Rhythm Doctor

[h2] Overview [/h2] I never expected something so fun, engaging, and hilarious to come from a $20 purchase I made on a whim for a game I hadn't heard of at all prior to buying it. What I got was a game that was absolutely packed with charm, comedy, and many incredible moments that I'm SHOCKED this isn't more popular. 8/10 ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- [h2] Story [/h2] Rhythm Doctor's story is remarkably short. It took me just over 5 hours to beat the game, and from what I can tell, that's a really good pace. Given just this short time frame, the game manages to tell an incredibly heartfelt plot with tons of great individual moments. Although it's not life-changing levels of complex, it's not ultimately what the game sets out to do. Bite-sized and light-hearted, but well meaning plotlines keep this game moving forward HARD. [h2] Gameplay [/h2] Honestly, I had no idea what to expect from the gameplay. I thought that the gimmick would fade into either too much simplicity, or a degree of weirdness that would be too confusing to follow. I'm happy to say that not only was I wrong, but the game manages to be actually pretty difficult but fair in its complexity. Not everything is super telegraphed, maybe one bit in every two or three levels felt a bit off. Overall though, the game NAILS what should on paper be a pretty boring concept, and turns it into a multi-tasking game about keeping pulse between syncopated beats, polyrhythmic grooves, and even irregular time signatures. Even without the musical jargon, everything is perfectly understandable, even to people who don't have any prior music theory knowledge. [h2] Visuals [/h2 ] Classic pixelated aesthetic, but that isn't a bad thing. Given the cozy indie vibes of the game, it's perfectly suitable. The real fun comes with the more elaborate levels, which switch up the quality from 'fun little animation' to 'playing through a whole music video.' Particularly, the smaller, moving windows during some of the boss levels add SO MUCH charm. [h2] Music [/h2] Bangin' music. Not much more to say. I didn't dislike any of the songs, which is impressive considering the breadth of genres that get touched upon by the game's shockingly diverse soundtrack. [h2] Misc. [/h2] My GOD is this game funny. There's just so many little moments that made me chuckle, but nothing managed to undercut the emotional weight that the game also emphasizes. Every character has their own little thing that makes them so fun to see interact with everyone else. At the same time, each character feels like they have their own unique struggle, although they all have little to do with each other overall. Still though, it's unique to see a game tackle toxic workplaces, the pains of physical therapy. and how to deal with a situationship all in the same breath, while also making me count to seven over a quintuplet swing beat. Somehow it just works? ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- [h2] 10 Second Review [/h2] Go play this game. It's really fun, worth the price tag, has a ton of cute moments, and a good way to kill an afternoon or two.