Developer: Drastic Games
Publisher: Noodlecake Studios
Platform: PC, PS4, PS5, Switch, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S
Tested on: PS5
Soundfall – Review
Rhythm games have always been popular, especially when thinking back to the days when Guitar Hero reigned supreme. It didn’t take long before other games in the genre got popular as well, with game franchises such as Rock Band, Donkey Konga, and Taiko No Tatsujin bringing their own fun mechanics to the table. Nonetheless, after a while, all of these games were deemed quite repetitive and the newest installments of these series didn’t get that much attention anymore. Then, a new type of rhythm game took the world by storm, and these games mixed the mechanics of the aforementioned games with those of traditional video games. Games such as Crypt of the NecroDancer had gotten so popular that even Nintendo wanted to lend their Zelda IP to these developers. Now, we get to try out Soundfall, a game like Crypt of the NecroDancer, albeit with twin-stick shooter mechanics. The soundtrack immediately captivated us, but the repetitive gameplay mechanics ended up becoming a bit tedious.
Story
In Soundfall you’ll play as Melody, a barista who wishes to make a name for herself in the musical world. Sadly, she believes this is just something she can only achieve in her dreams, so she decides to give up on trying to make it big. When suddenly she finds herself in a strange world called Symphonia, it seems she will be able to use her musical talent after all, albeit as a guardian against the incoming forces of the Lord of Discord. Melody will have to learn to believe in herself, as she tries to sync with the songs that can be heard in the world of Symphonia, to eventually harness their power and fight back the scourge that is wreaking havoc upon the lands.
The story is fairly basic and at times it feels very childish. Nonetheless, the concept is quite nice, and after a while, you just go with the flow. Those who truly dislike the story content will be happy to hear that the free play mode already has all songs unlocked.
Graphics
Graphically Soundfall is a fairly pretty game. The game is very colorful, has interesting enemy designs, and we absolutely loved the very short cinematics in-between certain missions and story events. Sadly, the cinematics were far and few between, and we often had to make do with very simplistic dialogue screens for story progress. The portraits during the dialogues looked very static and there was almost no variety to be found when it came to said portraits. A lack of variety was also very noticeable as each biome only has a handful of assets that get reused over and over again. This lack of variety in the graphical department made the grindy nature of the game even more apparent.
Sound
Not surprisingly, the soundtrack of Soundfall is truly the highlight of the game. We got treated to very upbeat songs, with actual vocals, but there were also a lot of heavier and more hectics songs thrown in the mix as well. We explicitly mentioned the vocals, as many rhythm games actually only have instruments playing. We very much enjoyed the soundtrack and we were utterly disappointed that the game didn’t feature any voice acting for its many story dialogues. This would have further enhanced the game’s soundscape. The sound effects were reasonably okay, but these were nothing to write home about.
Gameplay
Soundfall is a hybrid rhythm twin-stick shooter. You’ll be playing as Melody, who will have to prevent the coming of the Lord or Discord. In the game, you’ll play through short stages while blasting enemies that are out to get you. The catch here is that you’ll have to time your shots, melee attacks, and dashes to the beat of the song that is playing. The overall offset is simple and entertaining, but we did notice a lack of inspiration when it came to the game’s actual gameplay.
Truth be told, there is actually not that much we can say about Soundfall’s gameplay. You’ll be playing through short levels in which you’ll have to defeat the enemies that will do everything to try and stop you. You’ll have to time your shots and melee attacks in sync with the song’s beat. This beat is highlighted by the rumble feedback of your controller, but also via the metronome at the bottom of the screen. From here on out, you can just attack and dash through the levels, while also avoiding traps and taking side routes to find some extra loot. The loot system in the game is also quite straightforward, as you just have weapons with different ranges and spreads, but also basic armor and an item that allows you to deal more damage with your special move.
Sadly, the gameplay remains monotonous for the entire course of the game, and the enemies also don’t change that much. While the game is never really hard, some enemies unfairly hit you and break your combo chain. More than often we noticed enemies switching the direction of their attack when we dashed, making these attacks impossible to dodge. In some of the very fast-paced levels, it also felt a bit annoying to keep mashing the attack button exactly on the beat. The game does deserve a lot of praise for its local couch co-op gameplay, which immediately adds to the overall fun to be had.
Conclusion
Soundfall is a fun rhythm game with fairly basic twin-stick shooter mechanics. The game truly shines when listening to the music, but the gameplay ends up becoming a bit boring the further you progress. The biggest problem with Soundfall is the lack of variety when it comes to the actual gameplay, perhaps even to the point that this game should have been a regular rhythm game. The second issue is with the lackluster presentation, where the different stages in every biome all look nearly identical, and the dialogue windows look a bit bland. Nonetheless, fans of the genre who want a fairly casual experience will still very much enjoy this one. We did enjoy picking this one up in short bursts to simply enjoy the music while playing through a few stages at a time.
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