Info about MADNESS: Project Nexus:

Official game description:
  
**MADNESS: Project Nexus** is a **third-person Run n' Gun / Beat'Em Up** filled with arcade-style action and button-mashing brutality. Shoot, stab, bash, chop, and slaughter your way through over 16 hours of intense combat. Your wits will be challenged. Your nerves will be tested. Blood will probably get all over everything... what a day to leave your raincoat at home! But that's alright. Wading through the dismembered remnants of those who fell to your bullets and steel, only one thing crosses your mind: _They asked for this._ And you're glad that they did.  
*   **STORY CAMPAIGN**  
    _\[Solo & Local Co-Op\] \[8+ Hours\]_  
    Take the reigns of the antiheroes of the Madness universe! Infiltrate heavily guarded installations, survive cultist-ridden tunnel networks, fight back against dynamite-wielding cannibal bandits, and dodge the grasp of armor-plated Mag Agents over three times your size...all while unearthing the terrible secrets of Project Nexus itself.  
    Play solo or locally with up to three other people (using Xbox-compatible controllers).  
*   **ARENA COMBAT**  
    _\[Solo Play\] \[8+ Hours\] \[New Game +\]_  
    Build your custom warrior from the ground up! You'll advance through specialized skill tiers and train a unique Madness warrior who is equipped to take on wave after wave of never-ending badguys in combat environments that range from killer game shows to haunted houses to high speed trains. Build your own custom weapons and outfit them with the latest technology to give yourself the edge you're going to need to pull through.  
*   **THE PLAYGROUND**  
    Play god in a secure combat environment and pit squads of badguys against one another for your own satisfaction. Toss them any weapons you like, or have them go at it with their bare fists. Or, jump down into the fray yourself and show them who's boss!  
    **ABOUT US**  
    Hello! We're Matt Jolly and Michael Swain, two smalltime game developers who spent seven years bringing this project to life. It was inspired by our love for the side-scrolling button mashers we grew up with, and if you feel the same, then we can't wait for you to jump straight into the carnage!

Release date: Sep 29, 2021

Categories: Third-Person Shooter, Beat 'em up, Character Customization, Local Co-op, Run and Gun, Top-Down Shooter, Hack and Slash, Story Mode

Feature scans:
- Steam Deck: score 50; verdict: Tinkering Required; summary: The analysis of user feedback reveals significant issues with controller support and multiplayer functionality, which are critical for a seamless gaming experience. Additionally, there are concerns about the design and implementation of origin abilities and game mechanics. These issues collectively indicate that the game requires considerable tinkering and external solutions to be playable, detracting from the overall user experience.

