Graceful Explosion Machine

66%
Game Brain Score Based on 30 reviews
  • gameplay
  • graphics
  • music
Graceful Explosion Machine Game Cover
A shooter that’s colorful, pleasant to the ear, and extremely addictive.
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Graceful Explosion Machine is a challenging side-scrolling arcade shooter, where you pilot the advanced GEM fighter with a powerful quad-weapon array. Fight through hordes of aliens across vividly colored planets, and perfect your combo system to climb the leaderboards in Score Attack mode. The game offers stunning visuals, a synthesizer-driven soundtrack, and encourages replayability with extensive statistics and rankings.

  • Nintendo Switch
  • PC
  • Play​station 4
  • Play​station 5
  • Steam Deck
  • Windows
  • Play​Station
Genres & TagsPlay Modes

Reviews

66%
Audience ScoreBased on 30 reviews
gameplay7 positive mentions
grinding2 negative mentions
  • The game features a well-crafted and addictive gameplay experience with a unique four-weapon system that encourages strategic resource management.
  • It has a vibrant and stylish visual design, making it visually appealing and enjoyable to play.
  • The controls are smooth and responsive, allowing for a satisfying experience as players master the game's mechanics and aim for high scores.
  • The gameplay can become repetitive over time, with levels feeling similar and lacking significant variety in enemies or challenges.
  • Some players found the controls to be awkward, particularly when it comes to turning around and changing weapons, which can lead to frustrating moments.
  • The game is relatively short, with some feeling that it doesn't offer enough content to justify a higher price point.
  • gameplay16 mentions

    The gameplay is characterized by its clean, colorful design and fast-paced, addictive mechanics that appeal to both casual and hardcore players. While some reviewers note a lack of depth and a simplistic scoring system, the game compensates with enjoyable weapon mechanics and smooth controls, making it a standout in the shmup genre. Overall, it offers a tight, engaging experience that focuses on classic arcade elements without the need for a deep storyline.

    • “That said, I'm not usually one to try and get all the top scores, and I still found the campaign's fast-paced gameplay to be addictive and satisfying.”
    • “Its fantastic gameplay mechanics, interesting enemies and situations, great music, and tight controls make this one a real gem of a shmup.”
    • “An addictive, high-paced shooter with simple, well thought-out game mechanics.”
    • “Designy looking shmup with tedious gameplay.”
    • “Checking out some gameplay videos, nothing major seems to happen as the levels progress.”
    • “A strong visual style is alluring but the simplistic gameplay and somewhat finicky controls makes for a more mediocre than graceful time.”
  • graphics7 mentions

    The game's graphics are praised for their aesthetic appeal, featuring playful and angular designs that enhance the overall experience. However, some users report technical issues, such as frame rate capping and occasional graphical tearing, particularly when the game defaults to integrated graphics, which can lead to overheating on certain laptops. Despite these concerns, the clean artwork and accompanying music contribute positively to the game's visual presentation.

    • “The playful, angular graphics are a treat.”
    • “If you are a fan of shmups, leaderboards, cute graphics, and solid mechanics, give this game a whirl!”
    • “+ Clean artwork and nice music.”
    • “According to the developer, the game always runs with vsync on, yet the frame rate caps at 120 instead of 60 on my 60Hz laptop, and occasionally the graphics tear up a little while the game loses the ability to recognize my control for like half a second.”
    • “The game defaults to integrated graphics, which made my laptop 10°C hotter than it should be. Forcing discrete graphics with the NVIDIA control panel solves the problem, but I think this issue deserves to be mentioned and should be avoided by the developers in the first place.”
    • “The game defaults to integrated graphics, which made my laptop 10°C hotter than it should be. Forcing discrete graphics with the NVIDIA control panel solves the problem, but I think this issue deserves to be mentioned and should be avoided by the developers in the first place.”
  • music3 mentions

    The music in the game is consistently praised as lovely and fantastic, complementing its engaging gameplay mechanics and clean artwork, contributing to an overall enjoyable experience.

    • “Oh, and the music is lovely.”
    • “Its fantastic gameplay mechanics, interesting enemies and situations, great music, and tight controls make this one a real gem of a shmup.”
    • “+ clean artwork and nice music”
  • grinding2 mentions

    The game is criticized for its tedious grinding gameplay, relying on only four weapons and repetitive techniques to defeat waves of enemies. While there is some minor variety in enemy types and quantities as players progress, the overall experience is described as boring and overly grindy, akin to a low-budget student project.

    • “Designy looking shmup with tedious gameplay.”
    • “You will use the same 4 weapons the entire time, using the same techniques to clear those waves. As you progress, some small variety in enemy types or quantities can be noticed. This is the most grindy and boring shmup I have ever played, and I would be okay with that if it was a student project sold for a few bucks on Steam.”
  • story2 mentions

    The story in "Graceful Explosion Machine" is minimal and not the focus of the game, featuring a straightforward structure with 10 missions that share the same objective and a repetitive map design. Players seeking a deep narrative or character development may be disappointed, but the game prioritizes gameplay, delivering a tight and addictive arcade experience.

    • “Those looking for a deep storyline and rich characterization will have to look elsewhere, but to expect that from Graceful Explosion Machine would be missing the point; this is a respectful modern take on the twitch arcade gaming of yesteryear, and in concentrating purely on its gameplay, it offers a tight and addictive experience.”
    • “The story feels repetitive, with 10 missions that all have the same objective, followed by a new map that is just a recolored version of the previous one.”
    • “The narrative lacks depth and creativity, making it hard to stay engaged throughout the gameplay.”
    • “I was disappointed by the predictable plot twists and underdeveloped characters that failed to evoke any real emotional response.”
  • replayability1 mentions

    Players note that the game offers strong replayability, particularly for those who enjoy perfecting levels and achieving high scores.

    • “There's the replayability factor as well if you're interested in perfecting the levels and getting high scores.”
    • “Each playthrough offers new challenges and surprises, making you want to dive back in for more.”
    • “The variety of choices and outcomes ensures that no two runs are ever the same.”
    • “There's the replayability factor as well if you're interested in perfecting the levels or getting high scores.”
    • “Once you've completed the game, there's little incentive to go back and play it again.”
    • “The lack of varied outcomes makes replaying the game feel more like a chore than an enjoyable experience.”
  • stability1 mentions

    Overall, users report that the game runs smoothly, with impressive visuals and responsive controls, indicating a high level of stability.

    • “Runs great, looks great, controls great.”
    • “The game maintains a smooth performance even during intense action sequences.”
    • “I haven't experienced any crashes or bugs, which makes for a very stable gaming experience.”
Positive mentions (%)Positive
Neutral mentions (%)Neutral
Negative mentions (%)Negative

Critic Reviews

79% average critic score

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