Matterfall Reviews
Matterfall is the first notable failure in Housemarque's career. There is not even a bright and technological graphics, which studio is famous for. This is faded, boring, artificially prolonged game with a bad save system and stupid enemies. Of course, you can spend three hours of your life on it, but it's better to just skip this project and pay attention to one of the much more attractive summer hits.
Review in Russian | Read full review
Nowhere close to the arcade perfection of Resogun or Nex Machina, this undercooked action platformer lacks the precise controls and instant appeal of its stablemates.
Matterfall is a great side-scrolling shooter with addictive gameplay and worthy challenge. If you love these type of games or, at least, the previous works of Housemarque, then you will love it.
Review in Spanish | Read full review
Housemarque widens its lens with a take on 90s run and gunners, resulting in an enjoyably chaotic if overly slight adventure.
Matterfall is a nostalgic rievocation of Nineties' coin-ops. It's an hybrid shooter, that combines side-scrolling with flying sections and platforming. It throws the player into the gameplay without premises, making him to survive among aliens, robots and bullet-hell levels. Its challenging gameplay will be a great thing for every person who lived the last coin-op era, but also modern gamers may have the will to try it.
Review in Italian | Read full review
Matterfall has a variety of pleasant gameplay ideas and a good technical side, even if it remains a platform-shooter with no great inspiration.
Review in Italian | Read full review
Matterfall is a challenging game with simple controls and stylish combat. While some sections are more frustrating than others, it'll keep daring you to come back and try to beat it once and for all.
Anyone who misses the glory days of Metroid should really give Matterfall a closer look.
Fast'n fun; that is how Matterfall works. An interesting videogame that takes back the 16 bits - Gunstar Heroes style with metroidvania elements and offers a hard (but also short) experience based on ability and patience.
Review in Spanish | Read full review
Matterfall brings back retro gameplay mechanics in a futurist set. However, it doen not bring anything new and becomes a little bit repetitive due to this.
Review in Spanish | Read full review
Matterfall is a fluid, frenetic, explosively colourful arcade shooter sure to satisfy both casual players and high-score chasers.
MatterFall is crammed with interesting mechanics and there's something really lovable about its Metroid-meets-Contra-meets-Bullet-Hell style. It's just a shame that the levels aren't memorable enough or the enemies distinctive enough to make it another retro-arcade great. Throw in boss battles that go on way too long, and it's a solid shooter that will please enthusiasts, but not quite up there with Resogun or Nex Machina.
Matterfall is the kind of game Housemarque does best – easy to learn, but a little harder to master. Achievement hunters will find themselves speedrunning and shooting through for the high score points, while other players will have loads of fun with the zero-G and Matter mechanics. Matterfall's quick and frantic gameplay won't be for everyone, but for those who really dig sci-fi and shooters, it is definitely a must-get.
There's no question Housemarque once again gets its own brand of chaos spot on, and you're going to love what they've got in store for you this time.
Matterfall is perhaps the least essential Housemarque title in the PlayStation 4's catalogue, but it's still a cut above the majority of the competition.
Matterfall succeeds in adapting Housemarque's trademark style of fast, action-packed, arcadey action to the 2D platformer genre, but it feels like a puzzle half solved. There's virtually no content here after you finish its exceptionally short campaign, outside of some harder difficulty modes and a global leaderboard to climb, and its level design isn't well-suited for replay value. It's a ton of fun while it lasts, but once it's over it's hard to not be left with a feeling of “Is that it?”
There's not much to Matterfall, but there doesn't need to be. Once again, Housemarque has made a tight little game with polished mechanics that's sure to delight.
Matterfall is a great shooter and will give you many hours of entertainment if you like chasing high scores and challenging gameplay. However, it does feel like a slight let down after Nex Machina and is the least essential of all the Housemarque games on PlayStation 4. That said, the least essential Housemarque game is still better than most games you will find on the console, so it's still recommended.
Occasionally cumbersome controls and a generic sci-fi aesthetic do little to deter from a tight, addictive and explosive shooter.
Matterfall's not the best game Housemarque will release in 2017 – but then, the virtually flawless Nex Machina was always going to be a tough act to follow. There's a lot to like about this side-scroller's pulsating platforming levels, and when it all comes together you'll feel like you're on top of the world. An unorthodox control scheme means that it's not the most accessible game, but once you slip into a rhythm it feels right. Unfortunately, it can be hard to stay in the groove, and while those looking for a challenge will undoubtedly relish the practice required to master this menacing sci-fi affair, it will put others off.