Master Difficulty = Garbage

[AJ_Radio]

Down to two final levels (3-3 and World 3 Boss). Already spent several hours, probably close to 10 hours on Master difficulty. 
 

Worst Housemarque game thus far. Bad game design. Compared to Nex Machina, Matterfall is the equivalent of a B movie crew and cast. 
 

Did poor in sales, then people wondered why Housemarque was opting to go out of the Arcade gaming genre. This was years before they made their comeback with Returnal. 
 

Avoid this one. Play the other Housemarque games.

[DrBloodmoney]

I disagree.

 

Matterfall is a great game IMO - anyone who’s a fan of Housemarque, and of games like Strider has a  good chance of enjoying Matterfall - I certainly did.

 

It’s harder to get to grips with early on, but once the controls “click” I found it to be an awesome time.

I’m surprised to see you, @AJ_Radio, making an argument that poor sales equates to a bad game - you have consistently extolled the virtues of Retro and B-Games that have often underperformed sales-wise.

 

 

[AJ_Radio]

3 minutes ago, DrBloodmoney said:

I disagree.

 

Matterfall is a great game IMO - anyone who’s a fan of Housemarque, and of games like Strider has a  good chance of enjoying Matterfall - I certainly did.

 

It’s harder to get to grips with early on, but once the controls “click” I found it to be an awesome time.

I’m surprised to see you, @AJ_Radio, making an argument that poor sales equates to a bad game - you have consistently extolled the virtues of Retro and B-Games that have often underperformed sales-wise.

I’m going to have to disagree with you entirely. 
 

Anyone defending Master difficulty is either a masochist or a gaming god. 

[DrBloodmoney]

Just now, AJ_Radio said:

I’m going to have to disagree with you entirely. 
 

Anyone defending Master difficulty is either a masochist or a gaming god. 

Well ? I didn’t think I was the former…

 

…but I’m sure as hell not the latter! ?

[delfierro006]

I guess ima have to play it and see if its good for myself ??

Edited July 16, 2022 by delfierro006

[Baker]

Have you ever thought about changing your Rank title to Rant Master A? 

Edited July 16, 2022 by Baker

[KindaSabbath]

I was completely unaware of this game! Looks super dope to me, personally. I guess the whole point of me posting this is to say: good or bad, this discussion has brought attention to what seems to be another little gem ? 

So in that regard diversity of opinion is a good thing!

 

im sure it has flaws, but the gameplay looks pretty rad!

I’ll probably start with Nex Machina though, since as I already own it and I’ve been recommended to start there by friends! 

Edited July 16, 2022 by KindaSabbath

[zizimonster]

1 hour ago, DrBloodmoney said:

Matterfall is a great game IMO - anyone who’s a fan of Housemarque, and of games like Strider has a  good chance of enjoying Matterfall - I certainly did.

Now that you mentioned that Matterfall is similar to Strider, I think I should check out this game. Thanks. ?

[Wdjat Prinny Doods]

2 hours ago, AJ_Radio said:

Did poor in sales, then people wondered why Housemarque was opting to go out of the Arcade gaming genre. This was years before they made their comeback with Returnal. 

 

No one wondered why because Housemarque came out and said why. They said their games weren't selling well despite some games having critical success and they even specifically said that lackluster sales for NEX MACHINA is what led to them no longer developing arcade type games. I personally love Nex Machina and thought Matterfall was ok but to suggest Matterfall being the reason they stop making arcade games is just not true. This is the blog post where they say why they stop making arcade games. https://housemarque.com/news/arcade-is-dead

[AJ_Radio]

7 hours ago, Wdjat Prinny Doods said:

 

No one wondered why because Housemarque came out and said why. They said their games weren't selling well despite some games having critical success and they even specifically said that lackluster sales for NEX MACHINA is what led to them no longer developing arcade type games. I personally love Nex Machina and thought Matterfall was ok but to suggest Matterfall being the reason they stop making arcade games is just not true. This is the blog post where they say why they stop making arcade games. https://housemarque.com/news/arcade-is-dead

Matterfall just feels cheap compared to their other games. Definitely a low point for Housemarque. Aside from their more obscure titles, Matterfall has the least amount of game owners. 
 

