Screenshots & trailers
Review sentiment over time
Weekly positive-review rate (green) and review volume (bars). Dashed lines mark significant patches; the amber line is the start of the current scoring window. Hover the dots to see what drove a dip or a jump.
How this score was computed
The VGC Score is a weighted blend on a press-comparable 0-100 quality scale. Steam approval rates are first calibrated (95% positive on Steam ≈ 89.5 quality, since Steam approval skews high). Press and tracked creator reviews each count ~2x a player review and share one cap against player evidence (creator buy/skip calls pool into an approval rate, calibrated like Steam approval); all-time sentiment is capped and halved (it's context, not verdict); reviews of the current build carry the most weight when a fresh patch anchors the window; and a 'typical game' prior keeps small samples from pegging the scale. Because press reviews and Metacritic user aggregates describe the launch build, their weight decays as the game ages (3-year half-life after a 1-year grace). That's how a game that launched rough can outgrow its old reception once updates win players over. Reviews under 2h playtime (the refund window), non-Steam activations, and free copies are downweighted.
| Component | Positive | Quality (0-100) | Weight (pseudo-reviews) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Press reviews (OpenCritic) | – | 86 | 26 |
| Creator reviews (2 tracked) | – | 92 | 1 |
| All-time Steam reviews | 87% | 81 | 1000 |
| Metacritic user ratings | – | – | 0 |
| Post-patch Steam reviews (trust-weighted) | 57% | 58 | 2 |
| Calibration prior (typical game) | – | 72 | 50 |
Scoring window: last 30 days (no significant patch detected) · 6 reviews sampled · 4 total reviews in window · weighted 2 up / 1.5 down · computed 2h ago · full methodology →
Press & Creators reviews (84)
Individual verdicts from outlets we track: scored reviews first, most trusted outlets first among them. The small badge is each outlet's trust score: how well its scoring history aligns with players.
- 80
“Nex Machina is a bright and engrossing game with multiple difficulty modes, great weapons and various mechanics and enemies. But it is lacking online co-op and diversity in the presented modes.”
read full review ↗ - 80
“Housemarque proved once again that they are great at making arcade shooters. Nex Machina is such a great successor to Resogun that it's hard to put it aside, certainly not before you get all the achievements.”
read full review ↗ - 100
“Nex Machina encapsulates everything that’s great about arcade games in a single package. Both easy to pick up and play and with incredible depth for those who crave for being at the top of the leaderboards.”
read full review ↗ - 50
“However, to call Jarvis's 1982 title Robotron: 2084 an inspiration is an understatement: Nex Machina is almost a duplicate, a modernization of a game that came out nearly three and a half decades ago. And while technology has significantly advanced in that period, so too have player expectations. Nex Machina doesn't deliver anything but a particle effect smorgasbord and little else.”
read full review ↗ - 70
“While it’s an enjoyable experience for a short time, it doesn’t really have the staying power to make the player play more than a few rounds at the same. It’s a good game but missing something.”
read full review ↗ - 100
“Nex Machina hits all the right notes with its modern twist on a classic gaming experience. Inspired by games like Robotron 2084 and Smash TV, Nex Machina combines the best elements of prior twin-stick shooters with impressive sci-fi visuals, an adrenaline pumping electronic soundtrack, tough as nails boss encounters, and a perpetual desire to play "just one more level." I dare say that Nex Machina is one of the best twin-stick shooters money can buy and one of 2017's finest games.”
read full review ↗ - 80
“A highly intense arcade shoot-fest, the combination of the talent at Housemarque and the expertise of Robotron and Smash TV creator Eugene Jarvis has come together to deliver another exemplary title in the Finnish developer's catalogue. The faster paced gameplay and tighter areas over that of previous game Alienation pile the pressure on, whilst the strategic edge of trying to keep score multipliers going for as long as possible adds another layer to the bullet mayhem on show. One or two extra levels and online co-op really would have iced the Nex Machina cake, but either way, this is not to be missed by any shoot 'em up fan.”
read full review ↗ - 90
“Nex Machina is everything that an arcade game should be: addictive and accessible yet bursting with hidden depth. Housemarque continues to be the master of the dual-joystick shooter with a sublime effort that harks back to the coin-op glory days of yesteryear. This is a near-perfect complement to the ridiculously good Resogun, and deserves to find a place among your PS4's hard drive space.”
read full review ↗ - 95
“I have always been a massive fan of Super Stardust HD, but I never thought Housemarque would be able to reach those dizzying heights again. I was wrong. Nex Machina takes all that was good about SSHD and turns the dial up, making this game my new favorite Housemarque game and one that I urge each and every one of your to go out and buy. Be warned however, it's going to make your thumbs sore.”
read full review ↗ - 90
“Nex Machina is a winner. The game balances exploration in each stage with the threat of massive hordes of various enemies bearing down at you from all sides, and it maintains the fun that comes from relentless action. Though you're essentially only shooting, it never feels tired due to the level variety. Score hunters will have a blast going after each challenge and their respective leaderboards, all while taking in the voxel overload as things explode. Action fans of all types owe it to themselves to check out Nex Machina.”
read full review ↗ - 90
“It's a monumental pain in the ass at times and is perhaps too much of an onslaught for the less experienced in the genre (our advice is to start out on rookie. You'd be surprised how big of a leap it is to 'experienced'), but for those who are after a game where you can take on the world in a variety of modes (MUST. COMPLETE. FEATS. BOARD.), there's no reason at all why Nex Machina shouldn't be the top of your list.”
read full review ↗ - 100
GameMAG
3DNews
Hu3br
Paste Magazine
Kinglink Reviews
Total Gaming Network
Cubed3
Push Square
ZTGD
Worth Playing
FingerGuns
Eurogamer…and 72 more tracked reviews.
Patch history
- December Feats UpdateDec 4, 2017
- December Feats UpdateDec 4, 2017
- August Challenge Update + Hungarian languageAug 25, 2017
- August Challenge Update + Hungarian languageAug 25, 2017
- Audio and replay issues fixedJul 17, 2017
- Audio and replay issues fixedJul 17, 2017
- BIG Update - Gameplay balancing + bug fixes + start up crash fixesJul 6, 2017significant · resets scoring window
- BIG Update - Gameplay balancing + bug fixes + start up crash fixesJul 6, 2017significant · resets scoring window
- Support for older CPUs added!Jul 3, 2017significant · resets scoring window
- Patch v1.04 0035.005 (hotfix 3)Jun 29, 2017
- Patch v1.04 0035.005 (hotfix 3)Jun 29, 2017
- Patch v1.04 0032.005 (hotfix 2)Jun 23, 2017
- Patch v1.04 0032.005 (hotfix 2)Jun 23, 2017