Nuclear Option

Buy96%

Overwhelmingly Positive · 11k player reviews · High confidence

Yes, worth buying.

Steam Deck Playable
  • Windows

Shockfront Studios · Flight · Oct 16, 2023

Player review score
96%
Overwhelmingly Positive
Price
$19.99
Playing right now
All-time peak
Not charted

Steam only charts its most-played games, and this one isn’t among them.

Achievements
0
total to unlock
Steam does not publish achievement rarity.
Languages
1
Full audio1 of 1
Subtitles1 of 1

Should I buy Nuclear Option?

Buy it if you like
  • Gameplay: 104 reviews raised it, mostly praise
  • Combat: 98 reviews raised it, mostly praise
  • Multiplayer: 54 reviews raised it, mostly praise
Think twice if you dislike
  • Interface: 17 reviews raised it, mostly criticism

Based on 11k player reviews · updated

What players think

The recurring themes across 300 analysed reviews: what players praise, what divides them, and what to know.

Why players love itThings to know
92% of themes are praise300 helpful reviews8% are complaints
Gameplay
Players who bring up Gameplay mostly praise it.
104 of 300 sampled reviews raised it
Meanwhile, NO is constantly expanding and is at a point that there is an aircraft for just about any role or playstyle in the current mission structure.
Combat
Players who bring up Combat mostly praise it.
98 of 300 sampled reviews raised it
(Written in March 2026) Nuclear Option fills a sweet spot that I've missed in combat flight sims since YS Flight had a burgeoning community.
Multiplayer
Players who bring up Multiplayer mostly praise it.
54 of 300 sampled reviews raised it
Optimization is the biggest issue: singleplayer can run smooth as butter, but multiplayer factors in each individual client, which can make even dedicated servers with only a handful of players run at 15-25fps.
Controls
Players who bring up Controls mostly praise it.
51 of 300 sampled reviews raised it
Controller already feels better and more comfy but, even tho I can fly perfectly in Ace Combat with a controller and in warthunder as well, I cannot make it work here.
Difficulty
Players who bring up Difficulty mostly praise it.
36 of 300 sampled reviews raised it
Overall, very fun game with a lot of nuance and a rewarding learning curve.
Graphics
Players who bring up Graphics mostly praise it.
30 of 300 sampled reviews raised it
Graphics and sound design are fantastic, and the soundtrack is top of its class.

+5 more players loved

Theme by theme

Scored on what reviews say about each topic, not the thumbs.

Players love
Gameplay104 reviews
Combat98 reviews
Multiplayer54 reviews
Controls51 reviews
Difficulty36 reviews
Graphics30 reviews
Co-op17 reviews
Optimization16 reviews
Audio16 reviews
Performance13 reviews
Servers and matchmaking9 reviews
Divided opinion

No themes split opinion in this sample.

Players complain
Interface
94% still recommend

What you get

Can you play it alone, does a controller work, does it run on your machine.

Play modes

  • Co-op
  • Multi-player
  • Online Co-op
  • Online PvP
  • PvP
  • Single-player

Controller

  • DualSense Controller Support
  • DualShock Controller Support
  • Partial Controller Support

Store features

  • #category_playable_at_your_own_pace
  • Color Alternatives
  • Custom Volume Controls
  • Family Sharing
  • Includes level editor
  • Playable without Timed Input
  • Steam Workshop

Platforms

  • Windows

Valve device support

Steam DeckPlayable
SteamOSPlayable
Steam MachinePlayable

Should I buy it now?

Based on Steam price history.

Full price
$19.99

We haven't seen it on sale yet.

2 points recordedtoday · $19.99