region of space known as the Four Systems, where different factions are in conflict. Gameplay is structured around visiting space stations and planetary settlements to recruit crew members, acquire missions, and gather information. Progression is driven by completing these assignments, which often involve space combat, trading, and interacting with numerous characters through a text based dialogue system.

The game world is explored via a top down map for interstellar travel, with specific locations shifting to more detailed scenes for navigation and interaction. Key gameplay systems include managing the player's ship, its weapons, and its crew during missions. Players engage in direct arcade style combat sequences, both in space and on the ground, and must make choices that can influence the narrative. The story also involves a separate plot thread concerning a dying sun and the potential extinction of an alien race, which becomes interwoven with the mercenary's central pursuits.