Nex Machina

Last updated

Nex Machina
Nex Machina logo.png
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
Release20 June 2017
Genre(s) Multi-directional shooter
Mode(s) Single-player, multiplayer

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.

Contents

Gameplay

A player fighting off enemies while trying to save a human. Destroyed enemies explode into voxels. Nex Machina gameplay screenshot.jpg
A player fighting off enemies while trying to save a human. Destroyed enemies explode into voxels.

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

Jarvis in 2016 Eugene Jarvis at CA Extreme 2016.jpg
Jarvis in 2016

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

Nex 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

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

Nex 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]

Related Research Articles

Shoot 'em ups are a sub-genre of action games. There is no consensus as to which design elements compose a shoot 'em up; some restrict the definition to games featuring spacecraft and certain types of character movement, while others allow a broader definition including characters on foot and a variety of perspectives.

An action game is a video game genre that emphasizes physical challenges, including hand–eye coordination and reaction time. The genre includes a large variety of sub-genres, such as fighting games, beat 'em ups, shooter games, rhythm games and platform games. Multiplayer online battle arena and some real-time strategy games are also considered action games.

<i>Robotron: 2084</i> 1982 video game

Robotron: 2084 is a multidirectional shooter developed by Eugene Jarvis and Larry DeMar of Vid Kidz and released in arcades by Williams Electronics in 1982. The game is set in the year 2084 in a fictional world where robots have turned against humans in a cybernetic revolt. The aim is to defeat endless waves of robots, rescue surviving humans, and earn as many points as possible.

<i>Smash TV</i> 1990 video game

Smash TV is a 1990 arcade video game created by Eugene Jarvis and Mark Turmell for Williams Electronics Games. It is a twin-stick shooter in the same vein as 1982's Robotron: 2084, which was also co-created by Jarvis. The Super Nintendo Entertainment System, Genesis, Master System, and Game Gear versions are titled Super Smash TV.

Blaster is a first-person rail shooter released as an arcade video game by Williams Electronics in 1983. It was developed by Eugene Jarvis and Larry DeMar. A vague sequel to Robotron: 2084, the game is a shoot 'em up set in outer space. The goal is to destroy enemies, avoid obstacles, and rescue astronauts in twenty levels, to reach paradise.

<i>Super Stardust HD</i> 2007 video game

Super Stardust HD is a downloadable multidirectional shooter released for the PlayStation 3 by Sony Interactive Entertainment, developed by the Finnish company Housemarque. In Asian regions, it is known as Star Strike HD. In 2015, a port for the PlayStation 4, called Super Stardust Ultra, was released. In 2016, Super Stardust Ultra VR, a PlayStation VR compatible version that contains Super Stardust Ultra, was released for the PlayStation 4. It is also available as paid downloadable content for Super Stardust Ultra.

<i>Madballs in Babo: Invasion</i> 2009 video game

Madballs in Babo: Invasion is an action video game developed by Canadian studio Playbrains. It was released on July 15, 2009 on Xbox Live Arcade and on September 17, 2009 for Microsoft Windows.

<i>Super Stardust Delta</i> 2012 video game

Super Stardust Delta is a twin-stick multidirectional shooter video game for the PlayStation Vita handheld console. It is part of the Stardust series of games developed by the Finnish company Housemarque.

Resogun is a shoot 'em up video game developed by Housemarque and published by Sony Computer Entertainment for the PlayStation 4. It was originally released in North America and PAL regions in November 2013, while ports for PlayStation 3 and PlayStation Vita developed by Climax Studios were released in December 2014. Resogun: Heroes, the first downloadable content (DLC), was released in North America on June 24, 2014, while the second DLC, Resogun: Defenders was released on February 17, 2015. Resogun draws heavily from the games Defender and Datastorm, and is considered the spiritual successor to Housemarque's previous shoot 'em up games Super Stardust HD and Super Stardust Delta.

<i>Luftrausers</i> 2014 video game

Luftrausers is a shoot 'em up video game developed by Netherlands-based indie developer studio Vlambeer and published by Devolver Digital for Microsoft Windows, OS X, Linux, PlayStation 3 and PlayStation Vita. It was released in March 2014 and ported to Android by General Arcade on May 28, 2015. A demake of the game, titled LuftrauserZ, was developed by Paul Koller for Commodore 64, Commodore 128 and Commodore 64 Games System, and released by RGCD and Vlambeer on December 8, 2017.

<i>Kero Blaster</i> 2014 video game

Kero Blaster is a platform video game created by Daisuke "Pixel" Amaya. It was released in 2014 for PC and iOS and is the first major project of Pixel since Cave Story in 2004. The game places a heavy emphasis on shooting and received positive reviews on both platforms. A short, free demo titled Pink Hour was made available a month before the full game's release. A short, free companion game and sequel to Pink Hour titled Pink Heaven was released in November 2015, coinciding with the new Kero Blaster update.

<i>Alienation</i> (video game) Shooter video game

Alienation is an action role-playing shooter video game developed by Housemarque and published by Sony Interactive Entertainment for the PlayStation 4. It was released in April 2016 worldwide. The game is an isometric twin-stick shooter in which one to four players defend themselves against an alien invasion on Earth through increasingly-difficult levels. Players can choose one of three character classes, each with its own abilities. Players can upgrade their weapons with collectables, known as upgrade cores.

