Nex Machina: Death Machine

 PlayStation 4
User Score
8.0

Generally favorable reviews- based on 164 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 126 out of 164
  2. Mixed: 17 out of 164
  3. Negative: 21 out of 164

Review this game

  1. Your Score
    0 out of 10
    Rate this:
    • 10
    • 9
    • 8
    • 7
    • 6
    • 5
    • 4
    • 3
    • 2
    • 1
    • 0
    • 0
  1. Submit
  2. Check Spelling
view
per page
  1. KDMCollectables
    Feb 7, 2018
    9
    Barnstormer of a game - it ebs and flows and whilst can look chaotic to an outsider, when you pick-up that controller you are immersed. There is nothing better than co-op mode bedlam, the manic, psychedelic game-play draws you into a trance-like state where the game-play you produce and moments of "wowza" achieved as you traverse a difficult section where enemies are closing in and yourBarnstormer of a game - it ebs and flows and whilst can look chaotic to an outsider, when you pick-up that controller you are immersed. There is nothing better than co-op mode bedlam, the manic, psychedelic game-play draws you into a trance-like state where the game-play you produce and moments of "wowza" achieved as you traverse a difficult section where enemies are closing in and your last human needs saving will leave you breathless. Has had some seriously play, graphically beautiful, a brilliant flow, short ... but very, VERY sweet! As close as a 9 rating can get to 10 without quite hitting that perfect score (where could it have gained that final ping - i'd say it could have been a touch longer, or maybe a slightly larger level layout with smaller passages leading to larger rooms ? Either way, it's a damned good game this one)!… Expand
  2. GBG_Jason
    Sep 28, 2017
    10
    If there’s an arcade genre that has stood the test of time as fun, it’s the twin-stick shooter. You know the games: Robotron, Smash TV, Asteroids. While developer Housemarque has been creating THE twin-stick shooter experiences since the 90s, it wasn’t until the HD version of Super Stardust that people really started to take note. While they’ve put out some other fantastic games likeIf there’s an arcade genre that has stood the test of time as fun, it’s the twin-stick shooter. You know the games: Robotron, Smash TV, Asteroids. While developer Housemarque has been creating THE twin-stick shooter experiences since the 90s, it wasn’t until the HD version of Super Stardust that people really started to take note. While they’ve put out some other fantastic games like Outland and Dead Nation, the next game that really took the genre to the next level was Resogun. Housemarque is here to redefine the genre once again.

    Nex Machina was created with Eugene Jarvis as a creative consultant. If that name means nothing to you, note that he worked on several of the aforementioned titles, in addition to the likes of NARC, Total Carnage, and the Cruis’n series. Put simply, it’s hard to think of someone more attuned to the nature of arcade games. Pairing him with Housemarque is a dream come true.

    The game at first glance is strikingly beautiful, with an enhanced engine that was used for Resogun. While both are great looking games, Nex Machina stands well above the other. From the set pieces to the character models, and even the explosions of voxels, everything here is improved. Saving the humans is back, which creates a sense of urgency in each room as you introduce the enemies to your arsenal weapons. Of course, saving them is optional, but as is typically the case with an arcade game, you’re playing for the high score, and every little bit counts.

    In addition to the normal movement and shooting you’d expect, you also have secondary weapons in the form of pickups and a dash button. Dashing allows for movement without being damaged, which is useful as one hit will kill you unless you have a shield. And with a seemingly endless supply of enemies in certain rooms, on top of the near bullet-hell type gameplay, that dash is necessary for avoiding death. In addition to the shield that you can pick up, you will also find enhancements to your bullet spread, rocket launchers, swords, bombs, lasers and more.

    The difficulties are steep, although they are certainly fair. If you absolutely need to beat the game, but really struggle with deaths, the easiest difficulty has an unlimited amount of continues. The normal difficulty offers 99, while the hard only provides 10. Of course, beating the game without any is an option as well, but that will take the most dedicated of players. If you die in a room, you can learn from your past mistakes, as the AI will play out in a similar manner. Naturally, the way you approach it will change the way they interact. And humans are always top priority depending on the enemy, so you may want to take advantage of them being distracted before picking up the squishy life-forms.

    In addition to the obvious objectives of humans, killing all the enemies including the level’s boss, and not dying, there are many secrets to discover. And with the sheer amount of things going on in each room of the levels, they are easy to miss. You’ll be playing levels over and over to find everything the developers have hidden, and quite honestly, I wouldn’t have it any other way. It provides more reason to go back to previously played levels other than beating your friends’ high scores, which is already plenty of reason in a game like this.

    Speaking of friends, if you have someone you like to play things with, this offers local co-op. If you think the screen is insane by yourself, just add a whole other person shooting bullets to the mix. Note that the co-op is limited to local, and it’s really no wonder as any amount of lag could lead to disastrous results. Even with a solid internet connection there are hiccups, and honestly, most people don’t have their systems hardwired to a high speed connection. It’s awesome that the option is available, and smart that they stuck with the couch.

    While the arcade mode is the game’s obvious focus, there’s also an arena mode that will task the player with beating levels under different conditions. Think of games that add certain handicaps while expecting you to still beat it. You will find many challenges in the trophy list, and they add so much to an already content rich game.

    The only thing left to sweeten the deal is the music. Ari Pulkkinen lays down some very heavy, trance like beats, which is par for the course with him. While it is what you’d expect, it doesn’t make the soundtrack any less mesmerizing.

    As always, Housemarque delivers with a game that is not only simple, but fun beyond compare. It’s rare that a developer is able to create new IPs that are consistently described as something that you’ll be addicted to the moment you play them, but that is undoubtedly the case here. Nex Machina is sitting at the top of my list for not only Housemarque games, but PS4 titles available right now. Strap in, get your thumbs ready, and make some voxels go boom.    … Expand
  3. Snyx
    May 23, 2018
    9
    The moment you hit that Start button you're off to the races. Everything about this game screams arcade. Whether it's the the vibrant colored bullett hell, the bleeping sounds or the fantastic soundtrack - this game will entrance you while you're shooting and dashing your way through countless enemies and stages.
  4. JugularVein
    Jun 3, 2018
    10
    If you have any intrest at all in this genre, you should give this game a try. Im not a game criticer or anything but what i can say is i dont remember having this much fun at any game i've ever played in my life. This game is perfect in my opinion.
  5. Wander22
    Feb 17, 2019
    8
    Gameplay/Mechanics: 8.5
    Sound/Music: 8.5
    Graphics/Art: 8
    Story/Atmosphere: 7.5
    OVERALL: 8.1/10
  6. HTGamer
    Mar 5, 2019
    8
    Nex Machina is another excellent game from Housemarque, the masters of the modern arcade games genre. In designing Nex Machina, they have collaborated with the legendary Eugene Jarvis (creator of such arcade classics as Defender and Robotron: 2084).

    Nex Machina is a hardcore twin-stick shooter with bullet hell elements. Even at the easiest difficulty, prepare for lots of deaths. It    Nex Machina is another excellent game from Housemarque, the masters of the modern arcade games genre. In designing Nex Machina, they have collaborated with the legendary Eugene Jarvis (creator of such arcade classics as Defender and Robotron: 2084).

    Nex Machina is a hardcore twin-stick shooter with bullet hell elements. Even at the easiest difficulty, prepare for lots of deaths. It features 6 worlds, each split into mini-stages which have to be cleared before facing a boss. If you lose a life you have to replay the same level (not the world), with all enemies and humans respawning. There is the "save the humans" mechanic granting bonus points and multipliers for those chasing high scores. Other than the arcade mode and single world mode, there are a few challenges and local co-op, but sadly there is nothing else. Nex Machina's arcade mode is masterfully crafted, but the lack of additional modes hurts the game's longevity.

    On the technical side, Nex Machina utilizes the same voxel graphics technology from Resogun, where enemies and parts of the scenery can be destroyed into small cubes. The soundtrack is terrific, as well as the sound FX.

