Nuclear Option (PC Game)
This game is updated regularly which could render this page outdated.
Nuclear Option is a early access (Steam) large scale air combat game with a focus on striking a balance between realism and accessibility.
The game features fictional aircraft with realistic roles, weapons and flight physics, without the complex configuration found in DCS or the grinding found in War Thunder. As well as a review, this will also be a bit of a guide for newbies.
The game is centered around missions which are all executed on the same map - which to be fair is large and features varied terrain. Many missions are what you would expect, like destroying buildings and engaging in dogfights, but some ought to be called gamemodes - they feature far less specific objecives and larger areas of the map. The most popular in multiplayer by far is "Escalation" so I will focus on that.
Escalation (Most popular gamemode)
Escalation takes place across the entire map and involves a team based in the north and south both fighting eachother for control of the entire map by capturing eachothers airbases, which includes small airports/helipads inside of cities, and carriers in the sea. At the start of the game everyone is rank 0, meaning only slower aircraft mostly focused on ground attack are availible. Scoring kills and completing objectives allows you to level up to obtain specalised aircraft for a range of other purposes. You also earn money, which is required to buy Aircraft and Ordnance - providing a powerful insentive to survive your sorties.
As well as bases, both teams have ground units, some target other ground units, whilst some target Aircraft. Some are factories producing units. All of them are problematic.
Eventually Nuclear bombs are authorised allowing certain aircraft to launch Nuclear missiles or Bombs. They're slow moving compared to other weapons making it hard to hit a target with any defence, but if you hit - you can guarantee their death.
Aircraft
Even though it appears you get better Aircraft as a game progresses, that isn't strictly true. The Aircraft are really well balanced, they all have things they're good and bad at, and at least one thing they're the best at.
Note I will use some acroynms: AG = Anti Ground, AA = Anti Air/Air to Air, IR = Infrared (Heat seeking), M(s) = Missile(s).
Cricket
Small and slow turboprop with mostly AG weapons - bar two close range IR AAMs. It carries an average number of weapons. It's easy to fly close to terrain, and emits little IR, making it easy to avoid locks of all types. However, once engaged its slow speed and lack of Jammer render it vulnerable especially at closer range. It's best suited to pop-up strikes against multiple ground targets. Aircraft engagements should be avoided.
Compass
Light attack jet with an mix of AG and AA weapons. It carries an average number of weapons. It tops out at about Mach 1 at ground level and can pull 8Gs making it capable of avoiding most attacks. It is great at taking out specific ground targets and most Aircraft, but you'd need to do some Top Gun shit to escape a Revoker. Its high speed can make close Air support tricky.
Chicane
An attack helicopter with mostly AG weapons, but no bombs. It carries more weapons than average. It has a stealthy design and can hover near terrain making radar avoidance easy, but its slow speed makes avoiding IR missiles tricky. It can literally be a sitting duck. It also features a automatic gun that is fired for you. It is brilliant for taking out ground targets of all types and can be a pest to Aircraft at range, but it's vulnerable to IR SAMs and all Aircraft.
Trantula
A large VTOL Support plane with two configurations - Transport and Gunship. When acting as Transport, the Trantula can deploy Radar, AA, SAMs and other ground Units anywhere you desire, which is extremely powerful. As a Gunship, the Trantula carries 20 AGM 48s and a 78MM Cannon, which will decimate ground units of all types at up to medium range. You can also carry 3 additional guns and even IR missiles for self defence, although a Air engagement should be avoided at all costs. It cannot hide or run, so it should be used mostly for defence, only popping into enemy territory breifly to fire missiles or shoot a convoy, before leaving quickly again. It can be more offensive if supported by other Aircraft, as it stands a good chance of staying in the Air after a missile hit.
