Klang

Klang is almost good. There is a good game under it, somewhere, but the amount of very significant problems will keep most people away, myself included. The amount of visual noise is mind boggling. 85% of the time, I didn't know how I died or what hit me. For example, you know you have to press a button by a cone in that direction. You know what's also a cone? An attack. They also have more or less the same colors, so good luck parsing what's on the screen. The game also has an excessive amount of explosion effects that obsfuscates the most important kind of information... In a reflex based game, the [i]least[/i] you need is to make every gameplay element distinct. This is one of the worst games I've played in that regard. Then, there's the controls. Using the analog stick for discrete input (8 directions) is not a good way of doing things. But that's what this game does. The keyboard controls aren't much better, since you have to press two keys at once to get the 8 directions. Playing with a keyboard, with a ton of buttons, you have to press two keys at once... Again, this is a game where reflexes matter, and pressing two keys at once is awkward and sometimes registers incorrectly because you accidentally press one key before the other. Then, there's the fact that levels are extremely short and not at all song oriented. In fact, the more "song oriented" levels are about 1 minute long at most. This leads to two problems. The first problem is that this simply doesn't work as a traditional rhythm game (in any way) where can just pick different tracks to play through and enjoy your time. 1 minute long isn't enough to get in the flow or have any real progression. You get 3 or 4 short sequences and you're done... The other problem is also related to the unorthodox control scheme and the amount of clutter: Maybe you can learn how to parse all the information and press the right keys intuitively. But that requires some amount of practice. Of which this game has none. Because everything comes in such short sequences, you never get the change to really learn anything. It has a huge amount of checkpoints, so you rarely play for more than 30 seconds at a time. And the game doesn't reuse many elements. One level is rhythmic combat, the other is stealth, the next is platforming, etc. Too fragmented and never gives the player a chance to learn the game. It's rare that I want game to have filler, but this one definitely needs it. Again, most of my time with it was spent in frustrating, not knowing what the ♥♥♥♥ was going on from all the visual noise and getting tripped up over what keys to press. Finally, there's the fact that there's barely anything "innovative" in here. It doesn't push the genre beyond anything. The platforming and the rhythm part are completely independent of one another. Basically, you have to press the right arrow keys on time while also running left and right to dodge beams. That's it. It's just multitasking. The game doesn't use the platforming in a rhythmic sense at all, except wall jumps... Before the Echo was a really good example of a rhythm game that actually tried to do things differently. The game was difficult to play, at first, and involved a good deal of multitasking. But it also had a much better structure, allowing you to get used to the gameplay before presenting the real challenges. 140 is a rhythm platformer that is really good as well! This game isn't, really. And it's unfortunate, because the game has a very unique artstyle. It looks very unique and the developer is clearly talented to make all this! And when the game worked, it was good! Unfortunately, it barely every worked for 20 seconds straight. I tried to give it a good chance. I finished the main ending, then completed all of the bonus stages for the extra ending. I also tried "hard" mode, which is really just a sped-up version of the main mode (which, come on, now the levels are 45 seconds long instead of 1 minute! And the music doesn't sound nearly as good what are you doing?). I see some reviewers having 10+ hours, one even 90. This game is extremely short, could be easily finished in 1 or 2 hours if you can parse things. So I assume they got over the clutter in time and actually started enjoying their time. I tried, and got a bit better by the end. But then, with all the levels being so short and extremely narrow, I didn't think it was worth to keep playing. It's not like you're mastering a song. Instead, you're mastering very short sequences that while rhythmic, don't have much to do with the song. So yeah. Not to my liking at all. But I think there is a fun game here. Here's hoping KlangM (his next game) will improve where this one fails so that I can try the good game this is supposed to be.

