Nex Machina is a 2017 shoot 'em up video game developed and published by Housemarque. The game was released for PlayStation 4 and Windows on 20 June 2017. It received positive reviews from critics.
| Nex Machina | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Developer(s) | Housemarque |
| Publisher(s) | Housemarque |
| Director(s) | Harry Krueger |
| Producer(s) | Jari Kantomaa |
| Programmer(s) | Tero Tarkiainen |
| Artist(s) | Mikko Sinisalo |
| Composer(s) | Ari Pulkkinen |
| Platform(s) | PlayStation 4, Windows |
| Release | 20 June 2017 |
| Genre(s) | Multi-directional shooter |
| Mode(s) | Single-player, multiplayer |
Gameplay
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Nex Machina is a twin-stick shoot 'em up video game played from a top-down perspective.[1][2] Players move through rooms shooting waves of enemies while attempting to save humans.[1] Power-ups and weapon upgrades are dispersed throughout levels.[1]
Development
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Nex Machina was developed by Finnish video game studio Housemarque with designer Eugene Jarvis serving as a creative consultant.[3][1] Jarvis is known for his role in designing arcade shoot 'em ups such as Defender (1981), Robotron: 2084 (1982), and Smash TV (1990).[1] At the 2014 D.I.C.E. Awards, Housemarque's founders Ilari Kuittinen and Harri Tikkanen met with Jarvis and asked him if he would be interested in collaborating on a game.[3] Jarvis' games, particularly Defender, was a source of inspiration for Housemarque's 2013 game Resogun.[4] For the design of Nex Machina, they combined elements from Jarvis' previous shoot 'em ups and Resogun.[3][1] The development team experimented with different setups for the game's firing mechanics.[4] They followed a different design philosophy than their 2016 game Alienation by choosing not to incorporate character progression systems in Nex Machina.[4]
Nex Machina is powered by a significantly enhanced version of the game engine and voxel technology that was used for Resogun.[4][3] The inclusion of a volumetric rendering technique known as Signed Distance Fields allows for a smooth transition between complex 3D meshes and voxel particles to give them more flexibility in how objects appear on the screen.[4] The studio dubbed their art style for the game as cablepunk—a darker take on cyberpunk.[3]
Release
editNex Machina was revealed at the PlayStation Experience in December 2016.[1] Housemarque signed a deal with Sony Interactive Entertainment to bring the game to the PlayStation 4.[3] In March 2017, Housemarque announced that the game will also be released for Windows.[5] Nex Machina was released on 20 June 2017;[6] it is Housemarque's first self-published game.[3] Housemarque is also considering creating a Nex Machina arcade cabinet with Jarvis' company Raw Thrills.[3]
Reception
edit| Aggregator | Score |
|---|---|
| Metacritic | (PC) 84/100[7] (PS4) 88/100[8] |
| Publication | Score |
|---|---|
| Destructoid | 9.5/10[9] |
| Edge | 9/10 [10] |
| GameSpot | 9/10[11] |
| PC Gamer (US) | 89/100[12] |
Nex Machina received "generally favorable" reviews from critics, according to review aggregator website Metacritic.[13]
Eurogamer ranked the game eighth on their list of the "Top 50 Games of 2017".[14]
Accolades
editNex Machina was nominated for "PlayStation Game of the Year" at the Golden Joystick Awards,[15] for "Best PC Game" in Destructoid's Game of the Year Awards 2017,[16] and for "Best Action Game" in IGN's Best of 2017 Awards.[17] It won the award for "Best Indie Action Game" in Game Informer's 2017 Action Game of the Year Awards.[18] It won "Big Screen Game of the Year 2017" and "Finnish Game of the Year 2017" in the Finnish Game Awards 2018,[19] and was also nominated for "Visual Design" and "Music Design" at the 2018 Develop Awards.[20]
References
edit- ^ a b c d e f g McWhertor, Michael (7 December 2016). "Nex Machina is an explosive spiritual successor to Smash TV and Robotron". Polygon. Retrieved 26 February 2017.
- ^ Matulef, Jeffrey (3 December 2016). "Housemarque and Eugene Jarvis reveal Nex Machina". Eurogamer. Retrieved 26 February 2017.
- ^ a b c d e f g h Souppouris, Aaron (3 December 2016). "The follow-up to 'Resogun' is a Hail Mary for arcade shooters". Engadget. Retrieved 26 February 2017.
- ^ a b c d e Maxwell, Ben (March 2017). "Voxel Perfect". Edge. No. 303. Future Publishing. pp. 69–75. ISSN 1350-1593.
- ^ Orry, James (14 March 2017). "Housemarque's Nex Machina is also coming to PC". VideoGamer.com. Retrieved 14 March 2017.
- ^ Phillips, Tom (19 May 2017). "Housemarque and Eugene Jarvis' Nex Machina has a release date". Eurogamer. Retrieved 29 May 2017.
- ^ "Nex Mechina: Death Machine for PC". Metacritic. CBS Interactive. Retrieved 30 March 2018.
- ^ "Nex Mechina: Death Machine for PS4". Metacritic. CBS Interactive. Retrieved 30 March 2018.
- ^ Devore, Jordan (23 June 2017). "Review: Nex Machina". Destructoid. Retrieved 30 March 2018.
- ^ "Nex Machina". Edge. No. 309. Future. September 2017. pp. 104–106. ISSN 1350-1593.
- ^ D'Aprile, Jason (21 June 2017). "Nex Machina Review". GameSpot. Retrieved 30 March 2018.
- ^ Schilling, Chris (29 June 2017). "Nex Machina Review". PC Gamer. Retrieved 30 March 2017.
- ^ "Nex Machina: Death Machine". www.metacritic.com. Retrieved 30 June 2024.
- ^ Eurogamer staff (30 December 2017). "Eurogamer's Top 50 Games of 2017: 10-1". Eurogamer. Retrieved 30 December 2017.
- ^ Gaito, Eri (13 November 2017). "Golden Joystick Awards 2017 Nominees". Best in Slot. Retrieved 8 January 2018.
- ^ Carter, Chris (12 December 2017). "Nominees for Destructoid's Best PC Game of 2017". Destructoid. Retrieved 8 January 2018.
- ^ "Best of 2017 Awards: Best Action Game". IGN. 20 December 2017. Retrieved 8 January 2018.
- ^ Miller, Matt (5 January 2018). "2017 Action Game Of The Year Awards (Page 3)". Game Informer. Archived from the original on 6 January 2018. Retrieved 8 January 2018.
- ^ "The Finnish Game Awards 2018 Winners". Neogames. 24 April 2018. Retrieved 30 April 2018.
- ^ MCV staff (21 May 2018). "Announcing the Develop Awards 2018 nominations shortlist". MCV. Retrieved 4 September 2018.