Graceful Explosion Machine Reviews

Graceful Explosion Machine is ranked in the 71st percentile of games scored on OpenCritic.
Apr 11, 2017

All in all, Graceful Explosion Machine does what it advertises, offers a fun arcade shooter experience, with a significant amount of replay value after you finish your first go round with the game. The vibrant colors and the background music, along with the simplistic yet deep controls, make for a fun experience on and off the road. Graceful Explosion Machine is definitely a must have for your Nintendo Switch.

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90 / 100
Apr 10, 2017

Graceful Explosion Machine is the perfect arcade style shooter, and one of the best Switch games available right now. Its fluid, addictive gameplay and flashy yet minimal visuals pair well with a variety of challenging enemies, and it’s great for sessions lasting for a few minutes or a couple hours.

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9 / 10
Apr 6, 2017

Overall, Graceful Explosion Machine is a masterful example of how to do an arcade shooter right. Eye-catching visuals and extremely fine-tuned gameplay combine to make this a memorable and compelling experience for anybody looking to get into a faster paced, action focused game. That being said, there is a minor element of repetitiveness which never goes away entirely; the selling point comes not from the amount of levels, but from how many times you'll be playing each one.We give Graceful Explosion Machine a very strong recommendation, all told; considering the amount of polish and replayability on offer, this is quite the bang for your buck.

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Digitally Downloaded
Matt C.
Top Critic
Aug 30, 2017

Graceful Explosion Machine is simple, pure arcade fun, with a level of polish and attention to detail in the design that's rarely seen. It's the sort of game that you can pick up for a quick 5 minute session, and then find yourself still playing hours later.

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9 / 10
Apr 5, 2017

Graceful Explosion Machine basks in its gloriously vibrant neon bullet hell, delivering a joyously chaotic experience that will often have you panicked but is unendingly gratifying as you destroy the enemies that surround you.

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90 / 100
Apr 11, 2017

A great video game that delivers on style and gameplay, has broad appeal, and it's available at a great price - What more do you want? These types of games are perfect for portable, on the go play sessions and it looks wonderful on the big screen TV as well. If you have a Nintendo Switch, buy this game. If you don’t have a Switch, put it on your wishlist for when it arrives on a console near you.

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88 / 100
Aug 11, 2017

There are graphics that pop with color, and an entrancing techno soundtrack that just keeps pulling you into the frenzy.

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9 / 10
Oct 5, 2017

Graceful Explosion Machine is a fast-paced and action-packed release that is highly addictive. You'll end up returning over and over again to each level as you first aim to get A grades in all of them before you move up to getting an S rank on them from near-perfect start-to-finish runs in each level, building up massive combos as you avoid being hit by enemies. There's plenty of content here and a nice variety of enemies to make this one an easy game to recommend on PS4.

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8.5 / 10.0
Apr 6, 2017

undefined.Graceful Explosion Machine is an intelligently designed 2D shooter for the Switch. The developers obviously put a lot of thought into the weapon and high score systems and made a title that you’ll want to replay over and over. The Nintendo Switch may still have a low number of retail releases, but Graceful Explosion Machine is another indie title that will keep you enthralled on both the go and at home.

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8.5 / 10.0
Apr 9, 2017

To me that's what fascinates and has surprised me about GEM, it has somehow has created a serene experience for more casual players while providing the means for maximum intensity for the people who'll chase scores. Aside from people who dislike shooters entirely I don't see where the game has any downside. Graceful Explosion Machine has both style and challenge to spare, and at its low cost of entry it is very easy to recommend to casual and intense gamers alike.

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85%
Aug 7, 2017

Graceful Explosion Machine is a lot of fun on PS4. The game has that addictive "one more go" factor, and the graphics are so beautiful and well polished that you'll be in the zone as you play. I think it's deifnitely a game worth your time, and money, so kudos to Vertex Pop for a solid indie release!

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8.5 / 10.0
Dec 10, 2018

In short, this game is something I think people can really enjoy. It's not a graphical powerhouse but what it lacks in the graphics department it definitely makes up for in the mechanics and gameplay. The overall difficulty to the game does tend to lend itself to the gamers looking for a challenge as it starts out feeling quite on the easier side building up to sometimes the frustratingly hard side of things (but truly in a fun way). Too many games with difficulty like this get a stigma about them. I find that when you beat a level that you've been trying multiple times to get past, one of the most rewarding feelings in gaming. Without this difficulty type, that feeling of accomplishment really isn't possible.

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85 / 100
Aug 8, 2017

Graceful Explosion Machine is an excellent 2D shooter with clever ideas with a lot of near-death experiences, once you’re hooked you will not want to stop. The action is straightforward and combined with Graceful Explosion Machine's smart enemy design and weapons each level like an intense adrenaline rush.

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4.1 / 5.0
Apr 17, 2017

Graceful Explosion Machine is arguably the go-to arcade game that every Switch owner should definitely consider buying. It mixes pleasing visuals with great gameplay to make it one of the best arcade shooters I've played. You can beat the four worlds in around four hours, but you will find yourself playing these over and over again as you chase down those high scores!

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IGN
Top Critic
8 / 10.0
Apr 11, 2017

Graceful Explosion Machine builds an intense, addictive shoot-em-up around a satisfying weapon-juggling system and smart enemies. The Switch’s HD Rumble adds a unique feeling to every explosion in this colorful shooter, and earning a good spot on the leaderboard is an intense challenge thanks to dense swarms of enemies. But even when a pesky foe slapped down my scoring run, I always had the urge to jump back into these crowded corridors and try again.

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8 / 10.0
Apr 6, 2017

Graceful Explosion Machine is a little, smart and funny shoot'em up that perfectly suits the Switch hybrid nature.

Review in Italian | Read full review

8 / 10.0
Aug 7, 2017

Graceful Explosion Machine is a must play for arcade shooters with its precision gameplay, accessibility, and presentation.

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8 / 10.0
Apr 6, 2017

The first Canadian-made game for Switch – a simple, colourful space shooter – delivers a bit of bite-sized bliss

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8 / 10
Aug 7, 2017

Graceful Explosion Machine is a gorgeous and innovative take on a now ancient genre of arcade shooter. The weapon system brings an element of combo juggling to the combat and challenge runs are addictive and, crucially, not too punishing. Simply put, this is another top-notch PS4 shmup.

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80 / 100
Jul 30, 2017

Graceful Explosion Machine is a small but great arcade shooter that proves to be fun and addictive.

Review in Spanish | Read full review