It’s such a step back compared to Dead Nation and Resogun, which were both solid. 
 

9 hours ago, KindaSabbath said:

I was completely unaware of this game! Looks super dope to me, personally. I guess the whole point of me posting this is to say: good or bad, this discussion has brought attention to what seems to be another little gem  

So in that regard diversity of opinion is a good thing!

 

im sure it has flaws, but the gameplay looks pretty rad!

I’ll probably start with Nex Machina though, since as I already own it and I’ve been recommended to start there by friends! 

 

Go try Master Difficulty on Worlds 2 & 3 with one hit kills and revenge bullets in tight corridors. Then come back to me.

 

9 hours ago, Baker said:

Have you ever thought about changing your Rank title to Rant Master A? 

 

Cmon man. Even you made a post regarding Master Difficulty years ago. 
 

It is not a very well designed difficulty mode. 
 

9 hours ago, delfierro006 said:

I guess ima have to play it and see if its good for myself

 

The controls kind of suck but it’s otherwise not too bad. Master Difficulty takes the cake for garbage mechanics.

[KindaSabbath]

4 hours ago, AJ_Radio said:

Go try Master Difficulty on Worlds 2 & 3 with one hit kills and revenge bullets in tight corridors. Then come back to me.

Well, when I get to the game I’m sure I will play through it on Master Difficulty, since as it’s a requirement for the completion. 
 

I certainly won’t be reporting it back to you, though. I specifically didn’t comment on your gripe with the difficulty because difficulty is so subjective and I haven’t played the game. My comment was purely to say that I hadn’t heard of this game before and that it looks pretty cool. 

Edited July 17, 2022 by KindaSabbath

[yowzagabowza]

I love all the Housemarque games, even Matterfall (well, maybe I don't LOVE Alienation). The Master difficulty is just too hard for me. It's the only game I don't have the Platinum for (I also am missing a trophy or two from the Resogun dlc). I really liked Matterfall until I got to Master difficulty and I've thought about it a lot. The thing is, Revenge Bullets were in a bunch of their other games but we didn't have to beat the whole game in that mode. Resogun had them, I think Next Machina has them, too. They're even in Returnal! But Matterfall is the only game that requires us to spend a lot of time in that mode. 

The game is great, getting the platinum is not.

[Baker]

1 hour ago, AJ_Radio said:

Cmon man. Even you made a post regarding Master Difficulty years ago. 

Have I? You mean the post where I ask for some tips before I started Master difficulty? ?

 

Yes I had some issues with the dash system because you couldn’t dash diagonally. Yes this is also not as good as Nex Machina or Dead Nation imo.

 

I still thought the game was great.

 

Hang in there Rant Master A. You’ll have the platinum in no time. ??

[AJ_Radio]

47 minutes ago, KindaSabbath said:

Well, when I get to the game I’m sure I will play through it on Master Difficulty, since as it’s a requirement for the completion. 
 

I certainly won’t be reporting it back to you, though. I specifically didn’t comment on the your gripe with the difficulty because difficulty is so subjective and I haven’t played the game. My comment was purely to say that I hadn’t heard of this game before and that it looks pretty cool. 

It’s entirely opinionated. Make of this what you want. I don’t care at the end of the day.

 

35 minutes ago, yowzagabowza said:

I love all the Housemarque games, even Matterfall (well, maybe I don't LOVE Alienation). The Master difficulty is just too hard for me. It's the only game I don't have the Platinum for (I also am missing a trophy or two from the Resogun dlc). I really liked Matterfall until I got to Master difficulty and I've thought about it a lot. The thing is, Revenge Bullets were in a bunch of their other games but we didn't have to beat the whole game in that mode. Resogun had them, I think Next Machina has them, too. They're even in Returnal! But Matterfall is the only game that requires us to spend a lot of time in that mode. 