- Hardware Profile: No data
Feature extractions:
- Community Price:
  - Community fair range: $19.99 - $24.99
  - Reasoning: The evidence shows a mix of opinions on the game's value. Some users feel the game is worth the full price due to its content and positive reviews, while others suggest it might be better to purchase it on sale. The mention of the $24.99 price tag as a point of contention indicates that some users find this price slightly high, but still within a reasonable range given the game's quality and content. The overall sentiment suggests that the fair price range is around the current base game price, with some flexibility for discounts.
- Playtime Metrics:
  - Game completion: 100.0h
  - Story completion: 20.0h
  - Session length: 1.0h
  - Endgame: N/A
  - Reasoning: The evidence suggests that the game offers extensive replayability and engaging content across both its story and arena modes. Players mention spending significant time exploring the story, completing achievements, and replaying levels to fully understand the game's narrative and mechanics. Specific mentions of the story mode taking around 20 hours per level and the overall high replayability indicate a substantial investment of time to fully complete and enjoy the game. The arena mode is highlighted for its addictive nature and the vast amount of content it offers, further supporting the idea of extensive playtime.
- Time-to-fun:
  - Summary: The game has a challenging early phase with a steep learning curve and grind, but it becomes fun and engaging once players progress past the initial stages and unlock more content.
  - Stance: Fun then drops
  - Anchor: Unlocking the heist mode and progressing through the early game grind.
  - Time to anchor: 2h 0m
  - Friction: Challenging tutorial; Early-game grind; Repetitive early levels
  - Unlock drivers: Progression system; Unlocking new gear and abilities; Access to heist mode
  - Conditions: Playing with friends in co-op mode; Using mods from the Steam Workshop; Playing in arena mode
- Player Archetypes:
  - Madness Combat Fan (buy)
    - Motivation: Nostalgia and franchise loyalty.
    - Playstyle: Engages with both story and arena modes, appreciates character customization and faithfulness to the original series.
    - Experience: veteran
    - Purchase stance: buy
    - Labels: Madness Combat enthusiast; franchise fan
    - Reference games: Madness Combat animations
  - Co-op Enthusiast (buy)
    - Motivation: Social interaction and cooperative gameplay.
    - Playstyle: Prefers playing in local co-op mode, enjoys the campaign with friends.
    - Experience: mixed
    - Purchase stance: buy
    - Labels: co-op player; social gamer
    - Reference games: Games with local co-op features
  - Completionist Grinder (sale)
    - Motivation: Achievement hunting and 100% completion.
    - Playstyle: Engages in extensive grinding and replaying of content to achieve all goals and unlockables.
    - Experience: veteran
    - Purchase stance: sale
    - Labels: achievement hunter; completionist
    - Reference games: Games with extensive achievement lists and grinding mechanics
  - Casual Combat Enjoyer (buy)
    - Motivation: Fun and engaging gameplay.
    - Playstyle: Enjoys story mode and combat, appreciates interesting art direction and fun gameplay mechanics.
    - Experience: newcomer
    - Purchase stance: buy
    - Labels: casual gamer; combat enjoyer
    - Reference games: Indie games with interesting art direction and fun combat mechanics


Below are summaries of things people say about the game per category.
Each point is assigned a weight that represents how often it is mentioned across all reviews.
What players like:
- Highly praised gameplay experience (weight 0.59): Many players expressed that the game is incredibly enjoyable, well-made, and one of the best they have ever played. The gameplay is described as fun, fantastic, and marvellous.
- Engaging and replayable arena mode (weight 0.37): The arena mode is described as addictive, replayable, and worthwhile. Players find it enjoyable and a significant part of the game's appeal.
- Unique combat mechanics (weight 0.33): The game features a good combat system with dynamic and fun fights, including boss fights and unique melee combat.
- Excellent soundtrack and audio (weight 0.26): The game's music and soundtrack are frequently highlighted as excellent, amazing, and memorable. Players appreciate the audio quality and sound effects.
- Interesting story mode (weight 0.26): The story mode is well-structured, well-written, and enjoyable, with funny dialogue and an interesting narrative.
- Character customization in arena mode (weight 0.26): The arena mode includes character recruitment, gun customization, and recruit management, adding depth to the gameplay.
- Madness Combat influence (weight 0.2): The game is noted for its connection to the Madness Combat series, appealing to fans and offering a similar combat experience.
- Active modding community (weight 0.16): The game has an active modding scene with good mod support and a plethora of available mods, enhancing its longevity.
- Highly recommended by players (weight 0.15): Players highly recommend the game, finding it very addictive and worth purchasing.
- Good value for money (weight 0.14): The game is considered worth the price, offering good value for money and being affordable.
- Visually appealing graphics (weight 0.14): The game features great graphics with a beautiful and stylish art style, described as cartoony and visually appealing.
- Well optimized for various PCs (weight 0.12): The game is well optimized and runs on low-end PCs, making it accessible to a wider audience.

