Official Score
Overall - 60%
60%
Muse Dash has solid rhythm mechanics buried beneath a serious grind. Those that don’t mind a bit of repetition will enjoy their time, but get ready to pay your dues if you’re looking to see everything.
Packing two button controls and tons of tunes, PeroPeroGames and XD have entered the rhythm game genre with their new title Muse Dash. The premise might be simple, but does it have enough to attract those looking for a challenge?
Muse Dash Review
To add some pizazz to this game, players will guide one of three girls on their journey to a high score. Taking control of Rin, Buro, or Marija, the ultimate goal is to navigate through a number of different threats using just the “F” and “J” keys on the keyboard. This covers all forseeable angles though – the “J” button hits all enemies and projectiles on the ground, while “J” allows each character to fly in the air and dish out justice.
It sounds pretty simple, and it can be on easier songs. There are some wrinkles, such as Gemini enemies that require both buttons to be pressed at the same time and buzzsaws that move along the ground. There are also “Sheets” that require a button to be pressed down and bosses that require a rapid fire button press, but it’s nothing overly complex. However, what you see is what you get here, and it is easy to pick up and play.
Of course, with this being a rhythm game, all songs are synced up with the enemy patterns. This works for most songs – there’s the occasional outlier that has a mismatched song chart, but those with a keen ear will be able to come ahead. Those who can recognize patterns should skip the Easy and go straight to Hard – the former setting borders on the side of pandering with its ease of play.
In true rhythm game fashion, players will be able to choose from a number of different songs, and then are graded based on their performance. Timing is important, as it factors greatly into one’s overall score. It also pays to keep your HP up – taking on enemies and fire without defending yourself lowers your health and your final score. There are leaderboards too, so those with a competitive edge will enjoy rising the ranks.
Just be warned that Muse Dash can be a serious grind. A level system determines the new song unlocks, and one can unlock songs until they are at level 55. With backgrounds and enemies repeating quite a bit with songs, expect to see the same skins multiple times. A more lenient grind, along with a bit more variety, would have made this a bit easier to swallow.
The same goes with unlocking the different characters. There are some skins and characters (some fairly risque) that can be yours if you collect a set amount of objects, but this can take a while. Each skin and character comes with some modifiers, but don’t expect anything game-changing.
So the ultimate question is: How is the music? Those with a taste for poppy techno will enjoy their time, as there is little else. Expect to see some Engrish, songs with Chinese names, and weird titles like “Pancake is Love.”
Muse Dash has solid rhythm mechanics buried beneath a serious grind. Those that don’t mind a bit of repetition will enjoy their time, but get ready to pay your dues if you’re looking to see everything.
