Graceful Explosion Machine

 Switch
User Score
7.9

Generally favorable reviews- based on 85 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 63 out of 85
  2. Mixed: 14 out of 85
  3. Negative: 8 out of 85
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  1. Shadowsoal
    Apr 22, 2017
    10
    Game looks great, ignore the 1 score review.
    Disgruntle co worker, perhaps?
    Perhaps a jealous fellow pupil...
    When all ither reviews are 7 or more and there's one review with a 1 score and a novel saying just why they thinks... you know something's not quite right. Hopefully this will go some way to normalising the score.
  2. dinkydarko
    Apr 21, 2017
    9
    This is a very well thought out game, with a surprising amount of depth.

    The point of this game is not to worry about the enemy AI, or why your blaster has a cool down, or why you can't dash through bullets.. The point is to dance around the enemy, smashing them with style, upping your combo bonus. Using the right weapon at the right time, dashing just when you need to, avoiding    This is a very well thought out game, with a surprising amount of depth.

    The point of this game is not to worry about the enemy AI, or why your blaster has a cool down, or why you can't dash through bullets.. The point is to dance around the enemy, smashing them with style, upping your combo bonus. Using the right weapon at the right time, dashing just when you need to, avoiding certain death.

    This is the same experience of games like Sonic, where you complete something that looks impossible, avoiding spikes or enemies, collecting all the rings and just making the jump. It's a type of euphoria. Constantly being on the edge of your seat, about to lose control, but pulling through against all the odds.    … Expand
  3. axbu89
    Apr 7, 2017
    9
    This is the kind of game that works very well on the Switch. I wouldn't bother with a game like this on PC which is where these games have lived primarily to this point but the ability to play it on the go in short bursts is great.

    The controls are tight, the aesthetic is pleasing and it doesn't get cluttered which is a pitfall (or boon, depending on your preference) for the genre. The    This is the kind of game that works very well on the Switch. I wouldn't bother with a game like this on PC which is where these games have lived primarily to this point but the ability to play it on the go in short bursts is great.

    The controls are tight, the aesthetic is pleasing and it doesn't get cluttered which is a pitfall (or boon, depending on your preference) for the genre. The gameplay is 'fun', for want of a better word and it keeps interest for long enough for a quick play session.

    For the game alone it would be an 8 but given the price and the use case (Switch handheld mode) it deserves a 9 in my opinion.    … Expand
  4. Orangedrop
    Apr 7, 2017
    9
    I'm a pretty big fan of shooters and this is one of the best I have picked up in a very long time! The art direction is stunning, controls are tight and dodging the enemy to later blast them is seriously additive fun. This game provides a huge bang for buck and I wouldn't hesitate in recommending it to anyone that enjoys a good SHMUP or someone that is looking for something they can pickI'm a pretty big fan of shooters and this is one of the best I have picked up in a very long time! The art direction is stunning, controls are tight and dodging the enemy to later blast them is seriously additive fun. This game provides a huge bang for buck and I wouldn't hesitate in recommending it to anyone that enjoys a good SHMUP or someone that is looking for something they can pick up and play for short bursts on the go. This is how you make an arcade shooter and massive kudos to the development team behind it.… Expand
  5. fbnaulin
    Aug 16, 2017
    8
    Simple, elegant, and beatiful shmup. There's some Fantasy Zone vibe in it, and I love it. I didn't expect it to be so addictive. I'm not good trying to meet high scores, but I'm fine beating every level. Great game.
  6. chezer
    Apr 7, 2017
    9
    Super good fun
    Pretty
    Addictive
    Decent Price
    Offers a good challenge
    Leaderboard support will make you want to beat others.
    Quick Restart times
    Satisfying to destroy everything
  7. Memulatron
    Apr 8, 2017
    9
    Man, this game is just so much fun to play. It looks beautiful, the controls are smooth and responsive, and while the core concept is always the same, each level is always different enough to keep me interested. If you have a Switch, this is a must-own.
  8. newnez
    Apr 7, 2017
    9
    This game aims to be a fun, fast, point based shooter with a clean minimal design. It achieves those things perfectly. The game is fun, fast and pleasant to view. I've played the game around 10 hours in the past couple of days and had a blast! (pun intended)

