#rhythm games
#rhythm games
by Amr (@siegarettes)
Old School Musical had me thinking a lot about what makes a rhythm game enjoyable to me. On the surface it seems like an easy slam dunk–take the aesthetics of old videogames, mash them together into a narrative and turn it into a musical you play along to. But the end result ends up a little incoherent. It draws on many sources for its homages, and does a reasonable job of replicating them, but it never finds a coherent direction, mixing aesthetics haphazardly, and scoring the scenes with tracker style music that brings to mind the European PC scene more than the console and arcade games it pays homage to.
by Amr (@siegarettes)
Returning to the series PC roots, DJMAX Respect brings over the latest entry in the stylish rhythm game series, with some new features and major omissions. When the original PS4 version of Respect dropped three years ago, both RJ and I adored it, and I personally found it to be the best introduction into the bullet hell-esque sensory overload of the series. Respect V is generally that same game, but the changes here leave it feeling barebones compared to its console counterpart.
by Amr (@siegarettes)
Rayark has made a name for themselves in the rhythm game space. They’ve carved their space with games like VOEZ and Deemo on mobile and Vita, eventually bringing both to the Switch in updated, comprehensive packages that were even updated to add button support to interfaces intended for touchscreens. Cytus Alpha is the latest in this series, bringing Cytus’ complete tracklist and story into one game, alongside some guest tracks from the DJ Max series.
by Amr (@siegarettes)
When I originally reviewed Persona 4 Dancing All Night, I said it was a game with a clear passion for dance. It surprised me with how involved its story was, and the level of presentation it brought to its dance sequences. By comparison, Persona 5 Dancing in Starlight feels workmanlike.The word I’d use to describe P5D isn’t “passionate”, but rather “competent”. It’s made well enough, and if you enjoy the music of Persona 5 you’ll probably enjoy Persona 5 Dancing in Starlight. But it’s missing so many of the little touches that made P4D feel like a loving entry in the world of Persona and lays bare what P5D is–a spin off entry to get more money out of fans.
by Amr (@siegarettes)
“The Dark Souls of x” is a phrase so ubiquitous now that you’ll probably hear it used to refer to any difficult game. obviously the creators of DJMAX have gotten wise to this, as all the press copy for DJMAX Respect, the latest in the notoriously demanding rhythm series, includes the phrase. But is it true? Is this really the Dark Souls of Rhythm Games?
No. What? That doesn’t make sense.
In fact, that whole ~Dark Souls of~ thing is seriously just… useless for describing…anything.
Let me offer a better comparison: DJMAX Respect is the bullet hell for rhythm games.
By: RJ (@rga_02)
Have you ever imagined falling down into the abyss only to find yourself in the arms of a humanoid that does nothing with their time other than play the piano? I haven’t – but I’m pretty sure someone out there has imagined that before. For those who wish to live that life, Deemo has you covered, and it also happens to be a rhythm game as well.
by Omar (@siegarettes)
Between spending more time in the arcades of Yakuza 5′s Kamurocho, and a general renewed interest in Wii games, I finally returned Namco’s Taiko no Tatsujin series in a big way. Taiko is dead simple, a rhythm game in the strictest sense. There’s one lane, and only two ways to hit a note, inside or outside, red or blue. After all, it’s meant to imitate the performance of Japan’s traditional festival drums of the same name.
By: Omar (@siegarettes)
Platformers tend to have a certain rhythm to them. There’s a beat, an ebb and flow to movement. Inside My Radio takes that rhythm and makes it explicit. Actions are tied to the beat of the music, lose the rhythm and you’ll fail basic actions. It’s a hybrid that makes it unique in its genre, but also adds several complications.