Sony’s PlayStation Studios recently announced that it had acquired the Finnish video game company Housemarque. The Helsinki-based firm was founded in 1995, making it the oldest gaming company still in operation in Finland. Housemarque has been making popular games for PlayStation consoles for quite some time now, so PlayStation Studios seems like the perfect buyer. There have been many great Housemarque games for the PlayStation over the years. Here’s our selection of the best ones.
Alienation
Released for PlayStation 4 in 2016, the fun RPG Alienation is a twin-stick shooter in which up to four players attempt to defend earth against an alien invasion. You can choose from one of three character classes, each of which has its own special abilities. You can also upgrade your weapons as you progress through the levels that become increasingly more challenging. Since its original release, Housemarque has updated Alienation with paid and free expansions. While not all gamers agreed, Alienation generally received very positive reviews. Jordan Devore, who writes the Destructoid blog, said it was one of the best-feeling, twin-stick shooter games he had ever played. Similarly, Game Informer’s Matt Miller stated Alienation in the multiplayer mode provided some of the best twin-stick shooting gameplay around. And if you enjoy playing games that feature aliens and monsters, such as this offering from the Finnish firm Housemarque, you’re sure to love playing the reactoonz slot game online, which features some scary-but-cute intergalactic alien monsters.
Returnal
The most recent Housemarque game is 2021’s Returnal, and it’s one of the best PlayStation games that the Finnish firm has developed. The third-person roguelike shooter was released exclusively on PlayStation 5 in April 2021. Returnal’s plot involves an Astra scout called Selene landing on the planet of Atropos. Selene soon finds herself trapped in a time loop. With each incarnation, she must traverse foreign alien environments and battle extraterrestrials. Returnal is one heck of a mind-bending science-fiction adventure that features plenty of unsettling scares and intense shootouts. If you have a PlayStation 5, this is one game that you should buy this year.
Nex Machina
The twin-stick shoot ‘em up game Nex Machina was released for PlayStation 4 in 2017. It’s also available for Windows. The game is played from a top-down perspective. The premise of Nex Machina may be simple, but it really is great fun to play. You make your way through rooms, shooting hordes of enemies along the way, as you attempt to save humans. Throughout the levels, you can find weapons upgrades and power-ups. The game was nominated for several prestigious game awards upon its release and it won several awards too, including Finnish Game of the Year and Big Screen Game of the Year at the Finnish Game Awards and Best Indie Action Game in Game Informer’s end of year accolades.
Resogun
The side-scrolling shoot ‘em up game Resogun was released on PlayStation 4 in 2013. It was launched on PlayStation 3 and PlayStation Vita the following year. Set in a cylindrical, voxel-based world, you must battle enemies and rescue people over five levels. Each level is separated into three stages and features a unique big-boss enemy at the end. The ultimate aim of the game is to defeat all of the foes, but saving humans allows you to gain a bonus score. The game was very well received by gamers and critics, particularly for its powerful graphics, enticing soundtrack, and fast-paced gameplay. Resogun won several awards, including the DICE Awards’ Action Game of the Year. If you haven’t yet played Resogun, you don’t know what you’re missing.