    There are four worlds, each consisting of 9 levels. You also unlock 2 challenge levels after beating each world. So, unless I've    This game aims to be a fun, fast, point based shooter with a clean minimal design. It achieves those things perfectly. The game is fun, fast and pleasant to view. I've played the game around 10 hours in the past couple of days and had a blast! (pun intended)

    There are four worlds, each consisting of 9 levels. You also unlock 2 challenge levels after beating each world. So, unless I've failed to unlock something as of yet, in total there around 42 levels. Each has 3 'phases' which are sort of like save points. At first, the game is quite easy, but as your progress, it gets very challenging! Also, if you are a completionist then you will want to get the highly acclaimed S+ rating on each level. All of this, along with online leaderboards...the 12.99 price tag is a no-brainer if you are a fan of the genre.

    Things I would have liked to see: More incentive. Things such as achievements, maybe simple unlockables, different skinned ships. Any of this would have gone a long way for me.

    Last bit of review: Understand what you are getting. A point based shooter where the goal is simple, get better and better at shooting aliens without getting hit and/or losing your hit multiplier. That's it! If you enjoy that sort of thing, then get ready for hours of entertainment. Otherwise, it's not for you.    … Expand
  9. hypernewbie
    Apr 8, 2017
    1
    High school game designer finds a unity programmer and a very good artist.

    Game design is extremely poor. Too much unnecessary resource management that doesn't really add much, mechanics are not that coherent, and I swear the entire game's AI uses the following one line of code: vec3 findNextMovementPos(vec3 player) { return rotate2D(normalize(this->pos - player) * randrange(10, 20)),    High school game designer finds a unity programmer and a very good artist.

    Game design is extremely poor. Too much unnecessary resource management that doesn't really add much, mechanics are not that coherent, and I swear the entire game's AI uses the following one line of code:
    vec3 findNextMovementPos(vec3 player) {
    return rotate2D(normalize(this->pos - player) * randrange(10, 20)), randrange(-0.3, 0.3));
    }
    I serious cannot find a non-stationary enemy that doesn't use that movement. Stanford AI course. Behaviour trees. Learn it.

    AI blandness aside, the biggest problem here is very incoherent game mechanics, which is very bad game design. Examples:

    1. Why does blaster have a cooldown? What purpose does it possibly serve other than just slow down gameplay?

    2. Why does player have to actually go pick up energy crystals? Why does energy crystals disappear so fast? If the player has to go pick up energy crystals, then why design literally EVERY enemy in the game to not facilitate that in a interesting way? The only way to reliably go pick up crystals fast is energy shield and probably dash out. That is a one trick move, one and only option players can take, which is bland and boring.

    3. If dash and mobility is a core mechanic, then why do they not work on environment hazards or bullets? If you're going to make dashing not work on bullets, then there needs to be a good way to play around that limitation. Examples of adding mechanics so players can play around that limitation is telegraphing of shots (nope, not in the game), clear visual distinction of shots (nope, not in the game) and/or directly affecting the shots (only possible with energy shield). I would telegraph shooting enemies + make bullets more visible + make laser weapon also kill bullets.

    4. If left / right horizontal shooting is a main mechanic, then why does LITERALLY every single enemy in the game move in a zigzag line towards you? This creates no interesting interactions whatsoever. I would add enemies that do vertical things (shoot lazers but only up/ down), enemies that only do left/right stuff...etc to make interesting use of the left/right horizontal only shooting mechanic.

    5. If the game mechanics revolve around not getting hit even once, then why are missiles so freaking unreliable??? I fire missiles in general direction of stuff and hope 1 (one) (ONE) of the enemies doesn't seep through or I have to mash the energy shield button ASAP and hope things work out. Not very coherent mechanic.

    And many many more examples of completely incoherent mechanics.

