Rift of the NecroDancer

so, i got this game last year around a month after its release; i had really no prior experience with rhythm games at all, but something about the style of it and the mechanics of the notes just seemed appealing to me. i've held off really reviewing rift because back then i didn't really have much meaningful to say due to my lack of experience. but now, i've gained experience with some multiple rhythm games, as well as becoming generally quite consistent with the impossible difficulty even to the point where i can etch my name occasionally to around top 100 spots on multiple charts. i guess that part is kinda lowkey bragging, but i digress! i do feel i have a bit more meaningful to say now, so, lemme try doing that. the way the notes work in this game is i think what makes it stand out the most from its contemporaries by far. every single note has their own unique functions and interactions, and there's many times where some of the patterns feel kinda like puzzles to be solved while also keeping yourself on time. what really helps here actually, which seems to not be too common in many rhythm games? (i could be wrong) is the inclusion of practice mode, which allows for you to set a mark on a specific time in the song so you can practice any given pattern over and over again if you'd like, or alternatively go through an entire track without fear of failure, slowing the speed so you can read easier.. it has so many different and useful functionalities, but not so many that it feels outright overwhelming to interface with. on the topic of reading, i feel that is another thing which this game does expertly, and which the uniqueness of every note significantly helps with. because they all look so different and have extremely distinct functions, it makes just glancing at the map so much easier to anticipate what pattern the game expects from you - at least in my opinion. but i will admit, it can all be a bit overwhelming at first.. however! even having said that, i feel the game does a great job of introducing enemy variety through every map on the lower difficulties, so you can familiarise yourself more intimately with what functions to expect from any given enemy, and then testing that knowledge whenever you feel ready to do so by bumping up the difficulty, or alternatively, utilising this games unique built-in feature of a 'remix' mode, which puts in randomized variations of notes whilst attempting to match the flow of the song. remix can be kinda hit or miss sometimes, but it's a pretty awesome and extremely unique feature which is so fun to mess around with and helps a lot with building up your sight-reading abilities. as far as the actual songs in the game go, the base game has a good variety built into it overall, and personally for me, i feel that all of the DLCs released just add to the game in so many ways. the people who map for this game are so so talented and incredible at what they do, honestly; so much so that it makes me very certain that more or less every track added to the game has its own place, as they tend to present unique or different challenges each time, instead of just.. being another track to play for the sake of it, if that makes sense. this does extend to the community-made maps put out on the workshop as well! hell, some of the official mappers for the game even put up their own projects sometimes, and even those who aren't on the team still put out some incredible work with their own unique visions. so.. are there any problems i have with the game? not really! though i'll say there's a few things i wish were in the game. an ability to 'playlist' songs, so you could just go from one track straight into another would be wonderful, coupled with a random button that puts you onto a random song. but that's my own personal preference i guess, as i tend to enjoy doing one-shots on songs; as in going from one song to the next and so on, as i don't tend to just grind out one single song on repeat. so for me at least these features would be some really nice quality of life to have. one thing not so personal of a wish though i think, would be the ability to alter or switch cadence's portrait in maps, which i do believe is doable with mods, but is not in the game currently, and is only done in a select number of maps. outside of these really tiny nitpicks though, that's about all the negative critique i have. all in all, i love this game. it was my first rhythm game, and is one of my favourite games of all time. the journey i've had of starting out on normal and being intimidated by the most simplest of notes and patterns, to mastering hard mode, then trying my hand at one of the 'easier' impossible maps for the first time when i was still new and insta-failing on the first literal 5 seconds, to now being capable enough to sight-read and almost first try any given impossible map.. it's unforgettable to me. i've always been someone to get stuck in pvp grinders, so - to me, this game is such a comforting reminder of how real one's capability to improve and get better at something really is, you just have to keep trying. uh- anyways, that's all i've got. thanks for reading, please give the game a try. thank you.

At the end of the day this is Crypt of the Necrodancer in a Guitar Hero format. This is by no means a bad thing. Genuinely this game is solid. Played story mode first... game is by no means easy, but the game gives you a lot of tools to learn. Multiple accessibility options that remove visual clutter, visual affects, and a practice mode that you can adjust based on where you want in a song so you can practice that difficult part you've been struggling with. Game is unapologetic about its difficulty, which is sort of refreshing. The mini games are neat and a nice break. Only downside I will say is once you beat story mode, you maybe have 10-15 additional songs left before looking at DLC, which each DLC pack gives you a free trial song, but looking at the pricing per a pack is a bit steep... IMO. (Understandable for other licenses, but still) All in all recommend if you like Rhythm games and want a challenge.

Wish I'd felt up to trying this game in the return window. But not because the game is bad. I do recommend this game, but I can't actually play it myself very easily. Despite having several colorblind options the beginning slime enemies are two close in color for me personally to tell them apart, especially when they're paired together. I was able to get several levels in on easy mode, but hit my first wall on about the fifth stage of story mode. That bumps the game up to playable, but I'm not sure I'll actually be able to beat the game even on easy. Still, the music is fun and it's very satisfying to take out the enemies I can reliably. I just can't expect to make any progress in it without a nearly perfect run up until my pain points and more memorization than I'm good at consistently..