This beat’s got a kick! Rift of the Necrodancer Review

Rift of the Necrodancer is the newest rhythm game created by Brace Yourself Games. As the name suggests, it is a follow up to their debut title Crypt of the Necrodancer, released back in 2015. If you’ve played classic rhythm games like Guitar Hero or Rock Band, you’re going to tread familiar ground here – there’s a track with three lanes where notes travel down towards you, and you have to hit the corresponding button when the note reaches the end of its lane. Standard rhythm game stuff, right? So, what’s different? Well, the Necrodancer twist here is that the notes you’re hitting are actually the dungeon-delving baddies seen in Crypt, everything from slimes, skeletons, bats and dragons.

The return of these miscreants isn’t just for aesthetics though, because each enemy behaves differently and can have a different rhythm to them as they bop menacingly towards you. For example, bats need to be hit multiple times, but they will switch to an adjacent lane after they’ve been hit. There are also traps which can appear randomly in the lanes and change how the monsters behave even further, creating a chaotic crescendo that’s sure to trip you up. These elements end up creating a lot of visual clutter on the screen that is designed to deliberately confuse you into making mistakes. This results in a gameplay experience that felt overall very challenging, even for a self-proclaimed rhythm game aficionado like myself. Previous experience with other rhythm games may end up being a detriment to you, since it remixes traditional mechanics of the rhythm game genre. So, if you come in with any assumptions about how to play this game, you’ll need to retrain yourself and learn to follow the beat of the Necrodancer’s new drum.

There’s also a story mode included which follows the main character of the series, Cadence, as she’s been transported to the modern world through a rift (there it is) and is trying to find her way back home. The story isn’t that deep, and you don’t need to know any plot from of the previous games. There are some pre-established relationships with Cadence and other supporting characters like Dove, but you’ll be able to understand their dynamic within seconds of seeing them on screen. Also, let’s be completely honest: the story mode’s purpose is not to wow us with any deep storytelling (we’re not dealing with Tár or Whiplash here), but to act as an extended tutorial mode to gradually introduce the new mechanics to the player and help increase their skill over time.

Visually, this game is incredibly well-polished and has a very vibrant and bouncy colour palette. The whole aesthetic feels akin to a Saturday morning cartoon. There are also some minigames which serve as a nice palate cleanser between songs in the story mode. They go along with the quirky gimmick of the Necrodancer cast doing everyday activities and adding to the fish-out-of-water goofiness, such as participating in a Yoga class lead by Dove or assembling burgers with the titular Necrodancer himself. From archnemesis to burger flipper, how the mighty have fallen.

I haven’t even touched on the soundtrack yet, which is unsurprisingly fantastic. It’s filled with chiptune, electronica that the Necrodancer brand is known for. The pitch perfect quality of the songs stays strong through the game’s runtime. But if you’re still craving more tunes after exhausting the game’s library, don’t fret. Because there are heaps of custom-made charts for popular songs made by the community that you can download directly from the Steam Workshop. You can even have a go at charting your own favourite songs. Just a few days after its release, there’s already hundreds of tracks available to download. Although be warned, those who are dedicated enough to make these charts are usually rhythm game experts. And as such these charts can be quite difficult, even on the lower difficulties. I’d recommend building up your skills in the story mode first before moving to these custom tracks. But if you feel so inclined to jump straight into trying to master “Megalovania” from Undertale or songs from Scott the Woz, then by all means, go ahead.

It’s also worth noting that Rift of the Necrodancer can be played entirely with just a few buttons, even its menus. This control decision can make the game much more accessible, especially if you need to remap these inputs to any alternative controllers you may have. Having to only remap a few button inputs is significantly easier when you don’t have any mouse or cursor inputs to worry about.

Rift of the Necrodancer provides a wonderfully polished experience that feels best to play in short bursts. It can feel overwhelming and all consuming if you play it for too long. When you get into the rhythm of it, a hazy-eyed flow state can wash over you, as you’re entranced by the bopping baddies dancing towards you. If you want an immediate feeling of what flow feels like in games, you’ll get it immediately from playing this game. It’s the classic definition of easy to play, difficult to master. But much like learning a musical instrument, the payoff for your perseverance is worth it.

Basic Information:

Developer: Brace Yourself Games

Publisher: Klei Publishing

Release date: 5/02/2025

Platforms: PC, Nintendo Switch

Genre: Rhythm Game

PEGI: 3

Photos: promotional pictures from Rift of the Necrodancer (Brace Yourself Games). https://store.steampowered.com/app/2073250/Rift_of_the_NecroDancer/

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Ben Yaxley

A lifelong gamer who still listens to pop punk music despite being in his thirties. Loves JRPGs and many multiplayer games, but he tends to get too competitive at Mario Party. Will also be overly critical of fishing minigames.

#Indie #Rhythm