When comparing Nex Machina vs Cyberpunk 2077, the Slant community recommends Nex Machina for most people. In the question“What are the best Cyberpunk games on Steam?” Nex Machina is ranked 10th while Cyberpunk 2077 is ranked 11th. The most important reason people chose Nex Machina is:
Since you only have a short window to dodge hazardous laser beams on the field and maneuver your character around swarms of enemies, it's great that the controls are tight and accurate. You can pull off dodges and risky swerves to save a human NPC with ease as long as you master the angles and timing. With a challenging game like this, you don't need to worry about input lag getting in the way of more aggressive playstyles.
Specs
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Pros
Pro Responsive controls
Since you only have a short window to dodge hazardous laser beams on the field and maneuver your character around swarms of enemies, it's great that the controls are tight and accurate. You can pull off dodges and risky swerves to save a human NPC with ease as long as you master the angles and timing. With a challenging game like this, you don't need to worry about input lag getting in the way of more aggressive playstyles.
Pro Great synthwave soundtrack
Complimenting Nex Machina's speedy, chaotic gameplay, the soundtrack matches the sci-fi setting with hard-hitting, energetic synths and modulations. The electronic beats are catchy and fun to listen to while blasting through the game's metallic levels and robotic enemies. The tracks fit into the idea of what it would have been like to play any retro sci-fi game without the musical constraints on games in the 80s and 90s.
Pro Boss battles truly test your skills
At the end of each level are difficult boss fights that crank out bullets and beams in all directions that you have to dodge while dealing damage at the same time. The bosses are all different in design, such as a giant ape that lumbers around the field and throws obstacles at you, to a more stationary tower that bombards you with other enemies that you're forced to prioritize instead. Each boss is a comprehensive test of the skills you've learned up to that point, encouraging you to make the best use of your power-ups and dodge timings.
Pro Difficult yet rewarding gameplay
Nex Machina's bullet hell gameplay is fast-paced and challenging, with dozens of robotic enemies rushing at you while you use every skill at your disposal to survive and increase your score. Not only do you have to avoid enemies, but you also have to use your ability to dodge hazards on the field such as laser beams.
There are also optional human NPCs to save who are usually taking damage by waves of enemies. Clearing the surrounding robots while dodging any nearby lasers to save these humans will award you with extra points to your score, so it's worth it to go after them whenever you can.
As you defeat enemies, they'll sometimes drop power-up items, such as shields that will absorb damage that would normally kill you, and tools to increase the range of your bullets.
Clearing a level with no deaths earns you a nice score boost at the end, encouraging you to run through the game as best as you can. It takes a lot of precision to dodge lasers while killing the enemies that come at you from all directions, but pulling it off is a rewarding, addicting experience.
Pro Thrilling science fiction
The story and world present an exciting cyberpunk vision of the future similar to science fiction novels.
Pro Plenty of sidequests, good replay value
The game's storyline can be compared to The Witcher's 3, both in length and in the sheer number of sidequests. Also, since most of your choices will genuinely affect the outcome, the game has great replay value.
Pro No microtransactions
All of the game's content will be available from the get-go. Sure, there will be DLCs, but none of them will require you to pay extra to unlock a single weapon or feature.
Pro Vast weapon selection
It is too early to tell, but the closed preview already shown that there will be dozens of varied combat weapons, most of them quite creative. There are smart bullets that bounce off walls, smart tracking bullets. Also, there are customizable weapons as well.
Pro Augmentations
The game features a cool system of bionic enhancements that let you customize your abilities. Also, you can use drugs to enhance your combat.
Pro Open world
The game is set in a fictional neon city known as Night City. It has six districts and all of them will be able to be explored by the player, each one offering a different environment.
Cons
Con The game is very short
Your first playthrough will only take about an hour or two, which may not be worth it. There are plenty of new paths and secrets hidden across the levels, so a completionist playthrough will take about five or six hours.
Con Deaths can be too punishing at times
In Nex Machina, you'll die after a single hit from an enemy, causing you to drop one of your power-ups, like your ability to dash three times in a row or increased weapon spread. You'll then have to return to the spot where you died to collect the power-up that you dropped. If you lose all of your lives, you're forced to use a continue, leaving you with only power-up. It'a a punishing system that makes you work harder with fewer tools after continuous deaths.
Con No multiplayer plans for now
For the people who like to play out their games cooperatively or competitively, this is kind of a disappointment.