Revoker
A Flagship fighter with mostly AA weapons, carrying less than average. The Revoker can easily go supersonic, even in a climb, and can pull over 10Gs with stability control off. It is capable of post stall manouvers and recovers quickly from them. It is the best Aircraft in the game for engaging other Aircraft, and it is also good for taking out specific ground targets at high speed from a long range. It requires frequent resupplys however due to it carrying few weapons and burning a lot of fuel. Dodging IR missiles also takes great skill as the Afterburner creates a lot of IR emissions and can render flares useless.
Ifrit
A Multi-role fighter that is very versitile, carrying a lot of weapons of all types. The Ifrit is almost as fast and manvouerable as the Revoker, and features a stealthy design helping it avoid Radar. However, it still has a large IR footprint and that same design creates a lot of drag when the AoA is high, meaning recovery from manouvers can take several seconds. It can take out specific ground targets, and most Aircraft with ease, and it can score many kills before needing a resupply - but it is not good at sustained dogfighting and when engaging fighters should focus on one at a time, preferably from range.
Medusa
An Electronic Warfare Aircraft that fills a support role rather than being offensive. It can be equiped with targeted Radar Jammers and a Radar of its own. The former makes taking out SAMs a doddle and the latter provides your team with accurate locations of enemies. The Medusa also has a Laser and Anti-Radar missiles. The Laser can intercept most missiles from some distance, but is useless against anything else. Anti-Radar missiles are long range missiles that seek out Radars, allowing the Medusa to single handledly destroy the enemy's Air defences. It should avoid all close range engagements at all costs.
Darkreach
A Bomber that only carries... Bombs, and Cruise missiles, with no way of defending itself. It is fairly stealthy when it comes to Radar but has a large IR emission. The Darkreach can easily destroy an entire base by itself, but it will be destroyed by enemy Aircraft without support. It should engage from range or very high altitudes and cannot defend itself against Aircraft.
Targeting
All Aircraft have the same targeting system that is based on opitical sensors and radar. Anything currently detected by your team appears on the map and HUD. You can select targets by clicking on them on the map, or looking at them and using a keybind. The map also allows you to set target filters so you can only select targets that match the filter. Selected targets appear on a monitor in the cockpit showing a onboard camera view pointing at your targets. If you select several targets, the camera points to the middle of the group.
All weapons then automatically lock to selected targets. That doesn't mean you can fire. Weapons have an envelope of range, angle, and sometimes speed, all of which must be met to hit the target. You can use either a ring or range ladder view - the ring surrounds your crosshair and becomes complete and green when within the envelope. The ladder shows a graph with the max, ideal, and minimum range of your current weapon, as well as where the target is on that spectrum. You will also be displayed prompts in both modes like - OUT OF ARC (not pointing at target), TOO CLOSE, OUT OF RANGE, TOO SLOW, and SHOOT (in envelope). Don't blindly pull the trigger when you see SHOOT, as it doesn't consider terrain or anything else that might be between you and your target. When you do fire, you automatically fire once per target. So if you pick 5 targets, you'll shoot 5 times. For larger bombs you may want to only select one target to avoid this.
Damage
Aircraft damage is most comparable to the car physics simulator/sandbox, BeamNG drive. The developer has pubically stated that he was inspired by it. Aircraft are made up of many parts that are attachted to eachother, each have their own physics which combine to control the whole Aircraft, and each can be damaged and even seperated from the rest. You have a HUD and usually a cockpit display showing these parts and their current health. You also have engine gauges in the cockpit that gives you more information on the effects of damage to the engines - if the engine is damaged, the gauges turn yellow and your maximum thrust is reduced. If it is damaged enough it will catch fire, and eventually fail - you will hear a warning about this. Damage to other parts usually results in altered flying behaviour, such as uncommanded pitching/yawing/rolling.
Stability Assist
All traditional (Not-VTOL) Aircraft have stability assist. This assist manages things like Pitch Trimming (which cannot be done manually) and crosswinds. Generally, with it on, when well above stall speed and not making any inputs the Aircraft will maintain its current attitude. With it off, you often find yourself needing to pitch up to stay level.
It also maintains a certain AoA
Notes
- 06/11/2024 - Page populated.