Common complaints:
- Poor AI implementation (weight 0.3): The AI for both friendly characters and enemies is criticized for being unintelligent and poorly designed. This affects gameplay negatively, making teammates unreliable and enemies predictable.
- Lack of content and updates (weight 0.25): Players frequently mention that the game lacks sufficient content, including multiplayer options, boss variety, and recent updates. This makes the game feel incomplete and not worth the price for many players.
- Lack of language support (weight 0.24): There is a notable lack of language support, particularly for Chinese, Spanish, and Russian speakers. This language barrier can affect the understanding and enjoyment of the game's story.
- Poor optimization and design (weight 0.23): The game suffers from poor optimization, leading to laggy gameplay and poorly balanced mechanics. Additionally, the map design and NPC AI are criticized for being subpar.
- Repetitive and grindy gameplay (weight 0.21): The game is often described as repetitive, with grindy mechanics that can make the experience feel tedious over time. This repetitiveness can lead to boredom quickly.
- Frequent and impactful bugs (weight 0.19): Players report numerous bugs, including visual, sound, and gameplay-affecting issues. These bugs often disrupt the gaming experience and can make certain parts of the game unplayable.
- Short and shallow story (weight 0.17): The game's story is described as very short and lacking depth. This can make the overall experience feel incomplete and unsatisfying.
- Weak enemy design (weight 0.13): Certain enemies, like the half-giants, are criticized for being weak and poorly designed. This can make combat feel unbalanced and less engaging.
- Ineffective tutorial (weight 0.13): The tutorial is criticized for being worthless and not helpful. This can make it difficult for new players to understand the game mechanics.
- Control issues (weight 0.1): The game's controls are criticized for being hard to use and poorly mapped. This can make the gameplay feel awkward and less enjoyable.
- High difficulty and violence (weight 0.1): The game's high difficulty levels can be challenging and may not be suitable for all players. Additionally, the violence and gore may not be appropriate for everyone.
- Disappointing ending (weight 0.09): Many players find the ending of the game to be disappointing and unclear. This can leave players feeling unsatisfied with the overall story.
- Multiplayer issues (weight 0.07): There are significant issues with the multiplayer mode, including its absence or poor implementation. This can be a major drawback for players looking for a multiplayer experience.

Gameplay feedback:
- Extensive character customization (weight 0.25): Players can customize and progress their characters with various options. The game includes a robust customization system with character upgrades and workshop support.
- Diverse game modes available (weight 0.23): The game offers a variety of modes including story mode, arena combat, and sandbox modes. These modes provide different gameplay experiences such as endless arena battles and single-player content.
- Combat-focused gameplay (weight 0.23): The game features hack and slash combat with a beat 'em up style. Players can expect violent and action-packed gameplay with a focus on combat mechanics.
- Diverse enemies and levels (weight 0.14): The game features a variety of enemies and levels with unique challenges. Players will encounter different sectors and levels, each with distinct difficulties.
- Variety of weapons and enemies (weight 0.14): The game offers a variety of weapons and enemy types. Each enemy has unique attack patterns and vulnerabilities, adding depth to the combat.
- Strategic and cooperative gameplay (weight 0.14): The game includes strategic elements and cooperative gameplay. Players can enjoy team-based mechanics and fighting strategies.
- Challenging difficulty levels (weight 0.14): The game offers various difficulty levels, including a Dark Souls-like difficulty. Players can choose from different challenges to suit their preferences.
- Character abilities and roles (weight 0.11): The game features various character abilities and roles. Players can choose characters with unique strengths and abilities, enhancing gameplay diversity.
- Top-down shooter gameplay (weight 0.09): The game is a top-down shooter with beat 'em up and slash 'em up elements. It offers simple yet engaging shoot 'em up mechanics.
- Run and gun genre (weight 0.09): The game falls within the run and gun genre, featuring violent and fast-paced gameplay. Players can expect action-packed sequences and intense combat.
- Complex controls and support (weight 0.09): The game features complex controls and supports controllers. Players may need to familiarize themselves with the control scheme.
- Multiplayer and local coop (weight 0.09): Multiplayer mode is planned but not yet implemented. The game includes local cooperative mode for players to enjoy together.
- Challenging boss fights (weight 0.07): The game features challenging boss fights that test players' skills. These encounters provide significant challenges and rewards.
- Modding support (weight 0.07): The game supports various mods, allowing players to customize their experience. This feature enhances replayability and player creativity.
- Rogue-like and RPG elements (weight 0.07): The game includes rogue-like and RPG elements, adding depth and variety to the gameplay. Players can expect procedural generation and character progression.
- Story mode with multiple characters (weight 0.07): The story mode includes multiple characters and difficulty levels. Players can experience the narrative from different perspectives and challenges.
- NPC and companion AI (weight 0.06): The game features NPC and companion AI behavior. Players can interact with companions and NPCs, enhancing the gameplay experience.
- Levels and secrets (weight 0.06): The game includes various levels with secrets to discover. Players can save their progress within levels and explore hidden content.
- Tutorial system (weight 0.06): The game has a tutorial system to help new players. This feature assists players in understanding the game mechanics and controls.
- Playground mechanics (weight 0.06): The game includes playground mechanics, offering a sandbox environment for players to experiment and have fun. This feature adds a creative aspect to the gameplay.
- Madness universe setting (weight 0.06): The game is set in the Madness universe, offering a unique and immersive environment. Players will explore a world filled with distinctive characters and lore.
- Blood and gore elements (weight 0.06): The game includes blood and gore elements, adding to the violent and intense atmosphere. Players should be aware of the graphic content.

Performance notes:
- Mixed optimization feedback (weight 0.29): Players have varying opinions on the game's optimization. Some report poor optimization and issues, while others find it well-optimized, especially for older or low-end computers.
- Performance issues and crashes (weight 0.21): Several players experience random crashes, game freezing, and frame drops, particularly during intense scenes. Specific hardware setups, like the 3080ti and i7, also report performance issues.
- Specific optimization needs (weight 0.07): Some players suggest that certain areas of the game need more optimization. There are also requests for graphic editing to better support low-end PCs.
- Non-English feedback (weight 0.03): There is feedback in a language other than English, which translates to 'doesn't run the game anymore.' This indicates issues with the game running on certain systems.

Recommendations:
- General recommendations (weight 0.37): Many reviewers recommend the game, especially if it is on discount. It is suggested for a wide audience, including those who enjoy action games and general audiences.
- Recommended for Madness Combat fans (weight 0.31): The game is highly recommended for fans of the Madness Combat series and those who enjoy the Madness universe. It is praised for its story and gameplay, making it a must-play for series enthusiasts.
- Gameplay tips (weight 0.12): Players suggest starting with the vanilla game before trying mods. It is also recommended to finish the Campaign and Arena Mode before modding for a better experience.
- Multiplayer and replayability (weight 0.07): The game is worth the price for its multiplayer mode, which supports up to 4 players. Replayability and user-made levels add to the fun and longevity of the game.
- Controller and keyboard suggestions (weight 0.07): Some players recommend using a controller for better gameplay, while others suggest using a keyboard. This depends on personal preference and playstyle.
- Watch related content (weight 0.06): Some reviewers recommend watching the original animation related to the game. This can enhance the understanding and enjoyment of the game's story and universe.
- Optimize and remake suggestions (weight 0.06): There are suggestions to optimize the first game and put it on Steam. Additionally, there are requests for a remake of a classic, indicating a desire for improved versions of the game.
- Enjoy the ambiance (weight 0.04): The game is suggested for those who want to enjoy a simple yet dark ambiance filled with violence and fast-paced action. It caters to players looking for a specific atmosphere.
- Appreciation for developers (weight 0.03): Reviewers express appreciation for the developers, stating that they deserve recognition for their work. This highlights the positive impact the game has had on its community.

Other player notes:
No miscpoints

Emotions:
- Excitement (weight 0.18): Players are thrilled by the game's diverse content, including its engaging campaign, arena mode, and multiplayer experience. The variety of combat mechanics, customization options, and the connection to the Madness Combat universe also contribute to this excitement.
- Enjoyment (weight 0.14): Players find the game highly enjoyable due to its fun and addictive gameplay, engaging combat mechanics, and excellent soundtrack. The cooperative campaign, Arena mode, and the game's connection to the Madness Combat universe are also significant contributors to this enjoyment.
- Frustration (weight 0.14): Players experience frustration due to various gameplay issues, including difficult arena combat, repetitive gameplay, and frequent bugs. Performance issues, poor AI behavior, and unclear tutorials also contribute to this frustration.
- Nostalgia (weight 0.09): The game evokes nostalgia as it brings back childhood memories of playing the Flash version and watching the Madness Combat series. Long-time fans of the series appreciate the connection to the Madness Combat universe and the game's evolution from the web series.
- Satisfaction (weight 0.07): Players feel satisfied with the game's overall quality, including its good price, well-optimized performance, and enjoyable gameplay features. The gruesome and satisfying combat, customization options, and positive evaluation of the game's mechanics and story also contribute to this satisfaction.
- Disappointment (weight 0.07): Players express disappointment due to the game's lack of online co-op, poor graphics, and repetitive gameplay. The game's short length, lack of content, and failure to meet expectations as a Madness Combat game also contribute to this disappointment.
- Enthusiasm (weight 0.03): Players are enthusiastic about the game's story mode, high quality, and positive ratings across various aspects. The enjoyable gameplay style, story missions, and arena combat also contribute to this enthusiasm.
- Excited (weight 0.03): Players are excited about the game's quality and its connection to previous works in the series. The story mode, mods, and the potential for new harder difficulties also contribute to this excitement.
- Joy (weight 0.03): Players experience joy from the game's character progression, simplicity, and character design. The enjoyable combat and arena modes, along with the game's graphics and gore, also contribute to this joy.
- Positive (weight 0.02): Players have an overall positive experience with the game, enjoying its features and high replayability of the arena mode.
- Happy (weight 0.02): Players are happy with the game's wonderful graphics, gameplay, and humorous elements. The enjoyable arena mode, character customization, and the game's ability to encapsulate the experience of watching the animations also contribute to this happiness.
- Love (weight 0.01): Players love the game for its overall experience and appeal. It is considered a favorite battle game by many.
- Amusement (weight 0.01): Players are amused by the funny interactions with characters and the humorous descriptions in the game. The playground mode also adds to this amusement.
- Nostalgic (weight 0.01): Players feel nostalgic as the game reminds them of the best games from the past and previous experiences with the Madness Combat series on Newgrounds.
- Frustrated (weight 0.01): Players are frustrated with the game's teammate AI, performance issues on specific hardware, and various gameplay mechanics and issues.
- Appreciation (weight 0.01): Players appreciate the game's attention to detail, good value for money, and its worthiness of the Madness Combat name. The soundtrack, dark humor, and overall ambiance are also highly appreciated.
- Admiration (weight 0.01): Players admire the game's main campaign, character quality, and the evolution of the game series. The dedication of the developers and the impressive mod support also contribute to this admiration.
- Satisfied (weight 0.01): Players are satisfied with the enjoyable gameplay experience and the overall positive experience with specific gameplay elements. The perfect arena mode and the better version with several hours of gameplay also contribute to this satisfaction.
- Anger (weight 0.01): Players feel anger due to the game's poor NPC AI, grindy achievements, and frustration with the game's controls and overall quality. Difficulty with arena playthroughs and being banned from the community hub also contribute to this anger.
- Disappointed (weight 0.01): Players are disappointed with the lack of multiplayer mode and the story mode's lack of depth. Technical issues such as the game not running also contribute to this disappointment.}