Beat Souls review

Beat Souls is a rhythm game where players need to hit proper notes in timely fashion in order to build a combo and earn the highest score possible. Get a high score and you’ll be able to unlock additional to play and progress through the game’s 30 levels.

So the way it works is that you’re a character on a vertical track with five columns. Your character has an Otomo on each side, basically meaning you’re covering three of the five columns. You need to move around your character so that the Otomos catch the various notes all the while dodging purple faces called Noise. Accidentally touching Noise will break your combo and cost you some stamina. Run out of stamina and it means game over.

Given that you have to move around in a way that your Otomos catch the notes, it brings a certain layer of puzzling challenge in the rhythm game as you need to plan your moves accordingly so you catch all notes but trying to think ahead as patterns changes. You’ll sometimes see that notes are side by side, but by using LB/RB you can move both Otomos on the same side.

The game’s main issue comes from the presentation itself. While the game looks great and vastly colorful (more on that below), some levels will be visually loud by being cluttered with so many notes and obstacles that it can be dizzying, result in headaches and maybe in worst case cause an epileptic seizure to those who might be susceptible. And because of that, this is not the kind of game you can play for long hours like fighters or RPGs. Breaks are mandatory; your eyes and brain will be thankful.

Beat Souls looks great; very bright, colorful, and “happy”. This is the kind of game you can boot up for a few minutes after a crap and/or long day to chill, clear your head, and disconnect. The game features a unique mix of cute and colorful anime aesthetics and neon cyberpunk style. Notes are easy to spot; so are obstacles and the characters are well designed. And obviously, the soundtrack is a banger. Given that the score can make or break a rhythm-based game, Beat Souls has a great pop, dance soundtrack to get you moving.

Beat Souls is an awesome, addictive rhythm-based game that will pull you in from the get-go. There’s a bit of abrupt difficulty spike, but once you get a hold of the controls, it’s a blast. The only problem is that later levels are color heavy and flash-inducing which can cause certain issues like headaches caused by dizzyness; it’s unfortunate because it’s the kind of game you could blast through in a single sitting. Unfortunately, it’s better to play this in short bursts. Play it in short bursts and you’ll discover a nice little gem. I definitely recommend it.