This review contains spoilers
I don't think I can critique a rhythm game, but I'll try my best. This game is in beta and slowly gaining chapters as it finishes, but I am so fucking glad I found this game by word-of-mouth. This is one of the best rhythm games ever regarding story, character, and gameplay. I am writing this quick review because Chapter 5 JUST came out, and I wanted to get my thoughts out before I forget.
The setup is pretty simple. You're an intern working a remote job. There's this new rhythm-based technology that can defibrillate hearts from any distance. You and the other doctors are tasked with keeping the patients healthy while both are learning more about their situation, hopes, and goals. While also slowly developing the technology with the head doctor. Each character has a beautiful story arc they're going through, probably something similar to whatever you or a friend/family member has experienced in a hospital. With all the characters and the entire community developed within the hospital, you will NOT struggle to find a favorite. I will mention them all now.
Ada Paige & Ian - The two main doctor characters you work with. Ian developed the system, while Ada works in other fields, albeit a little too much for her health. Both play well off each other with witty dialogue and emotional support.
Samurai & Insomniac - Samurai is the main mascot of the game and the first person you treat. Insomniac is similar in temperament and swordsmanship, but he is the first boss. The former has more interaction so far.
Logan & Hailey - Two teenage characters who are in love with each other but are too shy to say it. They have yet to confess, but the game is building up to it.
Cole Brew & Nichole Ting - Cole is an indie music artist who is stressed by his work but learns to relax and take things one at a time. Nichole is similarly stressed, but it's because she works as a barista at the hospital's coffee shop. Both get along with music and video games, and they seem to be developing a love.
Janitor - Just a tired man who works at the hospital. Relatable.
Richard Hugh is a politician running for re-election. He seems to demand higher service from the hospital despite supposedly not offering enough funding.
Mr. and Mrs. Stevenson - An old couple both at the hospital. They don't seem to see each other as much, but it's always wholesome when they do.
The birds - Mrs. Stevenson owns a variety of birds. Yes, they have their heartbeats that you can monitor.
Miner - A stressed-out miner who seems to be friendly. He'll frequently help out the other patients.
Gabe Edga - The head doctor of the hospital. He is constantly working, especially with the development of the rhythm defibrillator, but there's more to him than he lets on.
Maximo "Lucky" Jonronero - The newest character in this chapter. He is angry that his Baseball career might prematurely end with his shoulder injury. He finds ways to rush his recovery, even allowing Edga to work on faster treatment. But with help from the Miner and even when he volunteers to coach a small game with the hospital guests vs. a local college, he decides to take the more extended, less experimental treatment to recover safely and spend more time with his new friends.
That does it for all the characters. Let's move on to gameplay.
Each patient's heartbeat is represented by a straight line that leads to the heart. Your job is to press the space bar on the 7th beat according to the music. It is easy enough, but more mechanics are added that change up gameplay. Moreover, multiple lines may be added, thus requiring the player to track two or more beats. All the mechanics work to add variety to each song and to give custom map makers (because, yes, there is a map maker) a unique gimmick that keeps the players engaged. Let's quickly run down every mechanic.
Classic Beats - No gimmick here; click on the 7th beat. Simple.
X'd out beats - There will be beats in the line where you won't hear a sound, but you still must count in your head. This one is still easy because the game teaches you how to trust in your head.
Oneshots (STV) - The nurse will give a "Rea-dy Get Set Go!". The speed and rhythm at which the above statement is said determines the speed of the Oneshot beat. You must click when it reaches the right spot next to the heart. This is always fun to play with because it gives a lot of energy to the accompanying song.
Windowdance - The game will randomly go from Full Screen to tiny screen on your desktop. During the song, the window will move around according to the music. You can deactivate this, but this is an enjoyable challenge, so you'd miss out.
Swing Beats - A swing beat indicated by the curvature of a beat symbol. If you know how to count swing beats, this is an easy pattern to get used to. Note that each established swing beat will swing at different patterns, so watch out!