[h1][i]Klang![/i] That’s the sound of electronic beats so sick you’ll need to report to a music specialist and a physician to find out why you can’t stop tapping your toes and nodding your head to the rhythm. Klang’s difficulty is absolutely brutal, but you’ll let the game pulverize you because you can’t help but love its amazing tracks and neon stylings. [/h1] https://youtu.be/NhWD01nhdSY .Story. There’s not much of a story to speak of here. From what I’ve gathered from the flashy cut scenes is that the monkey protagonist is being bullied in a sort of God of War 3-esque manner by other neon-drenched beings of animal and human origin—much like Kratos was by the gods in Olympus. .Gameplay. Rhythm is everything. Klang controls better with a gamepad (though not a Steam controller because of the whole track pad-instead-of-a-second- analog-stick thing). You use the left joystick to move about, the right trigger button to jump, and the second stick OR the face keys in order to do a violent little swinging motion that will be used for the majority of the game to parry attacks. The former is the most comfortable option. Your mission, if you choose to accept it, is to make your way from the beginning of a stage to its end as quickly as possible while taking as little damage as possible. Klang’s controls are very smooth, which means doing just that is a satisfying feeling—after you’ve died a few dozen times trying to figure out how best to proceed. Everything from wall jumping to the timing of platforms to the enemies’ roaming line of sight to the dynamic backgrounds—just everything—sways to the beat and you will have to join them in their deadly dance in order to progress.You’ll be given on-screen cues to parry, jump, slide, and a special ground pound ability during combat. For the most part, it’s up to you to figure out how best to proceed. Every stage is built into little segments which serve as checkpoints (an amazingly fair system, if I do say so) that you’ll respawn at should you fail to time a jump or get caught in an enemy’s line of sight.Failure means bursting into a million pixels and is results in a cacophony of sound. It also means you won’t be getting the best score because death slows you down. [i]Are you down with perfectionism?[/i] At the end of each segment, you’ll be given a score calculated based on how quickly you cleared it based on combo (that is: how many times you deflected enemy attacks without faltering), life lost, accuracy, and time elapsed. Scores range from D-S with S being the best possible. Once you’ve completed all of the segments that make up a stage, you’re given a final grade for the area. Then, you’re taken to the world map where you’ll be able to continue to the next stage or try your hand at a better score. Even if you aren’t up to the task of getting the best possible marks, there’s no score requirement in order to progress. Within stages you’ll find portals that give you access to a bonus challenge. Completing one nets you a key, which is used in the Pirate Bay, which is the game’s cleverly named jukebox. .Atmosphere. Fair warning to those with any sort of photosensitivity or epileptic tendencies: this game is not for you. Klang runs through a spectrum of neon colours and starkly contrasting negatives upon receiving damage or dying. The way the protagonist kind of moshes in place when idle is great and the cut scenes, though eerie and sometimes incomprehensible, are gorgeously animated. Klang has one of the best soundtracks I’ve heard in an indie game. My opinion is, of course, biased by the fact that I love this rave-y, EDM sort of music. Turn up the bass. .Pros. • Fantastic music. An audiophile’s wet dream. • The music is so good. • Did I mention the music? • Gorgeous, Tron-esque neon aesthetic. • Dexterous mix of precision platforming and rhythm game. • The check point system makes the game’s difficulty bearable. • Scores give you something to strive for without hindering your progress. • Fast, fluid gameplay. • Everything from wall jumping to enemy movement/attack patterns to how the stage and its platforms moves hinge on the music’s beat. Very cool. .Cons. • The difficulty may be a turn-off to some. I’ll admit I had my rage quit moments. • The game can be controlled with keyboard, but the gamepad is FAR superior. • Sometimes it’s unclear what needs to be done to proceed. A lot of trial and error is required for some puzzles/fights. • Heavy reliance on the beat makes this title inaccessible to those without rhythm. .Bottom Line. A beautiful marriage of platformer and rhythm game, Klang will test your dexterity. A must buy for rhythm game lovers and a solid recommendation to those who enjoy platformers as well. [code]If you found this review helpful, please give it a thumbs-up. For more reviews like this one follow the [url=http://steamcommunity.com/groups/gamingwithNtK/curation]NeedtoKnow Gaming Curator[/url] page <3[/code]

Is the idea of the game fantastic? Absolutely! Can I recommend this exact game? No. The execution needs a lot of work (mainly heavy stuttering, which is #1 on the list of things that should NEVER happen under ANY circumstance for a rhythm game). In addition, lining up more than just the immediate next action NEEDS TO BE THERE and it's not (unless you know what to look for). E.g. in Rockband you see every single note coming at you down the track. In Klang you only see a timer for the immediate next action. Is the next action only an 8th beat away so you have less than a beat to respond because you didn't see the teeny-tiny marker coming at you? TOUGH LUCK. That being said, most of the game is good. The mechanics are solid, the graphics (when they're not stuttering) look amazing, the soundtrack is of course amazing. It's just a few execution issues that just completely kill it for me.

The art style of this game is pretty amazing. The music...top notch. Even when it gets you into a trance and you're going along without really realizing it. It's as enjoyable as when I played it at PAX West. My only complaint is the levels are very short which breaks up the song. Once you get into the groove, there's a loading screen which breaks the rhythm and takes you out of the game. There's also a few syncing issues, but nothing that is game ruining. Get it if you are a fan of these types of games or enjoys some good trance-ish music.

