Rift of the NecroDancer review: GuitaRPG Hero

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The game “Rift of the NecroDancer,” developed by Brace Yourself Games, combines two popular genres in a unique way: dungeon-crawling RPG and music rhythm games. Instead of a traditional sequel to “Crypt of the NecroDancer,” they took the concept further, asking what if a game like Guitar Hero had elements of RPG combat? The result is a fresh, though unconventional, take on gaming that offers an exciting new experience. Despite some challenges, it’s a game I find incredibly innovative, highly enjoyable, and I can’t seem to get enough of it.

Vibing in another world

In the realm of Crypt, our protagonist, Cadence, feels inexplicably pulled towards… an enigmatic fissure that ejects her into a completely different dimension. The familiar elements of fantasy role-playing games are swapped for contemporary aesthetics. Her adventurous attire is now casual, consisting of a hoodie and jeans, while her weapon undergoes a metamorphosis to become a guitar. Navigating this bizarre new world filled with art galleries and yoga studios, Cadence must harness her musical talents to fend off waves of monsters emerging through the rifts and unravel the mystery surrounding the situation at hand.

In essence, NecroDancer’s Rift shares similarities with Guitar Hero, but offers an intriguing spin. Instead of merely tracking a chart and pressing buttons in sync with a song like in traditional rhythm games, you encounter various creatures such as slimes, skeletons, bats, and zombies that are usually found lurking in underground caves, earning experience points and money. The twist lies in the fact that instead of delving into dungeon depths, you’re clearing songs and solving real-world challenges. The storyline revolves around mysterious demonic antagonists trying to hinder your friends as they adjust to their new environments. Interestingly, it’s not the NecroDancer himself causing all the chaos – he’s actually working at a fast food joint, striving for a living like everyone else.

Note charting or note crawling?

In this unique musical experience, various entities serve as notes. Consequently, navigating these dynamic notes becomes your adversary, rather than just striking them when they appear. Instead, you must anticipate their movements, gauge their positions, and time your hits perfectly amidst a myriad of other tasks. The notes are constantly attempting to throw you off balance, adding an extra layer of difficulty beyond the usual musical game challenges. This added complexity turns the simple act of reading the note chart into a significant hurdle, making it stand out among similar music games available today.

Occasionally, this game can be frustrating, other times it’s intense. What sets it apart from typical music games is the requirement not just for quick reflexes, but also a good memory. This might not be something regular players are accustomed to. The variety of enemies in this game is quite diverse, and each new one introduces unique abilities that they use to dodge your attacks. To make things more complex, color-coding is used extensively, and it can be as confusing remembering what every color does as it is navigating intricate musical segments. However, the game provides healing items in the music charts at regular intervals to prevent a single mistake from leading to an instant game over. Yet, you might still encounter several game overs during your playthrough. This game is challenging, but it never feels unjustifiably so. I found myself eagerly replaying songs to conquer the parts that gave me trouble.

Trading RPG elements for… Rhythm Heaven?

Instead of Crypt offering a roguelike experience with advancement systems, stats, items, and various tricks, Rift presents a simpler music game. It includes a story mode filled with entertaining characters, amusing dialogue, mini-games, and boss battles. However, unlike traditional RPGs, there’s no leveling up, customization of the game, or other role-playing elements. Yet, it still offers a rich gaming experience, particularly due to its built-in custom song tool that lets you use the developer’s note charting system to create challenges for friends. Additionally, you can download user-generated songs from the Steam Workshop, and there are already some great tracks available.

As a fan, let me share my excitement about the minigames in Rift! Hidden within its gameplay are some delightful surprises that remind me of both Rhythm Heaven and Punch-Out! Now, I won’t spoil everything for you, but trust me, it’s still a blast. While the core gameplay is reminiscent of Guitar Hero, the minigames and boss fights offer a refreshing twist. It’s rare to find a game that pays tribute to one of Nintendo’s most unique series, and the Punch-Out! segments are just too amusing not to enjoy, even if the gameplay in those areas isn’t particularly deep. However, I must say, Rift clearly enjoys what it’s doing, and that enthusiasm shines through as you play.

Rift of the NecroDancer doesn’t have many extra features, but this isn’t a drawback – quite the contrary! It boasts an intelligent central idea that avoids becoming tiresome by avoiding unnecessary complexities or tricks. Instead, it focuses on providing an outstanding gameplay experience based on its core concept. Whether you play for short spurts or extended periods, it’s a blast! Moreover, it leaves plenty of room for the community to expand upon it with more antics. As a sequel to Crypt of the NecroDancer, it offers a unique gaming experience, but one that maintains the same creative flair that made the original game so entertaining.

The game “Rift of the NecroDancer” is currently accessible on personal computers, with a release for the Nintendo Switch scheduled for 2025. For this particular review, a code for the PC edition was kindly supplied by the publisher.

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2025-02-12 17:57