    Art and music are amazing. Give whoever worked on that a thumbs up. Could go into detail about how I think art and music are amazing, but going to eave the negative details here instead in the hopes of being constructive. Please imagine I wrote 2000 more words about the good points of this game, ie. presentation art and music. Too bad as a player I'm playing the gameplay, im not playing the sound or visual assets.    … Expand
  10. RedrexXx
    Apr 11, 2017
    10
    Super cute and cool addictive game. Love the HD rumble feature and since I'm a perfectionist, I'm always trying to reach that A score! Perfect for a handle console. For the price I HIGHLY recommend it.
  11. bod11
    Apr 9, 2017
    5
    This game is almost good. The issues with this game are purely issues of design. The game seems to constantly want to slow you down, which is terrible for a bullet hell. Here is a list of the major issues, and why they are not helpful for a fun experience.
    1. The way the combo meter works. This combo meter has a tick down, if you aren't hitting enemies, it goes back to 1. This is not a    This game is almost good. The issues with this game are purely issues of design. The game seems to constantly want to slow you down, which is terrible for a bullet hell. Here is a list of the major issues, and why they are not helpful for a fun experience.
    1. The way the combo meter works. This combo meter has a tick down, if you aren't hitting enemies, it goes back to 1. This is not a major issue on it's own, but all of the other issues make this an issue, because it forces the player to not only uselessly micro manage, but get lucky and also use the same strategy.
    2. The blaster has an overheat, and it's really quick. This is a problem because the way the combo meter works, you need to keep shooting, but you can't. The cooldown for the gun is the same as the combo meter.
    3. Because of this, you are forced to stagger your special attacks between blaster attacks. The issue is that this becomes repetitive and forces you not to use the specials that cost too much because you need to save charge to stagger your normal fire and special fire, to keep the combo.
    4. The specials are incredibly week, and some enemies can only be reliably killed with the sniping beam. Every one of the specials does minimal damage, and there are some enemies that have ridiculous health, so they can't be killed without the charge beam. Even normal shots can't kill them.
    5. The AI is terrible, if you aren't in line of sight, they wont even come to you. This is an issue because some of the levels are fairly large, so keeping combo involves running around on a goose chase trying to locate the remaining enemies since they are just chilling in a corner somewhere.
    6. no power ups, the basic weapons you get are all you get, unlike most bullet hells. In other games of this genre, you power up if you don't get hit and collect enough energy, not here. To top it off the sword attack sucks. it won't even kill most later enemies.
    7. The controls aren't tight and the left-right shooting mechanic makes the game very unreliable. The enemies aren't designed with this in mind. If you activate the sword, you can still get it because of a delay on the activation.

    All in all, there are more minor gripes. The game isn't bad if you aren't looking for a super polished tight bullet hell. It's fun to play a bit, but it's gameplay isn't well designed in a way that creates a realistic and fun challenge. Often what determines whether or not you keep your combo is up to chance.    … Expand
  12. Mikeferaz
    Apr 7, 2017
    4
    While this is a highly addictive game, and a really pretty one after a couple of hours you'll find it repetitive, but that isn't bad if you are a completionist, and specialy it isnt bad whe playin it on the go.

    However being a simple game as it is its price and lack of 2 players (wasting the unique feature of the switches joycons) puts this game on a solo shooting frenzy that most of    While this is a highly addictive game, and a really pretty one after a couple of hours you'll find it repetitive, but that isn't bad if you are a completionist, and specialy it isnt bad whe playin it on the go.

    However being a simple game as it is its price and lack of 2 players (wasting the unique feature of the switches joycons) puts this game on a solo shooting frenzy that most of the times you will just end up playing when going to the bathroom,

    Perhaps a bit of a lower price and/or adding the capability of 2 players would earn this game twice the score given for an indie game    … Expand
  13. MrFoxhound
    Apr 13, 2017
    2
    Here's another awful game preying on the Switch's lack of a good library. You want a boring game where you go around the same screen over and over and over again until your eyes bleed, this is it! The developers use looping stages as though it was some kind of awesome feature, but it's just laziness. The music is non-existent in this game and the enemy variety will make you rip your hairHere's another awful game preying on the Switch's lack of a good library. You want a boring game where you go around the same screen over and over and over again until your eyes bleed, this is it! The developers use looping stages as though it was some kind of awesome feature, but it's just laziness. The music is non-existent in this game and the enemy variety will make you rip your hair out in frustration. You get 4 weapons that are all pooled into the same energy meter, then you get a basic blaster weapon, that also has its own energy bar! Why?! How dumb. Why would your basic shot have an energy meter. You have to spend just as much time out maneuvering the enemies in this game as you do actually firing on them. And these are the cheapest enemies around. Like the enemy that clings to the wall and fires off an arm that goes the entire length of the screen, or the classic enemy that explodes and gets smaller as you keep shooting it. The worst part is that the enemies are only killed by your weapons. There isn't any splash damage from other explosions. So that enemy that gets smaller and smaller as you destroy it, eventually spawns a glowing red explosive variety that zooms after you, blow it up and it creates a vast explosion ring that only hurts you and does no damage to any other enemy. This game also doesn't shy away from giving you way more on screen than you can handle. There are 4 planets in the game and each planet has 9 levels and each level is broken down into 3 phases, except for warp levels, we'll talk about those later. Each phase has a set amount of enemies you have to kill before moving on. Die in a phase and you go back to the beginning of that phase instead of just respawning then and there. Die in the first phase and you may as well just start over, trust me. Then you have the warp levels, the 9th level of each planet. These levels have no phases, just an octagon plastered on the wall of the caves you are in that glows from section to section as you kill enemies. Almost done filling up the light on the octagon and you die? Right back to the beginning of the level with you. This level you should definitely just restart if you die. If you like score attack games, then you'll probably like this. If you like frustrating games with too many enemies and weapons that always have you at a disadvantage vs your enemies, then you'll definitely like this. Just because you're starving for games on the Switch doesn't mean that this is a good buy for $10. Keep your cash and just play more Zelda instead.… Expand
  14. crashmstr
    Apr 26, 2017
    8
    Fun space shooter reminiscent of the arcade classic Defender. Additional weapon types and new enemy types as you progress add to the enjoyment. One of my favorites currently to fill time.
  15. Rtrochford90
    Apr 14, 2017
    9
    Good game, Good art direction. Its like someone combined Geometry Wars with a Side Scroller. The only thing i wish is that the control scheme was twin-stick (one for movement and one for firing weapon). it uses ZR to flip directions and "A" to fire and can feel clunky. Otherwise, amazing game, especially for the price.
  16. The_EpicGamerYT
    Aug 4, 2017
    9
    Graceful Explosion Machine is one of the games of the Switch that is worth buying at a low cost. The art direction is amazing, featuring simplistic graphics and a multitude of different enemy types. The controls are tight, which is good for a game that constantly has enemies with different strengths and weaknesses coming after you. The gameplay is very addictive and challenging and is bestGraceful Explosion Machine is one of the games of the Switch that is worth buying at a low cost. The art direction is amazing, featuring simplistic graphics and a multitude of different enemy types. The controls are tight, which is good for a game that constantly has enemies with different strengths and weaknesses coming after you. The gameplay is very addictive and challenging and is best played in short bursts. In a recent update, when a level is finished, the game shows you your best stats and a highlight for you to screenshot. This is the game for anyone looking for an SHUMP on the Nintendo Switch.… Expand
  17. WhiteWolf81
    May 5, 2017
    8
    Uno sparatutto 2D con navicella spaziale tanto semplice quanto molto divertente...crea assuefazione e, nonostante i livelli non siano tantissimi (ma nemmeno pochi), ha una potenziale longevità molto elevata considerati gli stimoli a migliorare i propri punteggi e scalare magari le classifiche online. Prezzo onesto. Consigliato.
  18. ScreenScraggy22
    Aug 10, 2017
    8
    I've had such a fun time with this game. Once I got used to the controls this game just pulled me in and i couldn't stop playing. All the different abilities and enemies keep it interesting and the scoring system is nice so you can compare with friends. Beware this game is NOT easy it can be pretty stressful but if you get good enough at the game you will have a fantastic time with it.I've had such a fun time with this game. Once I got used to the controls this game just pulled me in and i couldn't stop playing. All the different abilities and enemies keep it interesting and the scoring system is nice so you can compare with friends. Beware this game is NOT easy it can be pretty stressful but if you get good enough at the game you will have a fantastic time with it. 100% would recommend.… Expand
  19. TheSeahorse
    May 4, 2017
    6
    Graceful explosion machine is a fun arcade shooter mini game for the Switch. I had a few hours of fun and got through 75% of the game. My problem with the game is that It's basically the same thing over and over with slightly different opponents. I don't really want to continue playing even though I'm only a few levels from completing the game.

    If you like shooting stuff and don't mind    Graceful explosion machine is a fun arcade shooter mini game for the Switch. I had a few hours of fun and got through 75% of the game. My problem with the game is that It's basically the same thing over and over with slightly different opponents. I don't really want to continue playing even though I'm only a few levels from completing the game.

    If you like shooting stuff and don't mind grinding to get the perfect score you could pick this game up, I mean, it's only 10€. But if you want to play an amazing indie title you should probably look somewhere else.    … Expand
  20. chepecarlos
    Apr 16, 2017
    9
    It is great to be able to take it and play in short sessions, is perfect for Nintendo Switch, very addictive and is a good challenge, highly recommended for travel
  21. GeekGirlPhilly
    Apr 20, 2017
    9
    After 7 days of play, here's what I have to say. I wasn't wowwed at first. I thought the presentation was nice. The two tutorials were a bit boring. I put the game down for 2 days and bought other Switch games to play. Then I came back to Graceful Explosion Machine (GEM?) and found it to be sort of a hidden gem. Things started opening up for me as I got used to the weird mechanics and theAfter 7 days of play, here's what I have to say. I wasn't wowwed at first. I thought the presentation was nice. The two tutorials were a bit boring. I put the game down for 2 days and bought other Switch games to play. Then I came back to Graceful Explosion Machine (GEM?) and found it to be sort of a hidden gem. Things started opening up for me as I got used to the weird mechanics and the quirky missile system. I found it difficult to play with the JoyCons. My thumb hit the B button the most and I kept feeling the joystick in the way. The Pro Controller offered a better feel, but I couldn't pause the game as quickly as I could with the JoyCon. Ah, tradeoffs. I discovered I could get through most of the first planet with just the B button with some A presses thrown in for good measure. Ah, the joys of button mashing. But wait... I could just hold down B and fire continuously! No, not so. There's an overheat/cooldown system. I'd be defenseless at the most inopportune times, especially in the second much more challenging world. I found myself playing this game endlessly during my lunch hours with a look of expressionless zombie, mouth agape, drool dripping out of the corners of my mouth, an exaggeration to be sure, but that's how spellbinding this game is to me. A little repetitive at times, but always making you come back for more. It's almost a perfect shmup, on par with some of the best shmups on the TurboGrafx-16.… Expand
  22. Laguardia
    Jul 22, 2017
    6
    Bem divertido e algumas vezes desafiador. Precisa de certa estratégia para passar de certas fases. 4 mundos apenas é pouco. Deveria haver mais mundos e/ou mais desafios para valer nota maior. Gráficos legais, trilha sonora meio fraca, mas passa
  23. brownieman182
    Aug 10, 2017
    10
    I had a great time with this game. When you're in full flow this game feels fantastic to play. Reminded me of a 2D, more colorful version of Resogun on the PS4.
  24. SuitonSwitch
    Apr 15, 2018
    8
    Simple & casual arcade style, colorful and handles well & gets exponentially harder. I found it a bit repetitive playing for a long stretch but was fun to zone out to. worth picking up on sale. 6-10hrs to finish
  25. Pete112
    May 11, 2020
    9
    I am terrible at this game but it is so much fun, I keep coming back for more.

    Perfect for a quick 5 minute game.

    The graphics are clear and bright.

    I wish there was an easier difficulty mode but I am slowly progressing and deaths are always fair.
  26. chosen0ne
    Sep 22, 2021
    10
    This game looks and controls great. It's a great shoot 'em up with character and bi-directional movement. I love this game!!!

Awards & Rankings

63
#63 Best Switch Game of 2017
56
#56 Most Discussed Switch Game of 2017
43
#43 Most Shared Switch Game of 2017

Critic Reviews

All reviews »
Metascore
77

Generally favorable reviews - based on 19 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 14 out of 19
  2. Mixed: 5 out of 19
  3. Negative: 0 out of 19
  1. God is a Geek
    Aug 7, 2017
    80
    Graceful Explosion Machine is a must play for arcade shooters with its precision gameplay, accessibility, and presentation.
    Read full review
  2. Atomix
    Jul 30, 2017
    80
    Graceful Explosion Machine is a small but great arcade shooter that proves to be fun and addictive.
    Read full review
  3. Nintendo Force Magazine
    Jun 23, 2017
    85
    For what Graceful Explosion Machine aspires to be – that is, a stylish high score-focused shoot-'em-up – it excels in spades. [Issue #28 – July/August 2017, p. 21]
See all critic reviews »