Pros: Music and visuals complement eachother nicely. Great tracks and pulsating animations ads flavor. When your combos are on a roll the envirorment goes trough several stages of color palettes making your skill progression more satisfying. The game does a great job at teaching you how to play by trial and error, all levels have multiple checkpoints. Gameplay is innovative and progressing in complexity trough the game. Every level feels unique. Boss battles are nice and ads new elements. Has bonus levels after completion and an additional difficoult level. There's an ingame lobby where you can listen to the music. The cutscenes are gorgeous!! Cons: The skill pacing is challenging, practise makes perfect. (this could be concidered a pro) Character movement feels slightly slow or delayed at times. The laser-beam is unforgiving, almost always killing you in one blow, personally for me breaking some of the immersion. Wish the game had an endless mode to get more of that rythm vibe, it feels abit short. Side notes: Recommend using a controller Spent ca 4 hours on the storyline Mesmerizing experience,definitely recommend this game!

For people who like rythim games and platforming this is a beast of a mashup. Soundtrack is amazing(electronic music), the game mechanics are solid and the graphics despite looking good don't require too high specs. Kinda short, but I enjoyed every second of it. 9/10

Le jeu m'avait l'air intéressant, un jeu de rythme c'est un genre parmi lesquels j'aime bien y jouer, j'en ai terminé pas mal. Je le lance, premier défaut: on me demande de mettre mon écran à 60Hz manuellement depuis les paramètre Windows (j'ai un écran 165Hz), plein de jeux brident à 60 ça peut se comprendre mais devoir le faire nous même ? Non merci, j'ai laissé à 165 (et en plus le tutoriel c'est des screens sur Windows 7, pour un jeu de fin 2016 c'est incompréhensible...). Le jeu fonctionnait normalement avec des freezes de 1 seconde tout les 5 minutes, rien de grave. Le second défaut: Impossible de paramétrer la zone morte du joystick de ma manette, du coup mon personnage bouge tout seul vers la gauche (ma zone morte est légèrement à gauche) si je remet pas le joystick comme il faut à sa position 0. Pour terminer avec la manette, on ne peux pas recombiner les touches, par défaut pour sauter, c'est la gâchette gauche au lieu du traditionnel bouton A... Ce n'est pas ergonomique du tout, les boutons A B X Y sont utilisés pour le truc de combo OK mais ces touches sont parfaitement remplacées par le joystick droit, car il y a des combinaisons diagonales que tu peux pas utiliser avec les boutons traditionnels, en gros autant ne pas utiliser ces boutons pour les combos et utiliser que le joystick droit afin de pouvoir utiliser le saut, la glissade et tout sur les boutons. Je n'ai pris aucun plaisir à jouer sur ce jeu, je l'ai vite désinstallé, trop de défauts qui m’empêchent de y jouer avec le confort, même le rythme des combos est mal conçu à mon gout. Je ne recommande pas ce jeu, du moins pas à 15€ mais peut être à 3€.

Klang is a rhythm game that dares to be different, blending rhythmic mechanics with action and platforming in a way that feels fresh and exciting. You’re not just pressing buttons to the beat—you’re dodging attacks, platforming through hazards, and reacting to patterns, all synced to a vibrant and energetic soundtrack. What sets Klang apart is how its visuals and environments pulse with the music, making every level feel alive. The color palette is stunning, and the synchronization of every map element with the beat amplifies the immersion. The storytelling, done entirely without dialogue, is another highlight. It’s short but impactful, leaving room for interpretation and proving how much a game can say without words. Replay value is solid, with unlockable bonus missions, increased difficulties, collectibles, and secret passages that reward exploration. Klang is an underrated masterpiece that pushes rhythm games in a bold new direction. It's a shame that more developers don't explore ideas like Klang, as its unique blend of rhythmic gameplay and innovative mechanics remains untouched by most, leaving me wishing for more games to embrace this incredible style.

I did the music for this game (as well as the sfx) and I can say that Tom-Ivar is truly a genius. I mean, he made this game by himself, minus the sound. As a producer I wanted to share my experience. To see my sound and music come to life in this way is truly a gift to experience on my end. I got to help shape the game as well through the inspiration my music gave Tom-Ivar. This is a true collaboration of souls that vibe similarly and we hope that the game bleeds that exceptional energy. Personally I loved every minute of the game minus the last battle. I died a million times but alas I finally finished it. I can say I wish a game like this existed when I was a teenager, so I really hope we inspire others to pursue their own passions and dreams and put them into art form. It's a worthy experience in this human shell on this big rock and I am just grateful to be a part of it. Hope you enjoy that ear and eye candy ;) -bLiNd

This game merges rhythm and platforming in a way I have never seen before. While I had fun with it at the start, there is an incredible amount of visual clutter and most of the time I had no idea why I died. I'm glad I tried it but I could not tell what I was supposed to do near the end.