Just Shapes & Beats

There seems to be a bit of correlation between Geometry Dash and this game community-wise. I ended up finding out about this game a couple months after it came out through GD levels on this game(though I bought it on Switch at the time). And then I got the game here on Steam as it certainly was worth the re-purchase, and being able to play online without a subscription. [h2]Gameplay[/h2] The gameplay here is quite simple, you are are colored shape in an empty space, and you have to dash and dodge the pink obstacles. The obstacles themselves move to the rhythm, but the gameplay itself is not inherently rhythm(though it could be if you make it). The tutorial does a pretty good job at showcasing this as it progressively gets more intense as you master certain parts of it, reflecting the chaotic nature the gameplay can have. In the campaign itself there are [i]minigame[/i] sections for lack of better word that were also insanely fun to play through(and are generous checkpoint wise). There is also bossfights in the level, and these lack checkpoints unlike the regular levels, but they give more HP for better balancing. They're pretty fun to play through as well. The campaign plays through in a normal difficulty, but post-game when playing levels individually you can ramp up the difficulty in a Hardcore mode, which has either more obstacles, faster obstacles, or little visual warnings for them. [h2]Soundtrack[/h2] This game's soundtrack had an insane influence on my modern music taste, really getting me more into EDM and introducing me to artists I still listen to today(e.g., Pegboard Nerds, Tokyo Machine, MDK). If you are a fan of electronic music or decently like it, you'll enjoy the game's soundtrack. They got the big artists from the big labels(e.g. Monstercat), and songs from lesser known artists(at least at the time). While I obviously didn't fully enjoy every song, there's one for everyone in this game. They also did video game collabs and remixed tracks from those game's OSTs which I think was pretty cool. [h2]Performance & Polish[/h2] Not really much to say here. Due to the simplicity of the gameplay, the game itself is also really simple to run. Only thing to worry about is the amount of particles on screen but a potato PC may be able to get away with running this. I believe there are also certain graphical options you can look into as well, including a photosensitive mode as the game does contain [b]a lot[/b] of flashing lights. [h2]Value[/h2] This is probably my only real gripe about this game, and it's that it really does not have a lot of replay value after completing the campaign. You can unlock bonus songs/levels in your playlist, and there are post-game challenges to [i]amp up[/i] your menu screen, but that's really about it. And some of the bonus songs have to be unlocked through collecting Beat Points, and I would be fine with it if they didn't give you so little points for completing a song, or a challenge run(a set of 3 random levels, 1 boss included). And some of the levels require such a high Beat Point count that it would take hours upon hours, unless you're going for [i]point optimization[/i] guides. And given that the game has not had an update in quite a few years, it's really brought down the attention and value of this game. I would say $20 is a good [i]max price[/i], anything higher may not be worth it. And if it's on sale, it could be a good steal. [h2]Verdict: Would Recommend[/h2]