The Best Game of June 2017: Nex Machina
Read the Review!
Staff Writer Tom Hopkins: With Resogun and Super Stardust, Housemarque already confirmed themselves to be masters of the twin-stick shooter genre, but Nex Machina is up there with their best work. Its striking visuals bathe the screen in neon light as you battle through the chaos, destroying robots and saving humans. It uses the strengths of the developer’s prior titles to create a modern take on the bullet hell shooter of old.
The Arcade Mode is short but infinitely replayable. It sees you play through the game’s five themed worlds (each made up of 15 smaller levels), taking out robots and attempting to set the highest score you can. Saving humans and staying alive increases your multiplier and helps you set high scores and climb the leaderboards. Comparing your score with friends and others around the world prompts you to jump straight back in and try to improve.
The level design ensures that the gameplay is challenging, yet it never feels unfair. You’re given the powers to overcome the hoards and take advantage of the space in every world. The additional powers and weapons at your disposal add depth to the stellar gameplay, offering alternate ways to complete levels. The gameplay is tight, smooth, and compelling, and is among the best of Housemarque’s works.
That does it for our June 2017 Game of the Month. Congratulations to Nex Machina! What do you think were the best games from last month? Let us know in the comments.
