Graceful Explosion Machine (2017)

In short, this game is something I think people can really enjoy. It's not a graphical powerhouse but what it lacks in the graphics department it definitely makes up for in the mechanics and gameplay. The overall difficulty to the game does tend to lend itself to the gamers looking for a challenge as it starts out feeling quite on the easier side building up to sometimes the frustratingly hard side of things (but truly in a fun way). Too many games with difficulty like this get a stigma about them. I find that when you beat a level that you've been trying multiple times to get past, one of the most rewarding feelings in gaming. Without this difficulty type, that feeling of accomplishment really isn't possible.

'Graceful Explosion' Machine is an enjoyable game to try, but not worth sticking around for.

Graceful Explosion Machine is a fast-paced and action-packed release that is highly addictive. You'll end up returning over and over again to each level as you first aim to get A grades in all of them before you move up to getting an S rank on them from near-perfect start-to-finish runs in each level, building up massive combos as you avoid being hit by enemies. There's plenty of content here and a nice variety of enemies to make this one an easy game to recommend on PS4.

Graceful Explosion Machine is simple, pure arcade fun, with a level of polish and attention to detail in the design that's rarely seen. It's the sort of game that you can pick up for a quick 5 minute session, and then find yourself still playing hours later.

There's just something about these types of games that make them intrinsically addictive. After playing Graceful Explosion Machine for long enough, and getting into the flow, the experience is fast, manic, and fluid - the sort of gameplay that harkens back to the pure and simplistic joy that was the core of arcade shooters of the '90s. 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. Without that, the game is a little short for the cost, with just over 2-3 hours of playtime to finish it off.