Hi-Fi Rush seems like it tapped into a new genre of game that hasn't quite been properly explored yet—that is, the 'rhythm beat-'em-up'. Turns out, if you snag the same 3D brawler mechanics that made Batman: Arkham Asylum sing, sync them up to a beat, and then give you points for fighting to that beat? You get a pretty handy game. Dead as Disco looks to carry on that legacy.
This deliciously stylish beat-'em-up has a demo available for Steam Next Fest, and if you enjoyed Hi-Fi Rush even a little bit, it's worth checking out. The core premise is the same: Hit enemies on the beat, and you get points.
The demo is a touch limited when it comes to story content—though Brain Jar Games did pick the absolute best song possible to showcase its vibes: A cover of Michael Sembello's Maniac. Turns out that you, in fact, are the maniac on the dance floor.
The core gameplay loop is pretty simple. You have a counter and a dodge, both of which need to be used to avoid their respective attacks—you also have something called a "Fever Rush", which is built up by smacking dweebs who say disco is dead upside the head. Holding down the right trigger (or left shift on the keyboard) lets you execute a flurry of freeform blows to quickly melt priority targets.
Knock enough enemies over and you'll get a takedown token which you can use to, you guessed it, take someone down. It's all immediately familiar. Brain Jar Games hasn't reinvented the wheel, here.
What it has done, however, is made a damn fine wheel, getting enough needle drops lined up for the game to feel good. Rhythm-'em-ups are only as good as their soundtrack, and that seems to be a responsibility that Brain Jar Games is taking seriously. More crucially, the developer's made sure Dead as Disco feels good to play.
Dead as Disco is a technicolour treat on the eyes, but it's also snappy and responsive—which is the most vital part. Within a few minutes I was already playing on-beat, and while that might be owed to my familiarity with this sort of thing, it's a testament to how neatly Dead as Disco's been put together.
That's not to say there aren't a few rough edges to sand down. Enemies would occasionally encounter a sort of disco-induced malaise and simply run into walls. As someone with protanapic colour blindness, I'd also like there to be a clearer audio signal between dodging and countering that doesn't (once more) rely on red and green to signal which defensive button you should push.
I'd also like Dead as Disco to borrow a tip from Hi-Fi Rush—with more visual cues to help keep you on beat. Dead as Disco has some of these, but they only appear to kick in once you've got a high score, which completely defeats the purpose of a visual guideline anyway. In Hi-Fi Rush, the entire environment was bumpin' to the beat, and I'd like to see Brain Jar Games follow suit.
But for an early demo? It's a damn fine showing, and I'd definitely give it a gander. Especially since, in its infinite mode, you can upload your own songs. The tech isn't perfect—you have to manually set up the song's BPM, but the sheer glee I had beating fools up to some bespoke tunes was more than worth it. The full game also promises co-op, so you won't be short of a dance partner.
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