Plot: What’s it about?
After a release on other Sony devices, Kickbeat has landed on PS4 and is better than ever. While rhythm games have lost the tidal wave of popularity they once had, Kickbeat proves there is still ample life left in the genre. No plastic guitars here though, you just press the buttons in proper sequence and watch the action unfold. I do mean action, as the game responds to your performance with a full on brawl on the dance floor. As you input the commands, a fight breaks out and the better you time your button presses, obviously the better you’ll do in the fight. This is a novel approach and while it sounds a little odd, all of the elements work and the experience is quite fun. The game has a campaign mode that centers on a janitor who is tasked to be the defender of music, striking back against the evil Radio Earth. Silly? Yes, but it works. You can unlock a second campaign as the janitor’s girlfriend, as well as various alternate attires and such. Few games give you the chance to brawl inside a Turkish bath, so Kickbeat earns immense credit just for that. You can also explore a tutorial mode, as well as take on an endless force of enemies and see how long your thumbs can possibly hold up.
This is a game focused on music, so how are the tunes? The game boasts a small, but impressive roster of licensed music. The chosen songs are perfect for the wild fights involved, with pounding beats and high aggression texture. The artists include Marilyn Manson, Rob Zombie, POD, Papa Roach, and more, so fans of hard hitting jams should be satisfied. The fight mechanics are simple to pick up, but take a little time to really master. It also helps the more you play the specific songs and if you find the combat too easy, you have several levels of difficulty to conquer. The combat requires precision button presses, with small windows of time that allow you to lash out at your foes before they can smack you around. You will also be asked to press two buttons at once, hold down and time release, and even battle some off-beat baddies looking to throw you off. So think of quick-time event style button presses, only a million times more fun. Some enemies also carry power-ups, so you double tap those dudes and can earn yourself a health boost or other bonus item. I wasn’t sure what to expect from Kickbeat, but I had a great time with this game and had several “just one more song” moments, which is a sign of a good game. So if you like beating people up to heavy hitting music, you can’t go wrong with Zen Studios’ Kickbeat: Special Edition.
Video: How’s it look?
The game has a bold, colorful visual design that is a pleasure to soak in. The various stages run the gamut of locales and all look terrific, kind of like a fight taking place within a vivid disco, on acid. Sounds wild, I know, but Kickbeat has that awesome of visuals on showcase. I did notice some minor camera issues from time to time, but they were a minor frustration at worst and very uncommon. Overall the visual design in this game is bold, colorful, and a lot of fun.
Audio: How’s it sound?
As you’d expect, a lot of attention has been paid to the sound design elements. After all, this is a music driven game, so it should sound good. The music sounds great, as it should, so your battles will pack a fantastic soundtrack. You might not like all the songs included, but they are all well presented here. The rest of the audio is more than solid also, but the music stands out as it should, given that it is the focus of the game’s sound design.