Row X's - An X will fly to the 7th beat, which indicates that you DON'T click on that beat. This is mainly used to trip up the player who has gotten comfortable in a beat pattern.
Hold Beats - Hold beats require a hold and release at precise timing instead of a single click. While holding, any other incoming beats will be automatically clicked, so you won't have to worry about their timing.
Squareshots - Same as Oneshots, but is accompanied by a "one" voice. This is usually done to give the accompanying music more energy or establish an Oneshot beat, then immediately switch to a separate beat on the same line.
Triangeshots - Offshoots from Squareshots that add a "two" voice cue and a tonk sound effect indicating the needed click pattern. This can go up to two, three, four, and even five shots, so you need to be quick about it!
Syncopation - A part in the line where when the beat lands on it, it will switch to the next beat in a half instead of a whole. This is a new mechanic that messes with your sense of rhythm, but it helps develop your sense for half-beats
Freeze Shots - An offshoot from Oneshots that is new. The player must hit the following note later than usual. The length of the delay is the duration of the two dings of the cue. This is better explained through practice, but it's challenging to master.
Burn Shots- An offshoot from Oneshots that is new. These notes are part of the SVT Mechanics and will cue the player to hit the following note earlier by the duration of the cue. Like Freeze Shots, it's hard to master but easier to learn through practice.
Blast Shots - An offshoot of one-shots and currently the most complex mechanic to learn. These notes are part of the SVT Mechanics and will cue the player to hit the following offbeat multiple times.
With all these mechanics combined, it's easy to see how hard the maps get, but the maps wouldn't be entertaining without good music, and by god, the music is fantastic! The OST is free on YouTube, but I recommend listening to "Bomb-Sniffing Pomeranian," "Wish I could care less (ft. Yeo)," and "Dreams Don't Stop." But all the music is excellent with tons of variety.
The pixel graphics are vital, too, with a beautiful background visual of the hospital. Each patient's room is uniquely designed to their character, giving a lot of variety to the visuals both in the menu and at each level.
After all this writing, I can't do the game justice enough. You have to play it for yourself. It's not too expensive. Please support the developers in their endeavors. You will not regret it. This and Rhythm Heaven are my favorite rhythm games of all time.
The setup is pretty simple. You're an intern working a remote job. There's this new rhythm-based technology that can defibrillate hearts from any distance. You and the other doctors are tasked with keeping the patients healthy while both are learning more about their situation, hopes, and goals. While also slowly developing the technology with the head doctor. Each character has a beautiful story arc they're going through, probably something similar to whatever you or a friend/family member has experienced in a hospital. With all the characters and the entire community developed within the hospital, you will NOT struggle to find a favorite. I will mention them all now.
Ada Paige & Ian - The two main doctor characters you work with. Ian developed the system, while Ada works in other fields, albeit a little too much for her health. Both play well off each other with witty dialogue and emotional support.
Samurai & Insomniac - Samurai is the main mascot of the game and the first person you treat. Insomniac is similar in temperament and swordsmanship, but he is the first boss. The former has more interaction so far.
Logan & Hailey - Two teenage characters who are in love with each other but are too shy to say it. They have yet to confess, but the game is building up to it.
Cole Brew & Nichole Ting - Cole is an indie music artist who is stressed by his work but learns to relax and take things one at a time. Nichole is similarly stressed, but it's because she works as a barista at the hospital's coffee shop. Both get along with music and video games, and they seem to be developing a love.
Janitor - Just a tired man who works at the hospital. Relatable.
Richard Hugh is a politician running for re-election. He seems to demand higher service from the hospital despite supposedly not offering enough funding.
Mr. and Mrs. Stevenson - An old couple both at the hospital. They don't seem to see each other as much, but it's always wholesome when they do.
The birds - Mrs. Stevenson owns a variety of birds. Yes, they have their heartbeats that you can monitor.
Miner - A stressed-out miner who seems to be friendly. He'll frequently help out the other patients.
Gabe Edga - The head doctor of the hospital. He is constantly working, especially with the development of the rhythm defibrillator, but there's more to him than he lets on.
