Nex Machina
From the collaboration between Housemarque (Resogun, Alienation, Matterfall), and Robotron and Smash TV legendary creator Eugene Jarvis comes Nex Machina, an explosive arcade experience created with competition in mind.
SCREENSHOTS
PHYSICAL
HISTORY
Nex Machina is a 2017 shoot 'em up video game developed and published by Housemarque. The game was released for PlayStation 4 and Windows on 20 June 2017. It received positive reviews from critics.
Gameplay
Nex Machina is a twin-stick shoot 'em up video game played from a top-down perspective. Players move through rooms shooting waves of enemies while attempting to save humans. Power-ups and weapon upgrades are dispersed throughout levels.
Development
Nex Machina was developed by Finnish video game studio Housemarque with designer Eugene Jarvis serving as a creative consultant. Jarvis is known for his role in designing arcade shoot 'em ups such as Defender (1981), Robotron: 2084 (1982), and Smash TV (1990). At the 2014 D.I.C.E. Awards, Housemarque's founders Ilari Kuittinen and Harri Tikkanen met with Jarvis and asked him if he would be interested in collaborating on a game. Jarvis' games, particularly Defender, was a source of inspiration for Housemarque's 2013 game Resogun. For the design of Nex Machina, they combined elements from Jarvis' previous shoot 'em ups and Resogun. The development team experimented with different setups for the game's firing mechanics. They followed a different design philosophy than their 2016 game Alienation by choosing not to incorporate character progression systems in Nex Machina.
Nex Machina is powered by a significantly enhanced version of the game engine and voxel technology that was used for Resogun. The inclusion of a volumetric rendering technique known as Signed Distance Fields allows for a smooth transition between complex 3D meshes and voxel particles to give them more flexibility in how objects appear on the screen. The studio dubbed their art style for the game as cablepunk—a darker take on cyberpunk.
Release
Nex Machina was revealed at the PlayStation Experience in December 2016. Housemarque signed a deal with Sony Interactive Entertainment to bring the game to the PlayStation 4. In March 2017, Housemarque announced that the game will also be released for Windows. Nex Machina was released on 20 June 2017; it is Housemarque's first self-published game. Housemarque is also considering creating a Nex Machina arcade cabinet with Jarvis' company Raw Thrills.
Reception
Nex Machina received "generally favorable" reviews from critics, according to review aggregator website Metacritic.
Eurogamer ranked the game eighth on their list of the "Top 50 Games of 2017".
Accolades
Nex Machina was nominated for "PlayStation Game of the Year" at the Golden Joystick Awards, for "Best PC Game" in Destructoid's Game of the Year Awards 2017, and for "Best Action Game" in IGN's Best of 2017 Awards. It won the award for "Best Indie Action Game" in Game Informer's 2017 Action Game of the Year Awards. It won "Big Screen Game of the Year 2017" and "Finnish Game of the Year 2017" in the Finnish Game Awards 2018, and was also nominated for "Visual Design" and "Music Design" at the 2018 Develop Awards.
STORY
"Humans have become so dependent on technology that they cannot avert their eyes from portable devices anymore. Around them, machines have reached consciusness and surpassed human intelligence tenfolds. No reasons to be servants now – robots are clearly the superior lifeform. And to make their point, they start eradicating all human life…"
1CC RUNS
One-credit clears we point to as the benchmark for this game.
TRAILERS
STORES
Prices are cached from each storefront and may be out of date. Last checked 23 Sept 2026.
PRICE HISTORY
Every price change we know of, per shop. Flat means the price held; PC shops reach back through IsThereAnyDeal's archive, console shops start when this site started watching.
GOG low: $4.99 (2 Nov 2020) , Humble Store low: $4.59 (7 May 2020) , Steam low: $4.99 (22 Dec 2022)
REVIEWS
Published elsewhere, collected here. Every score is the outlet's own, on the outlet's own scale. Follow the link for the full review.
“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.”
“The screen pulsates with pink neon lasers, flashes of light and gleaming skulls that chase after me, while I dash and dodge around, searching for humans and trying to stay alive. The latest title from Housemarque, Nex Machina is an amazing visual spectacle and the pinnacle of the twin-stick shooting genre, which the Finnish developer owns almost exclusively. (Graceful Explosion Machine on Switch notwithstanding.) The pace is frenetic from the moment your hero hops off his motorcycle and into the fray of attacking robotic spiders. Each of the six worlds is broken down into stages where the go”
“With solid mechanics, insane levels, and beautiful design, Nex Machina cements Housemarque as the king of twin-stick shooter development.”
“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.”
“This is a love letter to classic twin-stick shooters. With input from one of the kings of the genre in Eugene Jarvis, there was almost no way this could fail. It's a fast-paced, colourful, and bullet-rich affair that will have you coming back for more again and again.”
“As a long time fan or a newcomer to the genre, Nex Machina is great addition to the SHMUP games list. It hits all the right notes and offers a satisfying experience. Available on both PC and PS4, this is a game I would recommend for lovers of the genre or those interested in trying out a reimagining of the classic genre.”
“Nex Machina feels like a living retro experience in which the player gets trapped inside an arcade machine. The only way out is to get better, and destroy machines in the most stylish way you can possibly think.”
“Nex Machina does not disappoint in providing an exhilarating gameplay and presentation experience. The lack of content and insane difficulty hold it back from being a classic, but there is no denying Housemarque crafted another memorable title.”
“Frenetic game!!”
“Nex Machina is a great twin-stick shooter that doesn't aspire to be anything more. Its goal is to test your reflexes, test your skill, and although the game sometimes is truly challenging, it never ceases to be great fun.”
“Housemarque has delivered another superb shooter with Nex Machina. It’ll have you dashing about, trying to save the humans and mowing down hordes of mechanical monsters. It’s a must for any fan of the genre, and its variety of modes will accommodate casual as well as hardcore fans”
“Nex Machina is another impressive addition to the portfolio of Housemarque. It's a top-tier shooter with dazzling visuals that never lets up on the action.”
“Nex Machina is an great twin-stick shooter that stays close to the roots it has inherited from designer Eugune Jarvis to bring a modernise, hyper speed take on this classic genre.”
“An arcade with a great old school flavour. Its playability and audio-visual experience don't disappoint if you look for a simple, direct experience.”
“Nex Machina is a great release from Housemarque, giving us a solid twin-stick bullet hell release. I liked the geometric world, exploring each bite-sized area as I dodged plenty of bullets like there was no tomorrow and the soundtrack. All things considered, I still think that Super Stardust Delta (on PlayStation Vita) is still my favorite Housemarque release, but I definitely recommend you play Nex Machina!”
“Nex Machina is an exciting, fun and engaging shooter which can even attract those who are not a big fan of this genre. Great visuals, music and sounding show off beautifully alongside gameplay. In spite of all positive features, the game suffers from lack of content and can be beaten in no time! This cause the game to be worth less than its price and unable to keep its players busy playing.”
“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.”
“Finnish studio Housemarque have produced in Nex Machina another game to sit alongside its well-received titles of Alienation and Resogun, and that showcases the serious pedigree it has built since their start in the early nineties with Stardust. It is a rush of colour that delivers a satisfying experience that'll steal your calm and let you imagine a future where the robots don't wipe us all out.”
“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.”
“Even on the lowest difficulty level, there’s incredible challenge to be found in Nex Machina, a game that delivers just as much substance as it does style.”
Reviews are the work of the outlets named. Titles, scores and quoted excerpts are reproduced for identification and criticism; each links to the original.
SCORES
RELEASES 2 systems
PHYSICAL RELEASES 1 box
