Review: Rift of the NecroDancer

Feel the rhythm and defeat enemies with the perfect beat.

THE GAME

Rift of the NecroDancer is a rhythm game developed by Brace Yourself Games and Tic Toc Games and published by Klei Publishing. In another NecroDancer adventure, Cadence finds herself in a world unfamiliar to her, but must still do what she does best: defeat monsters that emerge from the rift using music and rhythm. Attack enemies in time with the music to defeat them and keep the music flowing.

Feel the beat and defeat the enemies.

MY IMPRESSIONS

For those already familiar with the NecroDancer series, it will be easy to understand the dynamics of Rift of the NecroDancer. Just like in the first game in the series, enemies have different behaviors, tied to the rhythm of the music. Learn their patterns to react appropriately when facing them. Additionally, some of them will be more difficult to defeat, requiring a little extra damage. Like in the famous Guitar Hero, enemies advance like notes to be played. If you miss or let one of them pass, you will take damage. If your health reaches zero, you lose. Upon completing the song, you will receive a grade, which is based on how much damage you received and how accurately you hit enemies, as well as your score, which is heavily influenced by your combos. Of course, there is a global ranking system to compare your score with other players around the world.

The game's art is very colorful and cartoonish, giving the characters a lively feel. The game is in Brazilian Portuguese, which makes it easier to understand the story mode. With four difficulty levels, Rift of the NecroDancer will appeal to both casual and hardcore players, making it a game that appeals to everyone, including those less adept at rhythm games. There are also some rhythm minigames, which are quite fun and great for taking a breather between one frenetic song and another. Even with the game's many original songs, you can also count on DLC collaborations with other games, featuring iconic songs from Celeste and Pizza Tower, for example. Not to mention the collaboration with Hatsune Miku, which is also noteworthy. And if all that isn't enough, you can create your own music map and share it, as well as download it from other players. In short, it's a game with endless content and full of possibilities and challenges.

Music and difficulty for all tastes.

ACHIEVEMENTS

To summarize, getting 100% of Rift of the NecroDancer's achievements can be summed up in one word: skill. Many of them can be achieved simply by playing casually, but some, like beating songs on the hardest difficulty or achieving S+ ranks, will depend heavily on skill. So, keep in mind that if you go after all the achievements, you'll be working hard to get them.

Rhythm minigames are a lot of fun.

CONCLUSION

For those who played Crypt of the NecroDancer, Rift of the NecroDancer conveys the same vibe as its predecessor. I found it impressive how they managed to translate different gameplay styles while still conveying the same feeling in both titles. It's so rare to find rhythm games, but they always seem to be made with great care. Being able to create your own music maps makes the game endless for those who enjoy the genre. For those like me, who aren't as skilled, the difficulty levels are great for gauging the player's level and avoiding frustration, pleasing everyone who plays the game. For those who were missing a good music game, go play Rift of the NecroDancer without fear of being happy.

SCORE: 8.5/10