The game is great, getting the platinum is not.

You have to beat a level in Master difficulty on Resogun. That actually works in that game because you control a ship with far more maneuverability with far superior dodging, depending on your ship specs. 
 

Here in Matterfall, you often have to dodge revenge bullets in very tight corridors (especially World 2 & 3) and furthermore your dodge does not remove the revenge bullets. So you’re having to juggle between those and getting to gripes with the poorly implemented controls while a bunch of enemies are swarming you. 
 

Housemarque games are generally challenging, but Master Difficulty was poorly implemented and it’s not a good fit for this game. I haven’t played Returnal, Alienation or Super Stardust Ultra. None of the other Housemarque games require you to beat them on Master, which separates Matterfall’s trophy list a bit. 
 

The three bosses for me are ironically less frustrating on Master than the normal levels are.

[Soraking1991]

I agree that the controls are not as tight as they should be considering the requirements for Master difficulty. However, I’m not the most skilled player and I managed to obtain this platinum after many hours retrying the levels time and time again.

I haven’t yet played Nex Machina to be able to compare the two, but it certainly seems to have a slight edge in polish over Matterfall overall.

I liked the challenge the game presents up until Master difficulty, where it seems at times unfair.

 

It’s  good that this topic has made more people aware of this game’s existence so that more opinions on this matter can be put forth. 

[AJ_Radio]

1 hour ago, Soraking1991 said:

I agree that the controls are not as tight as they should be considering the requirements for Master difficulty. However, I’m not the most skilled player and I managed to obtain this platinum after many hours retrying the levels time and time again.

I haven’t yet played Nex Machina to be able to compare the two, but it certainly seems to have a slight edge in polish over Matterfall overall.

I liked the challenge the game presents up until Master difficulty, where it seems at times unfair.

 

It’s  good that this topic has made more people aware of this game’s existence so that more opinions on this matter can be put forth. 

Nex Machina is definitely better. You control a human like Matterfall, just with far more maneuverability. 
 

Matterfall just feels like a step back. It’s not a bad game, but it’s not a great game. 
 

The next game I’ll probably play from Housemarque is Super Stardust Ultra followed by Alienation. 

[Alondate31]

I actually wanna thank you for this topic. More people are aware of this amazing game now because of you 

 

About master difficulty, no, it is not garbage. You are just angry because you couldn't do it. I don't wanna sound a guy who says, "git gud" but sorry. I don't like it when people talk shit about a game because of its difficulty. It's just unfair.

 

DO NOT avoid this game. Play it if you have the chance 

[AJ_Radio]

4 hours ago, Alondate31 said:

I actually wanna thank you for this topic. More people are aware of this amazing game now because of you 

 

About master difficulty, no, it is not garbage. You are just angry because you couldn't do it. I don't wanna sound a guy who says, "git gud" but sorry. I don't like it when people talk shit about a game because of its difficulty. It's just unfair.

 

DO NOT avoid this game. Play it if you have the chance 

Matterfall isn’t a bad game, but it’s definitely not one of Housemarque’s best. 
 

I have to disagree with you on Master difficulty. On Nex Machina you only have to beat one level on Master. Your character is far more agile in that game. I ended up doing some challenges on Master in Nex Machina and while difficult, they were a lot more fair. 
 

Here in Matterfall, you have to dodge revenge bullets in very tight corridors and because of how hectic the game can get, you will often die. I’m sorry but dying 100 times just to finish one level in a world (3-1 thru 3-3 was just torture on Master) is not fun in the slightest. Loading times are also annoying which add a great deal to your playtime in the long run. 
 

With the bosses you have to start over from the beginning every time you die, only it’s a one hit death rather than a two - six hit death. They’re not as bad as the individual levels on Master difficulty.

