Nano Assault Neo X (PlayStation 4) Review

By Adam Riley 14.11.2014

Review for Nano Assault Neo X on PlayStation 4

Shin'en is renowned amongst the Nintendo faithful for its shmup heritage, be it the Iridion or Nanostray series, each game has increasingly improved, all the while squeezing plenty of juice out of the respective hardware it has graced. Now the small-but-effective German development outfit makes its first foray into the world of PlayStation with a port of a Wii U eShop launch title, now entitled Nano Assault Neo X. Should Sony fans be rejoicing at this new release?

Nothing has really changed since appearing on Wii U, so those that loved Nano Assault Neo a couple of years ago will likely still get their kicks from this thrill ride. Those that have yet to sample its delights, though, are certainly in for a treat. Whilst not the fastest shmup out there, Nano Assault Neo X does enough to raise the heart rate and cause palms and brows to start perspiring more than would be deemed the norm, especially in the latter parts of this space shooter.

The core game takes place across four worlds, each with four sub-sectors. A small selection overall, perhaps, but the difficulty level towards the end and sheer replayability thanks to the multiplayer and online leaderboards make for an addictive experience that belies its initial appearance of being bite-sized.

Screenshot for Nano Assault Neo X on PlayStation 4

The idea of the main mode is to take charge of a tiny ship and exterminate any parasites roaming around cell clusters (yes, this is a highly zoomed-in world where objects normally only seen under a microscope are magnified considerably!), wiping out at least 90% of the critters in order to move onto the next area. Each stage is a small planet-styled environment, filled with all manner of other-worldly foliage, rock formations, energy fields and various other elements that make traversing a tricky enough process as it is, with the camera swirling around as flight (using the left analogue stick) is carried out and shooting (using the right analogue stick) commences to clear a pathway to victory.

Special additional weapons and bombs, plus satellite shooting accompaniments that can be pointed in any direction desired, help to make the action all the more exhilarating, and during the barrage of enemy fire being dodged there is the chance to collect currency for purchasing additional firepower, shields and even lives between stages, as well as picking up letters that spell 'BONUS,' triggering a tunnel level featuring nothing but hazardous obstacles and a plentiful supply of monetary tokens. Rushing to the end of all the 12 stages may seem too brief for some but the replay value is immensely high, with new modes opening up for those that make the effort, an addictive two-player option, as well as the draw of climbing online scoreboards to see who is the ultimate Nano Assault champion.

Screenshot for Nano Assault Neo X on PlayStation 4

Cubed3 Rating

8/10
Rated 8 out of 10

Great - Silver Award

Rated 8 out of 10

With only a few levels on offer, lasting a mere few minutes each, it would be easy to conclude that Nano Assault Neo X is not worth the money. Delving underneath the surface, though, reveals a very addictive experience that will have fans of the genre coming back for more on a regular basis, even if just to climb up the online scoreboards. Missed out on the Wii U eShop version? Then be sure to try out this fantastic PlayStation 4 edition instead.

Developer

Shin'en Multimedia

Publisher

Shin'en

Genre

Shooter

Players

2

C3 Score

Rated $score out of 10  8/10

Reader Score

Rated $score out of 10  0 (0 Votes)

European release date Out now   North America release date Out now   Japan release date None   Australian release date Out now   

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