    Nex Machina is a great arcade game but unfortunately it's the last of its kind made from Housemarque. They have abandoned the arcade genre due to poor sales of their games despite them being well-reviewed, in favor of making a Battle Royale game. If you are a fan of arcade twin-stick shooters, you have to play Nex Machina and check Housemarque's catalogue of arcade games.    … Expand
  7. FriedConsole
    Jun 25, 2017
    8
    I really like this game a lot. Beautiful and fun. However it doesn't really do that much new. More awesome Housemarque gameplay we have seen before. Feels a bit pricey at $20 for the content but I keep playing it trying to get a better score.
  8. endisni
    Jul 18, 2017
    10
    As a Geometry Wars fan, this was on my radar. I played it a while and the graphics are much better than Alienation for me. I came back to it, and my gosh is it good. So much variety, so much to do. This is amazing, the music is well worth mentioning too. But it's the gameplay that keeps me coming back time and again. Perfection personified.
  9. SS_Talon
    Jul 1, 2017
    9
    If you loved RESOGUN, you have to get this game. It's a fast-paced shooter with dazzling graphics, tight controls, and a killer soundtrack! The arcade campaign is short, but it's GREAT fun - lots of replay value. The developer, Housemarque, has created an outstanding game! My only complaint is that there isn't online co-op play, just local co-op.
  10. paulc8888
    Sep 9, 2017
    10
    As intense and well put together as Resogun. 10/10. The more you play this game the more you get out of it. A bargain for only 17 quid. I would have paid 5 times that.
  11. BITESCREEN
    Jun 21, 2017
    8
    Der hypnotische Twin-Stick-Shooter Resogun war das vielleicht stärkste PS4-Launch-Game – und mit Nex Machina legt Entwickler Housemarque beeindruckend nach: Mit nicht viel mehr als zwei Daumen geht es als armkanoniger Mega Man in der Draufsicht gegen schier endlose Alienwellen. Sind alle Invasoren platt – und idealerweise alle optionalen Menschen gerettet – transportiert uns ein flirrenderDer hypnotische Twin-Stick-Shooter Resogun war das vielleicht stärkste PS4-Launch-Game – und mit Nex Machina legt Entwickler Housemarque beeindruckend nach: Mit nicht viel mehr als zwei Daumen geht es als armkanoniger Mega Man in der Draufsicht gegen schier endlose Alienwellen. Sind alle Invasoren platt – und idealerweise alle optionalen Menschen gerettet – transportiert uns ein flirrender Funkenregen in den nächsten Teilabschnitt. Nach jeweils 15 davon wartet ein fetter Boss, der dank Continue-Funktion nie frustriert – dann allerdings stehen die Punkte auf Null. Wollen Pros aber den perfekten Run, helfen Power-ups, Schilde und Dashs, während Kombos den Punktestand hochtreiben. Ist die Luft raus, erhöht der lokale Zwei-Spieler-Koop-Modus locker den Wiederspielwert. On top brennt in Nex Machina ein voxeliges Effektfeuerwerk, dass die PlayStation-Prozessoren glühen. Als Kind hat man über die Epilepsiewarnung vor Videospielen gelacht – jetzt sollte man sie wieder ernst nehmen.… Expand
  12. Stenka
    Jun 22, 2017
    10
    Pura adrenalina, un arcade de los de la vieja escuela muy muy frenético con una banda sonora electrónica muy cañera y unos efectos impecables, si te gustó Furi / Resogun este es un imprescindible.
  13. Blueskymotion
    Jun 20, 2017
    9
    This is an incredible arcade shooter. Resogun is already a great arcade shooter bust with Nex Machina Housemarque sets a new level. It's so fun to play and I promise you: If you are into such kind of games then you'll be hooked. ; )
  14. destinyfan1
    Jun 20, 2017
    9
    Nex machina is an incredible game , the action , graphics
    If your a fan of the genre you should definitely buy this game , even people who hate the genre , no even people who poop on the genre should play this game
    Honestly this was one of the best experiences i had in 2017 The reason that I am not giving it a 10 is because its pretty short, I am almost at the end of the game before I    Nex machina is an incredible game , the action , graphics
    If your a fan of the genre you should definitely buy this game , even people who hate the genre , no even people who poop on the genre should play this game
    Honestly this was one of the best experiences i had in 2017
    The reason that I am not giving it a 10 is because its pretty short, I am almost at the end of the game before I knew it( still need to play a little bit)
    Buy this game or else I will buy it for you    … Expand
  15. Paulo-Lameiras
    Jun 22, 2017
    9
    Amazing game, brilliant pacing, fantastic graphics and it's as hard as a game like this deserves to be. The lack of online coop in a game like this is almost a crime, though! 9/10 (10/10 if it had online coop).
  16. Siontis
    Jun 20, 2017
    10
    Nex is a pure arcade experience, the latest Housemarque gem. No frame rate drops or stutters while playing on my C-chassis base Ps4, explosive fast paced action, typical Housemarque mechanics, beautiful colours, responsive controls and much more!
    Absolutely recommended!
  17. CraigEchols
    Jun 20, 2017
    9
    An ode to the old arcade style games, Nex Machina is a reminder you don't need to be a AAA title or have an insane amount of features to be a blast. Simple yet challenging, linear yet in-depth, its a raging time for anyone who simply wants to jump into the action and get to the point. Like many older games, the unfortunate part of the game is the short length and for that, it does getAn ode to the old arcade style games, Nex Machina is a reminder you don't need to be a AAA title or have an insane amount of features to be a blast. Simple yet challenging, linear yet in-depth, its a raging time for anyone who simply wants to jump into the action and get to the point. Like many older games, the unfortunate part of the game is the short length and for that, it does get dinged a point. However, given that it is an arcade style game, the replay value is high because you aren't going for a specific story, you are going for the highest score and most efficient win.