Elegy on PST.org summed up this game perfectly…

 

https://www.playstationtrophies.org/forum/topic/292460-platinum-difficulty-rating/#comment-6144126

Edited July 18, 2022 by AJ_Radio
grammar check

[JohnCenaSong-]

8 hours ago, AJ_Radio said:

Matterfall isn’t a bad game, but it’s definitely not one of Housemarque’s best.

 

This is the impression I had since it launched and it's the one Housemarque game I haven't played yet (aside from Returnal since I don't have a PS5). 

 

That being said I am hoping to play it someday as I'm a Housemarque fan and over time I have heard positive responses albeit similarly they've claimed it's not their best work. It does go on sale fairly frequently so I'm hoping to catch it in one when I feel like playing it.

 

I do however think you might be exaggerating your complaints a little though, particularly with difficulty as I see threads and posts like this a lot from you when you play a game and find something difficult. Knowing how trophy hunters also tend to behave with difficult experiences you'll probably be casually rating this like a 3/10 difficulty a couple weeks after you've finished despite your vents coming across almost like it's a 10 right now. I just don't fully buy into the authenticity of these complaints of the game being unfair or too difficult.

 

You cite other Housemarque titles like Resogun or Nex Machina as a good examples of the difficulty being 'fair' but I have this nagging feeling that your experience with that was probably filled with similar venting at the time. Though, side note, Nex Machina is awesome, highly recommend.

On 16/07/2022 at 11:09 AM, DrBloodmoney said:

I disagree.

 

Matterfall is a great game IMO - anyone who’s a fan of Housemarque, and of games like Strider has a  good chance of enjoying Matterfall - I certainly did.

Hmm, I haven't heard anyone mention Strider before. That has me a little more curious as well. I am a fan of Housemarques games and I did enjoy Strider.

[DrBloodmoney]

3 minutes ago, JohnCenaSong- said:

Hmm, I haven't heard anyone mention Strider before. That has me a little more curious as well. I am a fan of Housemarques games and I did enjoy Strider.

 

Yeah - I thought it felt a lot like Housemarque's take on a similar style to that more recent Strider game - it's got a lot of the same level design style, and some of the same fast-paced 2D - it's a little more technical than Strider was, but definitely in the same ballpark!

[AJ_Radio]

19 minutes ago, JohnCenaSong- said:

This is the impression I had since it launched and it's the one Housemarque game I haven't played yet (aside from Returnal since I don't have a PS5). 

 

That being said I am hoping to play it someday as I'm a Housemarque fan and over time I have heard positive responses albeit similarly they've claimed it's not their best work. It does go on sale fairly frequently so I'm hoping to catch it in one when I feel like playing it.

 

I do however think you might be exaggerating your complaints a little though, particularly with difficulty as I see threads and posts like this a lot from you when you play a game and find something difficult. Knowing how trophy hunters also tend to behave with difficult experiences you'll probably be casually rating this like a 3/10 difficulty a couple weeks after you've finished despite your vents coming across almost like it's a 10 right now. I just don't fully buy into the authenticity of these complaints of the game being unfair or too difficult.

 

You cite other Housemarque titles like Resogun or Nex Machina as a good examples of the difficulty being 'fair' but I have this nagging feeling that your experience with that was probably filled with similar venting at the time. Though, side note, Nex Machina is awesome, highly recommend.

The only true 10 out of 10 on my profile is Super Meat Boy. Don’t need to explain why, because you already know. 
 

Keep in mind this is my own take on this game. Now that I have the platinum I can definitely say Matterfall is one of the weaker entries in Housemarque’s arsenal. There’s a couple obscure titles of theirs but I have no interest in playing them. Aside from Returnal, Alienation and Super Stardust Ultra are the only ones with platinums I haven’t played yet. 
 

Difficulty wise Resogun DLC is the hardest of the bunch. Nex Machina is tough but more fair. Matterfall on Veteran is actually a little challenging in a fun way. But I don’t think this was really designed for Master difficulty. Revenge bullets aren’t all that fun when you got tight corridors to deal with. 
 

