Graceful Explosion Machine

+1

83%

Audience ScoreBased on 77 reviews

gameplay17 positive mentions

replayability3 negative mentions

Graceful Explosion Machine features a unique and satisfying weapon system that encourages players to manage resources effectively while engaging in fast-paced combat.
The game boasts vibrant, colorful graphics and a minimalist design that enhances the overall aesthetic experience, making it visually appealing.
It offers a high replay value with online leaderboards and achievements, encouraging players to perfect their runs and improve their scores.

The gameplay can become repetitive over time, with levels lacking significant variety and often feeling too similar to one another.
Some players have reported awkward controls and camera movement that can lead to frustration during gameplay.
The game is relatively short, with some feeling that it doesn't provide enough content to justify its price, especially for those who may not be interested in score-chasing.

gameplay
38 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
45%
47%
8%
The gameplay of "Graceful Explosion Machine" is characterized by its addictive, fast-paced mechanics and tight controls, making it accessible for both casual players and shmup enthusiasts. While the simplistic design and lack of depth in progression may deter some, the game compensates with a variety of fun weapon types, innovative mechanics, and a visually appealing aesthetic. Overall, it offers a nostalgic arcade experience that emphasizes fluidity and enjoyment over complex narratives.
- “Those looking for a deep storyline and rich characterisation 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.”
- “Its fantastic gameplay mechanics, interesting enemies and situations, great music, and tight controls make this one a real gem of a shmup.”
- “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.”
- “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.”
graphics
20 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
25%
60%
15%
The game's graphics are widely praised for their aesthetic appeal, featuring playful, angular designs and bright, minimalist visuals that enhance the fast-paced gameplay. While the artwork is clean and eye-catching, some users reported technical issues, such as frame rate caps and graphics tearing, particularly when using integrated graphics. Overall, the combination of appealing visuals and solid mechanics makes for a compelling experience, especially for fans of the genre.
- “The playful, angular graphics are a treat.”
- “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 of hours.”
- “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.”
- “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 controls 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.”
music
9 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
89%
11%
The music in the game is consistently praised for its loveliness and ability to enhance the overall experience, complementing the vibrant visuals and engaging gameplay mechanics. Reviewers highlight it as a standout feature that contributes to the game's charm and enjoyment.
- “Its fantastic gameplay mechanics, interesting enemies and situations, great music, and tight controls make this one a real gem of a shmup.”
- “The vibrant colors and the background music, along with the simplistic yet deep controls, make for a fun experience on and off the road.”
- “+ clean artwork and nice music”
replayability
5 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
40%
60%
The game offers substantial replayability through its focus on perfecting levels, achieving high scores, and competing on leaderboards. Innovative mechanics, fluid gameplay, and engaging bonus levels enhance the experience, encouraging players to return for more after their initial playthrough. Overall, it successfully delivers a fun arcade shooter experience with lasting appeal.
- “There's the replayability factor as well if you're interested in perfecting the levels and getting high scores.”
- “All in all, Graceful Explosion Machine does what it advertises, offering a fun arcade shooter experience with a significant amount of replay value after you finish your first go-round with the game.”
- “There's the replayability factor as well if you're interested in perfecting the levels/getting high scores.”
- “That being said, the real draw of the game is the replayable rankings and leaderboards, and attempting to get those perfect runs on each stage.”
- “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.”
grinding
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The grinding aspect of this shmup is criticized for being excessively tedious, with players limited to just four weapons and repetitive gameplay mechanics. While there is some minor enemy variety as the game progresses, the overall experience is described as boring and overly grindy, akin to a low-budget student project.
- “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 quantity 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.”
story
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
25%
25%
The story in "Graceful Explosion Machine" is minimal and lacks depth, focusing instead on gameplay rather than character development or narrative complexity. Players can expect repetitive missions with similar objectives, emphasizing a nostalgic arcade experience rather than a rich storyline.
- “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.”
- “You have 10 missions based on the same level with the same objective, then a new 'map' which is just the same one but a different color.”
stability
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Users consistently report that the game runs smoothly, with no significant stability issues, and praise its visual and control quality. Overall, the stability aspect is highly regarded.
- “Runs great, looks great, controls great.”
- “Runs great, looks great, controls great.”

79%Critics’ scoreBased on 17 critic reviews

Buy Graceful Explosion Machine

3h Median play time

3h Average play time

3-3h Spent by most gamers

*Based on 1 analyzed playthroughs

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A shooting star to break the mold: Graceful Explosion Machine review

"Without a solid hook, it's likely to leave your mind as quickly as it arrived"

Graceful Explosion Machine Review

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