Verdict
Nex Machina vs. Matterfall: Which Shooter Should You Buy?
Ultimately, both Nex Machina and Matterfall are quality titles that are going to entertain with Housemarque’s signature intense twin-stick shooter gameplay. Which one you pick up will likely depend on what you’re looking for. Nex Machina is a streamlined culmination of everything the developer does best, and as a total package, it stands tall as one of the very best games they’ve ever made. Matterfall is a bold, inventive mash-up that is a unique spin on the genre, and though it doesn’t quite achieve everything it sets out to, you won’t find anything else like it on PS4.
Our main gripe with Matterfall is that it feels a little rushed and incomplete next to Housemarque’s other games. Its gameplay only comes together sporadically. When it does, Matterfall has you dialed in, rocking along to its funky beat. The issue, though, is that there just isn’t enough to get you into the groove for long enough. If there was more depth to its content and more polish to how its blend of genres translates to actual control input, Matterfall would have been better. But where Nex Machina feels like it constantly maintains or exceeds the developer’s high benchmark, Matterfall only realizes it in brief flashes.
In the end, Nex Machina’s addictive gameplay will likely ensure a long-term spot in your PS4 library, while Matterfall provides an entertaining but brief distraction.
