At the basis of the concept of "independent development" is the concept according to which working together with a large publisher somehow limits the creative capabilities of a studio, taking advantage of the freedom that small teams can often obtain, sheltered from necessity. pressing. sell a large number of copies. Of course, if you partner with a giant of Konami's caliber, you can expect to have to make some compromises, but when looking at all the particulars of a game like Super Crazy Rhythm Castle, it's clear that Second Impact Games, a very small team of only 10 people, knew how to infuse all their inventiveness with total autonomy, giving shape to the contours of a decidedly unusual musical adventure, halfway between rhythm and puzzle game.
We already came across Super Crazy Rhythm Castle in August, on the occasion of an event organized by Konami in which we were quite dazzled by all its originality. Now, after a few months, we take stock of all the good (and not so good) within the colorful rhythmic adventure created by Second Impact Games, in our Super Crazy Rhythm Castle Review.
A story out of time
We are talking about an experiment not by chance, given that the game recipe underlying Super Crazy Rhythm Castle implements a good number of ingredients, which until now we did not think could be combined effectively. The creature of Second Impact Games, in fact, is above all a rhythm game, however its structure resembles that of a puzzle game, seasoned with a story without particular pretensions, but which is enough to configure the game also as aadventure with a strong cooperative advantage, since it is recommended to play it from start to finish in the company of three other friends, online (but without crossplay) or locally.
Players take control of a colorful group of characters, the new pretenders to the throne of the Castle of Rhythm, whose crown is in the hands of King Ferdinand, the main antagonist of the entire adventure. During the August meeting it was already quite clear that Super Crazy Rhythm Castle would not have focused much on its narrative component, a suspicion that we have largely confirmed in the approximately 7 hours necessary to conclude a story that never takes itself too seriously, remaining light and boring throughout its duration.
There is no rhythm, there is no puzzle.
We did not have high expectations in this sense, precisely because Super Crazy Rhythm Castle is configured exactly like one of those puzzle games in which the story only acts as a blurry background to what is actually the great protagonist of the scenario, the game. In an attempt to prevent the group from reaching him, Ferdinand has scattered the entire castle with evidence, rooms that each hide a different puzzle, but which are all united by the same lowest common denominator: rhythm, in the correct execution of the which almost always depends on the success or failure of the challenge.
In fact, the rooms include each of them typical lanes of classic rhythm games, over which the notes of a background song flow and which are associated with three keys (four, if played in Pro mode), which naturally must be pressed at the right time. The peculiarity of Second Impact Games' work is that, however, we will never really be free to focus all our attention on the rhythm, since all the puzzles involve performing other activities that constantly take players away from the musical tracks.
In some cases, these diversions turn out to be simple distractions meant to make it difficult to follow the notes of a song, while most levels are made up of different phases, which contribute to the final score of a challenge, calculated in stars. Some examples? In one level we were asked to use tools to destroy the stage, and although on the one hand the final evaluation depended exclusively on the number of objects destroyed, it was still necessary to get the line notes right to reload the tools. as soon as possible before the deadline expires.
Ultimately, we really appreciate this unusual dualism between rhythm phases and puzzle phases, especially since it seems designed to encourage collaboration between players, since at almost every level it is necessary to help each other or often swap positions, following cooperative dynamics which reminded us a lot of a little gem like Overcooked. The other side of this ingenious gaming solution, however, tells us about an experience that is much less enjoyable alone, when each task falls on the shoulders of a single player. Additionally, we wouldn't recommend Super Crazy Rhythm Castle to lovers of pure rhythm games, who may find the idea of being interrupted while trying to get the perfect score extraordinarily frustrating.
There is also a multiplayer section.
Faced with a story with very few ideas, the good news is that throughout its duration, Super Crazy Rhythm Castle's room mechanics always demonstrate good variety, staging constantly changing situations that are enriched by a handful of powers that the protagonists obtain throughout the game. However, we cannot say the same about Songs, which for a rhythm should simply be essential, but here all the limitations of a microscopic team like Second Impact Games stand out. There are about thirty songs, but they are not always of quality and they all seem to be taken from copyright-free playlists but, what is more serious, in the central and advanced phases of the adventure it usually happens that you face focused challenges in the songs. already found previously.
It must be said that the resources available to the studio, net of the partnership with Konami, are those of a modest independent team, so we appreciate the presence of a small PvP multiplayer section still capable of providing moments of fun. Along with him, we also highlight the department dedicated to free song reproduction, where you can test yourself with the track notes without distractions. You accumulate scores, get other tracks and there is also the opportunity to unlock historical songs from Konami's video game library, a gem that will make many nostalgic people happy.
Conclusions
Tested version Xbox Serie X, PC con Windows digital delivery Steam, playstation store, Xbox Store, Nintendo eShop Price 40,00 € Holygamerz.com 7.0 Readers (2) 6.1 your voteSuper Crazy Rhythm Castle is a pretty good rhythm adventure, which however remains suspended between the good ideas of a very small development team and the means at their disposal. The choice to mix the genre of rhythm and puzzle games is successful and adapts well to a cooperative formula, however the game shows all the limitations due to its nature of a small independent production, such as the soundtrack not being the height. Even in the face of an unusually high price, carefully consider whether you should proceed with the purchase.
PRO
- The idea of mixing the rhythm and puzzle game genres is truly original
- It is played in cooperative mode, it really has its purpose.
AGAINST
- The story seems to exist only as a backdrop to the game.
- The songs are not memorable and are repeated throughout the adventure.
