PS4-exclusive Matterfall comes from Housemarque[1], the studio behind the excellent Alienation[2] and Resogun. Matterfall borrows the same elements that made Housemarque’s previous games stand out - a catchy techno soundtrack, sci-fi feel, and a design that encourages you to chase high scores.
Unlike Housemarque’s earlier titles, Matterfall is a side-scrolling shooter with platforming elements. Set in a futuristic world with a city besieged by aliens, you play the game as Avalon Darrow, a for hire mercenary who is tasked with cleaning up the mess.
Along the way you’ll jump, dodge, shield yourself, and blast an assortment of foes. The game has a somewhat unusual control scheme that takes a little getting used to - you use the R1 shoulder button to jump, and the right analogue stick to shoot. It takes a while to get used to but once you do, you’ll realise that this quirky choice is necessary to get you past the game’s many devious enemies, as it allows you to shoot and jump at the same time.
Another point to note is Matterfall’s Strikes. Performing a Strike allows you dash across chasms, but more importantly, it freezes your foe’s bullets in place. It is an interesting mechanic, not too dissimilar to Might No. 9's dash, though the implementation is a lot better. It works well enough whether used to attack or to evade damage.
Coupled with this, you have the ability to create platforms with an energy beam. Mastering this, along with the Strike, is imperative to clearing the game’s later levels. More often than not, we found ourselves dashing and firing at enemies all while creating the ground needed to run on, lest we fell to our death.
And then there’s a...