With all the twin stick shooters out there very few do it right. Most are bogged down by bad level design, bad controls, and boring gameplay. Luckily there are some that come out of the genre with their heads held high. Nex Machina: Death Machine brought to us by Housemarque is one of these.
The Game:
Nex Machina is a twin stick shooter mixed with a bullet hell game. You play through six levels blowing up baddies, saving humans, and finding secrets. There are power ups for your main weapon that can add a spread, extend the distance, and up the damage of your main weapon. You can also find secondary weapons like a sword or a rocket launcher in green boxes throughout the game. You don't have any ammo so there is no limit to the number of bullets you lay down. You also have the ability to dash, which you need to use liberally.The game is very fast passed and will move you along to the next section of the level just as soon as you finish the area you are in. Each level comes with a boss that test your reflexes (and your liberal use of the English language). Dying will result in you dropping a weapon and the section will reset. Losing all of your lives will result in you needing to use a continue and you will drop all items you are holding.
The game offers an arcade mode, level select, an online challenge mode, and a local co-op. There is a plethora of achievement and secrets in each level adding to the replayability. Not to mention this game is all about your score, the better you do, the better your score and the point of this game is to get that score.
My Thoughts:
This game is beautiful. When I originally bought it I thought I could run it on my Surface Pro because you really don't expect a twin stick arcade game to be graphically intense. I was wrong but the wait to install it on my home rig was worth it. Every bullet fired, every enemy explosion, every piece of terrain destroyed is eye candy. Sometimes a little too distracting in that you will lose track of a bullet you need to dodge in the particles but the experience is rewarding.The devs claim this game takes influence from old school games like Smash TV and they are right. While it looks like a mindless onslaught of enemies in which you mindlessly aim at, it is actually a carefully coordinated dance testing your reflexes and moment by moment planning. The first time I died and the level reset, also dissolving my score, I was a little frustrated. I was very frustrated. That was until I understood what this game was. It was a game to be practiced.
If you ever play some of the older games, Metal Slug being my favorite example, you find that even though they are short there is a "perfect way" to complete each level. Performing this takes time, patience, and a lot of practice. Each time you get better you feel the reward, you feel the improvement, and it drives you to the next level. This is the type of game with low floors and high ceiling that I love to play. It's easy to enter and slog through your first play through with infinite lives but the true reward comes from the mastery at harder difficulties.
The online arena is a good way of showing you the bar that you need to get to and I look forward to the couch co-op. Just need one of those friend things or a robot. Looking at you Japan. This game could benefit from an online co-op.
I think the game really brings it all together with the boss fights. These are your class A big baddies with set patterns and move that keep your pulse high and palms sweaty. The gradual increase in enemy mechanics and attacks are also a welcome challenge while you work your way to the main events. I enjoyed the action and I would like more. Six levels are good but I would love another 6.
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