Although the premise of this rhythm shooter is distinctive, it lacks variety.
Fire, shoot, dodge, and repeat. The core of the game Soundfall is rhythm. Your fingers tap-tap-tap on the controller as the music blares in your ears and the surrounding area bops and dances to the beat.
A growing number of creators are using music to add a humorous edge to action games. Examples include the platformer No Straight Roads, FPS Bullets per Minute, and Crypt of the NecroDancer (as well as its Zelda follow-up Cadence of Hyrule). These are games about rescuing the world to the rhythm of music, not about creating music.
You have that to do in Soundfall. A metronome pulses at the bottom of the screen, mimicking NecroDancer, and your task is to fire, shoot, dodge, and repeat your way through each level while maintaining the beat. If you shoot or dodge too quickly, the activity will not succeed.
While most action games have an internalized rhythm of some kind, Soundfall makes it clear. Even hypnotic, with your ears laser-focused on maintaining a combination just as much as your sight. Later stages turn into a kind of bullet hell, or rhythm hell, as it were. I noticed that I was dancing in my seat and nodding my head while playing, refusing to blink. After a while, I was also tapping in time with the options.
Both the tempo and the soundtrack, which features songs by actual musicians, have a contagious quality. Every region of the planet represents a distinct genre, such as the heavy metal Hotlands, the dream-pop Skylands, the classical Forest, and so on. Every one has their unique set of difficulties. For example, the less percussion-laden classical tunes have a less noticeable rhythm, whereas hard metal tracks sometimes change time signatures to keep you guessing. Furthermore, despite their seeming intensity, slower songs are actually difficult since there are fewer beats, which implies less possibilities for assault.
The narrative that unites everything is a likable one about a young aspiring musician named Melody who is sent to the land of Symphonia in order to battle the Discordians. Everything in Soundfall has a musical quality, including the underutilized elements system, character and planet names, and instrumental weaponry. Even if the script’s musical puns are annoying, they are all done so in a charming and understandable way. Scenes with animation provide a much-needed flare.
However, the subject is monotonous when the central hook is strong. Although Soundfall’s gameplay quickly gets monotonous, it is a fascinating journey through many genres and blends sonically. Fire, shoot, dodge, and repeat.
There aren’t many hurdles or puzzle components in the levels, which are mazes of recurrent fight fields and ambient paintings. Bullet sponge opponents are uninteresting and never compel a shift in tactics. There is no climb and fall since there are no dramatic boss fights at the conclusion of each level.
You may choose from a variety of characters, each with their own special artifacts and overdrive techniques. However, they play too similarly to one another because they have similar backgrounds and weaponry. Between them, there’s hardly much instrumental color.
Unfortunately, Soundfall’s gameplay is monotonous. The quantity of opponents increases difficulty, although musical intricacy seldom does. That steady pulse soon becomes constrictive and inflexible. No syncopation or improvisation is allowed. The vibrant settings and outstanding soundtrack conceal an all too basic dance. It becomes boring.
One of Soundfall’s major errors may be their lack of imagination. Isn’t it the main purpose of music? Your actions have no consequence, and there are no musical effects. You lose your shot if you miss a beat, but the music still plays. There is still a gap between the gameplay and the audio for a game that is entirely focused on music. Maybe that’s why Soundfall seems so empty and unsatisfying in the end.
For PC gamers, nevertheless, there is one consolation prize: Soundfall lets you load your own music and creates a level procedurally based on it. It’s one way the game lets you add your own individuality, even if it’s only a different tune playing with the same objects, enemies, and shoot-shoot-dodge-repeat sequence.
Soundfall is a three-minute musical interlude that first fizzes and thrills, like to an extended pop record. Playing repeatedly, though, gets boring. The gameplay is mostly fluff, but the soundtrack is amazing.