Nex Machina

[ratsoalbion]

Hey hey, the new one from the team who made Resogun and Eugene Jarvis (of Robotron/Defender fame) is out for PS4/PC tomorrow.

I have been playing it for a few days and I declare it to be... AWESOME.


Please check out my (hastily written) review:
https://caneandrinse.com/nex-machina/

GameRankings:
http://www.gamerankings.com/ps4/202532- ... index.html

[KSubzero1000]

This has been on my radar for quite some time, simply thanks to Resogun. Glad to see such a positive reception!

[dezm0nd]

Purchased the PS4 version today! I'm a bit rubbish at Housemarque games but this one looked too good to pass up.

[Alex79]

Nice, it looks excellent and the review only got me more interested. I'll be picking this up when I can for sure.

[Michiel K]

After last week's deep dive into Robotron 2084 I was hungry for more Eugene Jarvis-directed droid killing insanity. Leon's glowing recommendations also nudged me into buying this one while it's still fresh.

I just did a first run on Rookie. Made it to world 2-10 where I lost one life after another and left a score of nearly 7 mil. I'll return tonight with more focus!

Love the dash feature and that you have to decide when to use it, because of the cooldown. You can't just dash around all willy nilly. It really adds something, that split second decision making.

Rescuing humans is forgiving, since the 'hulks' take their sweet time to kill them when they reach them.

And you get the handy red trajectory when a human is in danger.

Sub weapons and power ups are cool as well.

Rookie definitely has a welcoming level of difficulty.

The onslaught of grunts, coupled with laser beams and danmaku-light bullet patterns enforces nifty feats of postioning and clever use of the dash/triple dash feature.

I like!

EDIT: I'm also realising that what really sets this game apart from many other TS Arena shooters is just how much thought seems to have gone into the stage designs

[Combine Hunter]

Any chance this will come to Switch? I only ask, because these score chasers are perfect "on the move" games.

[Alex79]

I'm sure I read it was coming to Vita, though I could be wrong.

EDIT: Can't find a source for that, so it does look like I'm remembering wrong!

[James]

Dead Nation, Alienation, Super Stardust and Resogun were all Sony published, so only appeared on PlayStation platforms. This is all Housemarque though (hence the Steam version), so it's entirely up to them. Probably hit them up on Twitter and let them know you'd be up for a Switch version, Josh.

I imagine their lack of familiarity with the platform might be an issue, but I'd love to see it on Switch too.

[ratsoalbion]

No idea how well the Switch handles voxels, although they ported Resogun to PS3 and Vita so it shouldn't be beyond them.

Just by the by, and this is a personal preference, but I will never concur with the 'games like this are better as portable' thing.

I need as distraction and movement free an environment to play games like this to a decent standard (even in the arcades I preferred secluded cabs with minimum hubbub around me), and preferably a larger screen!

As cool as TxK on the Vita is, I'm still bummed that we never got the PS4 version.

[Michiel K]

Yeah, I don't think I could focus as much as I'd need to on a handheld, playing a game like this. I remember the trouble I had with Bangai-O Spirits on the DS and concentrating on what was going on in the game.

[ratsoalbion]

It might be an age thing Michiel!

[Michiel K]

LOL, who knows?

[James]

Just by the by, and this is a personal preference, but I will never concur with the 'games like this are better as portable' thing.

My Burnout Paradise "it's better to have the option" antennae were tingling; thought I'd best come take a look.

[ratsoalbion]

Aye, and if Nex Machina does come to Switch, you bet yer ass I'm gonna buy it!

[dezm0nd]

Been loving this, so glad I bought it on PS4. It has however sparked off a fascination with Housemarque and i'm worried it'll cost me time and money I don't have!

If anyone see's any of their stuff going cheap (PSN sale, probably) then give us a shout. I've got Resogun and Outland but i'm really intrigued by the "Nation" games.

[hazeredmist]

No idea how well the Switch handles voxels, although they ported Resogun to PS3 and Vita so it shouldn't be beyond them.

Just by the by, and this is a personal preference, but I will never concur with the 'games like this are better as portable' thing.

I need as distraction and movement free an environment to play games like this to a decent standard (even in the arcades I preferred secluded cabs with minimum hubbub around me), and preferably a larger screen!

As cool as TxK on the Vita is, I'm still bummed that we never got the PS4 version.

Interesting. I agree the other way on this, but I think it's down to your situation as much as it is choice. I haven't even played Alienation yet, and I love Housemarque games - if it was on Vita I'd have smashed a few hours out of it, guaranteed. I adore TxK, but haven't even contemplated a PS4 version.

I think the main thing behind the 'games like this are better as portable' thing is largely due to the pick-up-and-play in small chunks for a quick score chase nature, and when most are sitting down to a home console, it's going to be the 'bigger' games you're more likely to play. I absolutely love Resogun but I've definitely played the Vita version a lot more as a direct result of these factors. When I fire up the PS4 it's usually something meatier I'm gonna play, with a narrative or multiplayer element, to make the most of the time I guess. I have more opportunities to play in shorter bursts on handhelds, which is why they are far better suited to the genre for me. My home console (eg. when I get time to sit and have the TV to myself and I'm not exhausted) gaming time is (I presume) a LOT more limited than yours, so I kinda have to be choosier between the two, therefore you could also argue we're almost in different demographics.

[ratsoalbion]

Well, there's no way for us to know who has more gaming time. I mean I probably do, but bear in mind that the majority of it is for Cane and Rinse so it's less common that I simply pick and choose what I want to play whenever I want.

Also, I don't have kids but I do have a part-time day job, a small business and a partner - as well as a host of other hobbies and social groups - plus managing and running Cane and Rinse takes up about a full time job's worth of time in itself (playing time aside) - so I'm not certain that I have as much gaming time as you might imagine.

I think it's more down to taste in terms of what one considers priority; I simply don't consider narrative driven or multiplayer games to be more important (or more fun) than score-chasing.

I enjoy the latter every bit as much - probably more in some ways. In fact I consider score-chasing a far meatier and more rewarding challenge than rattling through the latest story driven action adventure.

I've played through dozens of once and done type types of games on PS4, and multiplayer fads have come and gone, meanwhile I still play 2013 launch title Resogun as often as I can, still learning its intricacies and honing my muscle memory.

Playing it on Switch (or Vita) might be useful for keeping my hand in, but my serious score attack sessions would likely still be done in my comfy chair, with a full size controller and screen and with as few distractions as possible!

I see what you're saying though, and it is a case of horses for courses, no doubt.

[hazeredmist]

Aye, that was more what I was trying to illustrate really, why the other side does make sense for other sets of circumstances. It doesn't mean score attack games are any less important (I love them, I just love them in different situations!) than narrative games or whatever, I'm definitely not suggesting that, it's just I'm going to get more out of a ten minute session on Super Stardust Ultra than Breath of the Wild.

Also apologies for being presumptuous RE gaming time, it really isn't for me to make assumptions on your time, the presumption is more me feeling like I have less time than I've ever had right now for frankly anything be it games or other hobbies, which is through choices I've made as an adult and therefore I shouldn't moan about (it's not just about kids, its work, family stuff, other things etc), and I shouldn't compare that to others - we are all different and have our own struggles / are juggling priorities. I do moan sometimes since I'm human and of course miss having more gaming time! The balance will come back once things have settled down in my life I'm sure

[ratsoalbion]

Oh, no need to apologise, I know that feeling very well.

Making extended gaming time more justifiable was part of the reason I got into podcasting in the first place.

[dezm0nd]

Managed a run through on Rookie without using a continue! Quite proud of myself. :smug: