Active Matter Review

There seems to have been no dry period in the gaming calendar this year, so my review has taken a little longer than I expected. Extraction shooters seem to be all the rage at the moment, with several of them on the market, some successful and some struggling. The battle royale genre became oversaturated at one point, and I feel extraction shooters may face the same risk. With games like Marathon struggling to find their feet, it shows that even the huge developers may not quite land as anticipated. Active Matter from developer Team Matter and publisher Gaijin Distribution Kft is now available on Xbox Series X/S and also includes Xbox Play Anywhere functionality.

Tactical Combat Meets Constant Dread

I’ll start by stating that if you’re looking for a casual experience with deep storytelling, then this isn’t the one. The early narrative will give you a brief bit of knowledge of what’s occurring. You’re stuck in a mysterious time loop, and each death will force you back to the beginning. Any snippet of storytelling just serves as the framework for the gameplay loop, but to be honest, I wasn’t expecting much in the way of a story anyway here.

I found the early raids I took part in to be pretty brutal and punishing; this was due to a lack of resources rather than skill. Approaching gunfights requires thought rather than going in all guns blazing, though you can be caught off guard and have no option but to fight with everything. Gunplay is satisfactory, and weaponry feels punchy and effective. The fundamentals of the game itself are similar to other extraction titles: drop in, scavenge, fight, survive and get out with the goods.

The structure of PvPvE constantly drives memorable scenarios. With a mix of AI enemies and real players, most of the time the encounters are just as full-on as each other. AI can react to the slightest of noises and seem to be able to detect your movement. There is also the concept of if you can trust another player; some could want to be friendly, whereas others will just think nothing of slaying you and taking all your loot.

Visuals & Audio

Overall, I was impressed with how the game presents itself on Xbox Series X. Throughout my time with the game, I didn’t experience any standout issues. Where this game excels is enemies being camouflaged as trees or appearing invisible and then pouncing. Blend these moments with the environments and how they can turn into something that blows your mind. I wanted to open a door early on in the game, only to start walking along the wall upwards and then open up into another area. There are some clever twists and turns when it comes to the design and physics.

Audio is superb, and you can cut the tension with a knife, especially when everything seems calm and silent. You may be walking along and hear disturbing sounds in a certain area, and you’ll be on edge, looking over your shoulder. How the game sounds on a good quality headset always creates this sense of unease, even when friends are with you.

Final Thoughts

Active Matter is an incredibly ambitious extraction shooter that feels a bit different from the others out there. With its mind-bending atmosphere and anomaly-driven gameplay, it is a consistently tense rollercoaster. I found this to be one of the more punishing shooters I’ve ever played, but the setting and exploration kept drawing me in for more.

If you’re big into extraction shooters or even shooters in general, then you may find lots of hours here. Co-op crossplay allows you to dive in with friends if you don’t want to go it alone. With the bonus of Xbox Play Anywhere, you can play this anywhere your Xbox library allows. Fancy picking up a copy for yourself? You can do so HERE.