Matterfall Reviews
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.
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 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.
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 a fluid, frenetic, explosively colourful arcade shooter sure to satisfy both casual players and high-score chasers.
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
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
Anyone who misses the glory days of Metroid should really give Matterfall a closer look.
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.
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 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
Housemarque widens its lens with a take on 90s run and gunners, resulting in an enjoyably chaotic if overly slight adventure.
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
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 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
Very good-looking and enjoyable with is nervous, but easy to understand, gameplay, Matterfall fells great but doesn't offer so much to do and ends too quickly. But if you're a scoring addict, it's definitely for you.
Review in French | Read full review
Matterfall is a game filled with ideas and mechanics that seem fine on their own, but contradict and conflict with each other when added together. The experience is so short and stifled, that even with some enjoyable moments along the way, it's hard to recommend.
Effectful and entertaining arcade genre mix, which loses its charm quickly because of its very small scale and little replay value.
Review in German | Read full review
While I have to tip my hat to Housemarque for trying something different, Matterfall feels more like a side project than a proper release in the developer's esteemed lineage of twin-stick shooters. The controls lack the same level of slick polish, the main experience is short, and there's little to keep you coming back.
For me, as great and occasionally teeth grindingly frustrating an experience that Matterfall was, it was a one and done experience and I have no desire to come back to the game in its current state.