    This is a fun title for the price tag and is an awesome game in itself if not at least an awesome time killer game. If you like the typical arcade style top down shooters, nostalgia, or just like to get to the point of shooting and blowing up things, this is a must own game.    … Expand
  18. r0x-
    Jun 20, 2017
    10
    crazy fun experience. As an older gamer, this title bring back some good nostalgic feelings with modern graphics. loads of features and tight controls. The non stop action and smooth game play makes this a must buy. A solid arcade experience. Has a bit of a smash TV feel to it. absolutely love this game. Highly recommended.
  19. XxX-jesus-XxX
    Jun 20, 2017
    10
    This is one hell of a game it take every thing we play back in the arcade area. It has lots of good nostalgic memories like smash tv or other bullet hell shooter and this take the the cake of glory.
  20. Bravo514
    Jun 21, 2017
    10
    This game is pure arcade goodness. It's fast paced and oh so crispy. It'll keep you on the edge of your seat as you chase that new high score. It maintains a classic feels while washing your eyes in orgasmic color schemes. A lot of fun.
  21. ty92
    Mar 20, 2020
    9
    This is such a great game. My only problem is some of the lasers are hard to see. I just started playing but so far I love it. I will update this review when Im done. Note: Im playing on easy and it's starting to get hard.
  22. Skeleton9
    Mar 17, 2020
    10
    Fabulous tribute to Eugene Jarvis and Robotron 2084, a game of utterly spellbinding visuals, incredibly smooth gameplay, and pure fun. Everything about it is all so polished, complete and glorious, you can see they really went out to work with Eugene to create some kind of peak-level experience for a twin-stick arcade blast-up; even the music is sublime. I watched the documentary "The NameFabulous tribute to Eugene Jarvis and Robotron 2084, a game of utterly spellbinding visuals, incredibly smooth gameplay, and pure fun. Everything about it is all so polished, complete and glorious, you can see they really went out to work with Eugene to create some kind of peak-level experience for a twin-stick arcade blast-up; even the music is sublime. I watched the documentary "The Name of The Game" which was utterly fascinating and made me appreciate Housemarque even more; what a story. This game is a straight 10 for me, it's absolutely marvellous and just massively entertaining and enjoyable in so many ways.… Expand
  23. VegetaQuinn
    May 20, 2022
    8
    A fun twin stick shooter...very fast paced and very enjoyable. When it is on sale...a decent buy.

Awards & Rankings

7
#7 Best PS4 Game of 2017
92
#92 Most Discussed PS4 Game of 2017
57
#57 Most Shared PS4 Game of 2017

Critic Reviews

All reviews »
Metascore
88

Generally favorable reviews - based on 47 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 46 out of 47
  2. Mixed: 1 out of 47
  3. Negative: 0 out of 47
  1. Playstation Official Magazine Australia
    Feb 8, 2018
    80
    Nex Machina is Jarvis’ Robotron retuned, but when those revisions are a rock solid 60fps, swirling voxel storms, and an array of play-extending modes, it’s hard to shoot it down. [September 2017, p78]
  2. CD-Action
    Sep 25, 2017
    90
    A twin-stick shooter elevated to an art form. [09/2017, p.74]
  3. Games.cz
    Aug 25, 2017
    80
    A great shooter that doesn’t push the boundaries of the genre and it won’t bring new players, but it is more or less a must-have for the fans of the genre.
    Read full review
See all critic reviews »