Maximo "Lucky" Jonronero - The newest character in this chapter. He is angry that his Baseball career might prematurely end with his shoulder injury. He finds ways to rush his recovery, even allowing Edga to work on faster treatment. But with help from the Miner and even when he volunteers to coach a small game with the hospital guests vs. a local college, he decides to take the more extended, less experimental treatment to recover safely and spend more time with his new friends.
That does it for all the characters. Let's move on to gameplay.
Each patient's heartbeat is represented by a straight line that leads to the heart. Your job is to press the space bar on the 7th beat according to the music. It is easy enough, but more mechanics are added that change up gameplay. Moreover, multiple lines may be added, thus requiring the player to track two or more beats. All the mechanics work to add variety to each song and to give custom map makers (because, yes, there is a map maker) a unique gimmick that keeps the players engaged. Let's quickly run down every mechanic.
Classic Beats - No gimmick here; click on the 7th beat. Simple.
X'd out beats - There will be beats in the line where you won't hear a sound, but you still must count in your head. This one is still easy because the game teaches you how to trust in your head.
Oneshots (STV) - The nurse will give a "Rea-dy Get Set Go!". The speed and rhythm at which the above statement is said determines the speed of the Oneshot beat. You must click when it reaches the right spot next to the heart. This is always fun to play with because it gives a lot of energy to the accompanying song.
Windowdance - The game will randomly go from Full Screen to tiny screen on your desktop. During the song, the window will move around according to the music. You can deactivate this, but this is an enjoyable challenge, so you'd miss out.
Swing Beats - A swing beat indicated by the curvature of a beat symbol. If you know how to count swing beats, this is an easy pattern to get used to. Note that each established swing beat will swing at different patterns, so watch out!
Row X's - An X will fly to the 7th beat, which indicates that you DON'T click on that beat. This is mainly used to trip up the player who has gotten comfortable in a beat pattern.
Hold Beats - Hold beats require a hold and release at precise timing instead of a single click. While holding, any other incoming beats will be automatically clicked, so you won't have to worry about their timing.
Squareshots - Same as Oneshots, but is accompanied by a "one" voice. This is usually done to give the accompanying music more energy or establish an Oneshot beat, then immediately switch to a separate beat on the same line.
Triangeshots - Offshoots from Squareshots that add a "two" voice cue and a tonk sound effect indicating the needed click pattern. This can go up to two, three, four, and even five shots, so you need to be quick about it!
Syncopation - A part in the line where when the beat lands on it, it will switch to the next beat in a half instead of a whole. This is a new mechanic that messes with your sense of rhythm, but it helps develop your sense for half-beats
Freeze Shots - An offshoot from Oneshots that is new. The player must hit the following note later than usual. The length of the delay is the duration of the two dings of the cue. This is better explained through practice, but it's challenging to master.
Burn Shots- An offshoot from Oneshots that is new. These notes are part of the SVT Mechanics and will cue the player to hit the following note earlier by the duration of the cue. Like Freeze Shots, it's hard to master but easier to learn through practice.
Blast Shots - An offshoot of one-shots and currently the most complex mechanic to learn. These notes are part of the SVT Mechanics and will cue the player to hit the following offbeat multiple times.
With all these mechanics combined, it's easy to see how hard the maps get, but the maps wouldn't be entertaining without good music, and by god, the music is fantastic! The OST is free on YouTube, but I recommend listening to "Bomb-Sniffing Pomeranian," "Wish I could care less (ft. Yeo)," and "Dreams Don't Stop." But all the music is excellent with tons of variety.
The pixel graphics are vital, too, with a beautiful background visual of the hospital. Each patient's room is uniquely designed to their character, giving a lot of variety to the visuals both in the menu and at each level.
After all this writing, I can't do the game justice enough. You have to play it for yourself. It's not too expensive. Please support the developers in their endeavors. You will not regret it. This and Rhythm Heaven are my favorite rhythm games of all time.