Nex Machina

When Nex Machina was revealed, and I got to try it, during the PlayStation Experience last December, the feeling at the Resogun was very evident, even if the game is very different. The "cylindrical" structure of the PS4 launch shooter gives way, in this new title, to an isometric view that releases the shot at 360 degrees. If you think about it, Resogun was an atypical DS Shooter, because you could only shoot "straight for straight". With Nex Machina, however, we return to scatter bullets in any direction, exactly as in Geometry Wars and other great exponents of the genre. Starting with Robotron 2084, which gave birth to the genre in 1982. And which is not mentioned at random, since for the realization of Nex Machina Housemarque it made use of the collaboration of Eugene Jarvis, the author of Robotron.

In short, the premises were all excellent. And they all resulted in what we hoped for: Nex Machina is the heir of Resogun that we expected. A sequel that is not a sequel, which is perhaps even better, because we have that same arcade spirit again, that same level of challenge, that same longevity (potentially infinite, at the expense of a quantity of content that is anything but remarkable) and that same aesthetic pleasure, in a game that is at the same time also different from its spiritual predecessor.

Nex Machina presents itself in a fairly spartan way, with a simple main menu that leads to the few modes present: Arcade, Arena, Single World and Local Co-op. All with the same 5 +1 game worlds in common. Each world is in turn divided into fifteen normal levels (plus a handful of secret stages to discover), the last of which hosts the battle with a boss. If in Arcade mode you need to play all the worlds in a row (as long as you survive) to record your score, in the other modes you only face one world at a time. Single World is useful for learning and studying a certain set of levels, while Arena is the mode in which you test yourself with seasonal challenges that propose additional rules to those of normal play (faster enemies, time limits and things of this type).

It is not, as we said, a great deal of content, especially if we compare Nex Machina with the current Resogun, which has become a giant in terms of modality, thanks to the free updates and paid DLC that arrived in the months following its Exit. But if we compare the two games on day one, Nex Machina perhaps even manages to win, in terms of content proposed, thanks to the Arena mode and its seasonal challenges, which carry a fair sense of progress. Each challenge successfully completed, in fact, earns coins that you can then spend to change the appearance of the character, the color of the bullets, the image of the player and other things like that.

There is no doubt, however, that the hope of seeing, even for Nex Machina, a support similar to that which benefited Resogun, must be absolutely cultivated. Because even the new Housemarque game deserves a lot. The base, in fact, is fantastic, and already alone can keep the most avid players busy for whole weeks, if not months.

The best from back then

The game principle remains as essential as the story: In a dystopian future, machines gained their own consciousness and then decided to simply wipe out all of humanity - Terminator sends his regards.

Each of the six levels consists of several mini-areas, in which we have to clear all the machines in order to advance to the next section. The more people we save in the meantime, the better for our high score. At the end of the level there is an elaborately staged, multi-level boss fight.

With launches and rescue operations, we gradually increase our point multiplier, which is always reset as soon as we are devoured by the robot horde. Co-op fans can also go machine hunting with a buddy, with both players sharing a screen. However, only locally , an online mode is missing.

Little scope for a lot of fun

Nex Machina throws us into a succession of tight arenas in which we are constantly under pressure. This means that we have to take a lot of risk and cut tracks in the opposing masses that are chasing us in the small sections. Fixed guns, which chase their wide-ranging bullet-hell projectiles over the map in simple patterns, further restrict the freedom of movement.

Fortunately, Nex Machina can be controlled very precisely, and the well-known twinstick mechanics look more fine-tuned than ever before. Moving and shooting at the same time works intuitively, and even risky maneuvers are possible without any problems, provided we have cleared a safe path through the enemies beforehand.

At the push of a button, a sprint can also be carried out, which makes us jump a small piece invulnerable through the level. Otherwise impenetrable enemy blocks or laser obstacles are no longer a problem for a moment.

Even if we don't think we have to emphasize it, we do it anyway: Be sure to use a gamepad for Nex Machina. It is not without reason that the Twinstick controls conjure up the spirit of old arcade machines, on which we shot our way through the levels with joysticks. Chasing through Nex Machina with the mouse and keyboard may be similarly efficient with a little practice, but lets an essential part of the game feel fizzle out.

Bullet Hell multitasking

If you really want to penetrate the higher highscore regions, you have to search for the mini-levels in addition to the struggle for survival in addition to secrets . These can be hidden people, access to secret areas or special opponents who have to be destroyed under time pressure.

The catch with these explorations is that these secrets have to be cracked before the last enemy blesses time. As soon as that happens, we automatically jump to the next level. Professionals then complete the overall levels in record time to secure additional bonuses.

The collectable power-ups that are hidden in boxes are helpful. Anyone who pays attention to painting them in can, on the one hand, look forward to passive improvements such as increased weapon spread or a shield and, on the other hand, special weapons such as rocket launchers and bombs, which we can actively use alongside the primary weapon to prevent particularly tough opponents from harvesting people. Here Nex Machina requires additional skill in strategically collecting the power-ups - sometimes it is wiser to avoid the rocket launcher and stick with the super laser.

Beautiful frustration

Nex Machina can be merciless and frustrating, because when the multiplier is reset by a stupid mistake, the complete highscore run is usually in the bucket. Thanks to the five fairly balanced difficulty levels, there is in principle the right challenge for every type of player, but that does not change anything when a perfect run has come to an end by then.

And so we kept catching ourselves restarting the same level umpteen times as soon as we thought we had to bite the grass too early. For each game mode and selected level of difficulty, Nex Machina offers its own online ranking lists.

To just end the game and bring the final boss to his knees, it only takes four to five hours of play - a perfect run should be feasible in less than 30 minutes. But the emphasis is on perfect: Nex Machina reveals its true scope if we carefully plan the next attempt to sprint through the levels as quickly and efficiently as possible without endangering the precious multiplier.

Nex Machina does not become boring because every action by the player is rewarded with impressive and satisfying audiovisual effects.

However, the neon flashes and voxel explosions cannot hide the poor art design of Nex Machina. Alienation's enemies and game world already seemed generic, which didn't get any better with Nex Machina's retrofuturistic look.

And individualizing your own character with outfits, ammunition colors and helmets is only half as much fun if the character remains interchangeable anyway. But who wants to hunt items when it can also be a new high score?