<i>Gang Beasts</i> 2017 multiplayer beat em up party game

Gang Beasts is a beat 'em up party game developed and published by English indie studio Boneloaf. The title would originally be published by Double Fine Presents until May 2020 and self-published afterwards, while it would later be published in physical form by Skybound Games. The game released for Windows, macOS, Linux, and PlayStation 4 on 12 December 2017, following an early access period for the PC platforms that began in August 2014. It was also released on the Xbox One on 27 March 2019. A version for Nintendo Switch was released on 12 October 2021.

<i>Star Trek: Bridge Crew</i> 2017 video game

Star Trek: Bridge Crew is a virtual-reality action-adventure video game developed by Red Storm Entertainment and published by Ubisoft for Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 4, and Oculus Quest.

<i>Matterfall</i> 2017 video game

Matterfall is a 2017 side-scrolling shooter video game developed by Housemarque and published by Sony Interactive Entertainment. The game was released for the PlayStation 4 in August 2017. It received mixed reviews from critics.

<i>Tempest 4000</i> 2018 video game

Tempest 4000 is a shoot 'em up video game developed by Llamasoft and published by Atari, SA. It is a modern reimagining of the classic arcade game Tempest, which was released in 1981. In Tempest 4000, players control a spaceship and navigate through a series of increasingly challenging levels while fighting off waves of enemies. Tempest 4000 was released for Atari VCS, Playstation 4, Xbox One, Microsoft Windows and Nintendo Switch.

<i>Polybius</i> (2017 video game) 2017 shoot em up video game

Polybius is a 2017 shoot 'em up video game developed and published by Llamasoft. It was released in May 2017 for the PlayStation 4, with PlayStation VR support available. A version for Windows was released in December 2018. The game takes its name and inspiration from the fictitious 1981 arcade game Polybius. It is also inspired by games like TxK and aims to induce the psychological state of flow. It was positively received by critics.

<i>Atomega</i> Action shooter video game by Ubisoft

Atomega is an action shooter developed by Ubisoft Reflections and published by Ubisoft. The game was released for Microsoft Windows on September 19, 2017. The development team had previously developed Grow Home.

<i>Astebreed</i> 2014 video game

Astebreed is an action shoot 'em up 3D video game developed by Edelweiss and published by Playism for Microsoft Windows in May 2014, for PlayStation 4 in March 2015, and for the Nintendo Switch in November 2018.

<i>Returnal</i> 2021 video game

Returnal is a 2021 roguelike third-person shooter video game developed by Housemarque and published by Sony Interactive Entertainment. The game was released for the PlayStation 5 on 30 April 2021 and for Windows on 15 February 2023. It follows Selene Vassos, an astronaut who lands on the planet Atropos in search of the mysterious "White Shadow" signal and finds herself trapped in a time loop.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 McWhertor, Michael (7 December 2016). "Nex Machina is an explosive spiritual successor to Smash TV and Robotron". Polygon . Retrieved 26 February 2017.
  2. ↑ Matulef, Jeffrey (3 December 2016). "Housemarque and Eugene Jarvis reveal Nex Machina". Eurogamer . Retrieved 26 February 2017.
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 Souppouris, Aaron (3 December 2016). "The follow-up to 'Resogun' is a Hail Mary for arcade shooters". Engadget . Retrieved 26 February 2017.
  4. 1 2 3 4 5 Maxwell, Ben (March 2017). "Voxel Perfect". Edge . No. 303. Future Publishing. pp. 69–75. ISSN   1350-1593.
  5. ↑ Orry, James (14 March 2017). "Housemarque's Nex Machina is also coming to PC". VideoGamer.com. Retrieved 14 March 2017.
  6. ↑ Phillips, Tom (19 May 2017). "Housemarque and Eugene Jarvis' Nex Machina has a release date". Eurogamer . Retrieved 29 May 2017.
  7. ↑ "Nex Mechina: Death Machine for PC". Metacritic . CBS Interactive . Retrieved 30 March 2018.
  8. ↑ "Nex Mechina: Death Machine for PS4". Metacritic . CBS Interactive . Retrieved 30 March 2018.
  9. ↑ Devore, Jordan (23 June 2017). "Review: Nex Machina". Destructoid . Retrieved 30 March 2018.
  10. ↑ "Nex Machina". Edge . No. 309. Future. September 2017. pp. 104–106. ISSN   1350-1593.
  11. ↑ D'Aprile, Jason (21 June 2017). "Nex Machina Review". GameSpot . Retrieved 30 March 2018.
  12. ↑ Schilling, Chris (29 June 2017). "Nex Machina Review". PC Gamer . Retrieved 30 March 2017.
  13. ↑ "Nex Machina: Death Machine". www.metacritic.com. Retrieved 30 June 2024.
  14. ↑ Eurogamer staff (30 December 2017). "Eurogamer's Top 50 Games of 2017: 10-1". Eurogamer. Retrieved 30 December 2017.
  15. ↑ Gaito, Eri (13 November 2017). "Golden Joystick Awards 2017 Nominees". Best in Slot. Retrieved 8 January 2018.
  16. ↑ Carter, Chris (12 December 2017). "Nominees for Destructoid's Best PC Game of 2017". Destructoid . Retrieved 8 January 2018.
  17. ↑ "Best of 2017 Awards: Best Action Game". IGN . 20 December 2017. Retrieved 8 January 2018.
  18. ↑ 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.
  19. ↑ "The Finnish Game Awards 2018 Winners". Neogames. 24 April 2018. Retrieved 30 April 2018.
  20. ↑ MCV staff (21 May 2018). "Announcing the Develop Awards 2018 nominations shortlist". MCV . Retrieved 4 September 2018.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.