Rift of the NecroDancer

“All in all, Rift of the Necrodancer is an absolute blast, even if I’m a tone deaf dud at it. It’s colorful, has some creatively funny writing, and the sheer creativity at play when it comes to its challenges is simply insane. It’s no surprise Brace Yourself Games ended up being called by Nintendo to develop a game based on Zelda. They are on another level of creativity that only grows greater with each new release. I at the same time am anxious and dread what they will come up with next. The only assurance is that I’ll probably suck at playing it but am likely to love it.”

“Rift of the NecroDancer is one of the biggest indie surprises of the last few years, taking a genre where innovation is difficult and bringing something new, but that at the same time, is clearly a great homage to the other franchises that inspired it, creating an experience that might be one of the best of its kind. With flashy visuals, extremely addictive gameplay, excellent music from a wide range of great composers, and a big variety of modes and gameplay styles, it is a complete package for anyone who is interested in rhythm games, even if they are not particularly good at them.”

“Rift of the NecroDancer features some interesting ideas and a great story mode, which shows how well the concepts from Crypt of the NecroDancer work in a new genre.”

“With Rift of the Necrodancer, Brace Yourself Games has picked up the rhythm genre and, well, riffed on it. This is a smart, stylish remix of what rhythm games can be. By swapping prescriptive note charts for more involved pattern reading, it cracks open a whole new dimension of challenge – one where you will feel both cool and overwhelmed at the same time.”

“In taking a step back and adhering to more classical rhythm games I think that Rift lost a bit of the appeal of what made the original game special for a lot of players. While the cast and characters do retain their appeal and made me more curious about playing the original, I think that my retention with Rift of the Necrodancer will fade quickly. I'm hopeful that future instalments can find a balance between innovation and keeping the appeal of this world and characters and it won't need a Necrodancer for itself in the future.”

“My complaints about the difficulty aside, Rift of the NecroDancer is a hell of a good time. This is a colorful, charming, and unpredictable story that’s a lot of fun to experience. Not to be outdone, there’s a ton of content here, from 20+ main songs to DLC tunes, Steam Workshop music, and more. While I wish the game had been a bit more precise about the difficulty selections, I think any fan of rhythm games will find something to enjoy in the latest from Brace Yourself Games.”

“It’s a clever core concept that doesn’t wear out its welcome with additional complications or gimmicks, opting instead to deliver the best experience possible based on that core.”

“Rift of the NecroDancer packs a steep learning curve, but those that come to know their way around slimes and skeletons are in for a real treat. Those that take the time to learn the inner workings of Rift of the NecroDancer's Action Row will be blessed with good tunes, a high skill ceiling, and plenty of replayability.”

“Rift of the Necrodancer is a solid rhythm game with some fresh and exciting takes on the classic Guitar Hero formula. The different enemy types and health system make this stand out from the crowd, but at higher difficulties, these fade into the background as you memorise your way through the tracks. Still, with killer design, delightful minigames and some absolutely banging tracks, this game delivers foot-tapping goodness that might just have you hooked.”

“Rift is another great entry in the NecroDancer series. It may be a more 'traditional' lane-scrolling rhythm title, but how the game incorporates Crypt's elements to create its own spin on the formula is noteworthy.”

“Rift of the Necrodancer successfully transitions the core tenets of the Crypt series to the Rhythm game genre delivering highly amusing and fun gameplay melded with its rocking soundtrack. Paired together with a more defined cartoony art style, silly pun-filled writing, and just enough gameplay variations to keep you playing again and again. Rift has the potential to become a franchise all on its own.”

“Negative emotions may not be so easily dispelled for us as they are with Cadence’s magical guitar, but music can help us to motivate ourselves, making this a feel-good game in more ways than one.”

“Rift of the Necrodancer captures the true essence of music by creatively visualizing rhythm.”

“Rift of the NecroDancer is a seriously clever rhythm game with a sublime soundtrack, which will keep you busy for many musical months.”

“Rift of the NecroDancer is a rhythm game that just refuses to play by the genre's rules. It constantly keeps you on your toes while giving you just enough room to revel in the thrill of every successful combo. Before you know it, you'll find yourself hitting replay before the song even ends—because of both its infectious soundtrack and the sheer challenge it presents.”

“It’s a really competent rhythm game with great music, tons of content, and another strong concept from Brace Yourself Games. You’ll no doubt face frustrations with some of the story mode’s decisions and the game’s overall difficulty spikes, but if you just want to rock out and chase some high scores, you’ll have a blast.”

“Rift of the NecroDancer is a clever rhythm game that innovates on some of the genre’s best ideas.”