Rhythm games are the best kinds of games. Need proof? Just look at Unbeatable, a new 2D action rhythm game that’s already been Kickstarted.
Unbeatable’s tag line is “music is illegal and you do crimes,” in case you wanted a feel for the tone of the project. You play as a girl called Beat who decides it’s time to reintroduce music to her world. Along with her band (composed of members Quaver and twins Treble and Clef) she goes around town helping strangers and building the setlist for her concert.
In action, the game has a look the developers liken to “a long lost bootleg ‘90s VHS recording of the newest anime on the block,” and boasts an original soundtrack too. Gameplay consists of running around town “meeting terrible people” and rehearsing as a band before the actual rhythm game comes into focus. In these gameplay segments, enemies come at Beat from her right and left side on two different lanes, a low and high one. Once they cross a threshold, the player must hit either up or down to hit the notes. It’s as simple as that, but will obviously grow in complexity like any rhythm game does.
The Kickstarter page for the game also touches on an Assist Mode, which would help make the game accessible for those who just can’t play rhythm games or don’t want to but want to play the story. While the full assist mode will feature colorblind options, modifiers on health loss and regen and full controller remapping, the demo for the game (which comes out today) will have the Autoplay feature, which allows Beat to hit notes without player input.
The game’s been in development since 2018 but still has a long way to go, with the developers going so far as to say that full-time development of the game would continue for at least two more years. So we shouldn’t expect the game till at least 2023. I’m okay with waiting though, because Unbeatable looks fantastic.
Seeing how rhythm games have adapted since the burst of the plastic instruments bubble has been endlessly rewarding, and Unbeatable looks and sounds worth the wait.