By: RJ (@rga_02)

• MUSYNX
• Publisher - PM Studios
• Developer - I-Inferno
• PlayStation Vita (also on Nintendo Switch and PC)

It is always wonderful to see a rhythm game dive into music genres that aren’t well represented. They are quite rare, but they are out there. A recent example would be Pianista: The Legendary Virtuoso where it represents classical music in a sea populated by the likes of vocaloid, J-POP, touhou remixes and eurobeat. Then there is MUSYNX. While it does fall into some of the aforementioned genres such as vocaloid, it heavily features Chinese - Mandarin vocals that aren’t traditionally featured in rhythm games. 

While there are some traditional Japanese and Korean artists such as M2U, the focus on Chinese music is noteworthy in the current market. It was like taking a trip down baidu, clicking random music links and listening to whatever pops up. As someone who isn’t typically exposed to music from this part of the world, it was a treat discovering new things to listen to. 

Apart from the music, MUSYNX follows the basic template of other rhythm games out on the market. It is a lane based game where you can either use the touchscreen or the buttons on the PlayStation Vita (same for the Nintendo Switch). When the notes meet the line, you hit the corresponding button or use the touch input. At the end of each song you are graded for your timing - called sync rates. Achieving a high sync rate can be jarring for a lot of players since this game has a very high threshold compared to other rhythm games.

There are two key modes - four and six buttons with a choice of either easy or hard difficulty. The higher level charts can be extremely daunting on the Vita touchscreen, which can be attributed to the small screen real estate. However, the charts in general are well designed. 

The visuals for MUSYNX are easy on the eye. Bright and colorful pallets give the game a warm fuzzy feeling that you only find in other rhythm games such as Pop’n Music or Theatrhythm: Final Fantasy. Even the little MS Paint drawn sun that greets you once you complete the song in the selection is cute to stare at.

There are some missing features in this game that might affect some players. For one, there isn’t a mission mode, MUSYNX is just one giant free-play. There is also a lack of any sort of tutorial. While the game is relatively easy to pick-up, novice players might find the game a bit intimidating. 

MUSYNX is simple and charming. While it is missing some features compared to other titles, it delivers tracks that aren’t well represented in the medium. That alone is worth checking the game out.