Beat Souls is a rhythm action game not unlike Rock Band or Guitar Hero but is published by EastAsiaSoft, a game studio that mostly releases 2D action/platform type games. Having a music-focused title might be an odd duck in their library of releases but thankfully is composed of quality like most of their titles.
With a jukebox filled with a few dozen bite-sized songs, this rhythm-keeping game also blends some light platforming into the mix. Taking control of a character at the bottom of the screen, it is your job to hit notes, avoid barriers by jumping over them, and change the color of the play field. In a way, gameplay is almost more of an endless runner than that of Guitar Hero, which is a rather interesting approach to this genre. Like Guitar Hero, there are five total lanes to maintain and moving laterally essentially becomes the thing you do the most.
Thing is, it isn’t so much about hitting notes as it is avoiding obstacles. Dodging incoming hazards is just as important as collecting the rhythm, hitting a button to swap colors along the way. All this is set to EDM-type music and the Hard mode unlocks when the initial easier version of that tune is completed. Opening tracks are easy but then definitely ramp up to Expert Guitar Hero-like levels in time.
Beat Souls is also one of the most colorful rhythm games out there, even beating out DDR. In fact, the colors are so bright and neon, they can almost be a distraction from the main game. Some songs feature many notes flying at you from all five lanes and can be difficult to sort everything visually at a glance. It is a constant light show of color so players prone to seizures might want to take note. At the same time, most songs are only about one minute long so even if you fail, it is never that devastating.
For an indie J-pop music title, Beat Souls is an unexpected, higher quality surprise. It won’t overthrow your memories of playing Rock Band with a full suite of plastic equipment but it will please those solo players looking to add some neon rhythm to their life.
SCORE: 8/10
Also Try: Taiko no Tatsujin: The Drum Master
Don’t Forget About: classic Amplitude or Frequency
Better Than: Rock Band Unplugged (PSP)
By: Zachary Gasiorowski, Editor in Chief myGamer.com
Twitter: @ZackGaz
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