14 minutes ago, DrBloodmoney said:

 

Yeah - I thought it felt a lot like Housemarque's take on a similar style to that more recent Strider game - it's got a lot of the same level design style, and some of the same fast-paced 2D - it's a little more technical than Strider was, but definitely in the same ballpark!

 

Strider was actually enjoyable. I’m talking of course the one on the PS4.

Edited July 18, 2022 by AJ_Radio
Grammar check

[Plattitudes]

I know I'm chiming in late, but I thought I'd share my thoughts in case it helps anyone who's thinking of playing the game. I'm the author of the trophy guide for whatever it's worth.

 

Difficulty levels in this game are not the same as other Housemarque games. In Matterfall, I was able to start the game on Veteran difficulty with no prior experience. I didn't find this difficulty overly challenging and even went after collectables during this run. I recorded my video guides using an alt account during it as well (you may notice I'm not very good at the game at this point).

 

Shortly after finishing Matterfall, I played Nex Machina. I found its experienced difficulty harder than Matterfall's veteran, and its veteran difficulty very challenging. Additionally, there are very tough challenge mode type tasks you must complete in Nex Machina furthering its difficulty. 

 

I've played all the modern Housemarque games at this point except Aleination. In both Resogun and Nex Machina, there was a point where I questioned my ability to earn the platinum. I did not feel this way with Matterfall. Yes, master difficulty is challenging. Chapter 2 and 3 have a couple levels that are sure to frustrate you. The final boss will surely frustrate you as well, but in my opinion it's not too bad. The time windows are very generous. I believe I met the gold speed requirement on every level my first attempt. Also, you're really only racing from checkpoint to checkpoint as the game reverts to the time you had at your last checkpoint. Revenge bullets suck, but ideally you're only going to fight 40% of the enemies. If certain parts are giving you issues, you can just work to build an overcharge for that part, and then just run through it with invincibility.

 

As someone suggested in this thread, some authors try to big dick their difficulty rating. I deliberated quite a long time before settling on a 6/10. My initial inclination was 7/10. Ultimately the ratings of other games of the same ilk convinced me that my older-gamer ass probably struggled more than most would, so I dropped it a point.

 

Final thoughts. If you're the type of gamer that can cruise through Housemarque's previous entries without effort, you're going to do the same thing here. If you play this game and think "6/10 is bullshit! This is incredibly hard!", you're going to say, or have already said, that same thing about every single one of their games.

Edited August 5, 2022 by Plattitudes

[coldhardcrash_]

On 7/16/2022 at 7:36 PM, AJ_Radio said:

Down to two final levels (3-3 and World 3 Boss). Already spent several hours, probably close to 10 hours on Master difficulty. 
 

Worst Housemarque game thus far. Bad game design. Compared to Nex Machina, Matterfall is the equivalent of a B movie crew and cast. 
 

Did poor in sales, then people wondered why Housemarque was opting to go out of the Arcade gaming genre. This was years before they made their comeback with Returnal. 
 

Avoid this one. Play the other Housemarque games.

Strongly disagree, this is a very harsh take on what is an excellent game. Yes, it's not as good as Nex Machina but to say it has bad game design is just incorrect.

 

The game takes some getting used to and is challenging, but never did it feel cheap or unfair, even on Master difficulty. Every time I died on Master, it was almost always entirely my fault either by rushing into an area without enough caution or losing focus for a split second (particularly in the second and third boss fights).

 

The levels on Master aren't even that bad, you're pretty much just trying to get from checkpoint to checkpoint without getting hit, and with enough repetition and practice, most sections start to become muscle memory and you'll begin to memorise which enemies spawn where, which ones to kill, which ones to avoid, etc. Even the "speedrun" trophy on Master isn't that bad considering it reverts your time to what it was when you first got to the checkpoint you respawn at after dying, and as @Plattitudes mentioned above, the time requirements are very generous.

 

On 7/16/2022 at 8:26 PM, delfierro006 said:

I guess ima have to play it and see if its good for myself

Play it, it's a great game.