Muse Dash (Review)

By: Rae

Honestly, it was the colours that drew me in first – PeroPeroGames Muse Dash is a bright, shiny game with an anime-style and filled with all sorts of “IT’S SO CUTE!” Being my first rhythm game, I can’t really compare Muse Dash to other entries in the genre, but it was definitely a fun introduction.

Muse Dash features super-bright colours, an eccentric castof characters, and even fun little allies to take on your musical journey withyou. It’s super easy for any newbie to adjust to, with only two keys beingnecessary in varying rhythms and patterns. I assume this is the norm for thistype of game, but for anyone not used to them, it makes it much easier to jumpin than I might have expected from just watching someone. Apparently Muse Dashwas originally a mobile game, but I really liked the keyboard aspect more thanI’d have liked a phone screen, I think.

While the controls themselves are easy, don’t be fooled –some of the songs get extremely difficult and can send the player fumbling. It’snot just the hard mode that can do it, either. Easy gets intense sometimes too!But with an upbeat soundtrack featuring lots of addictive songs, it’s super-easyto fall into the trap of playing a level over and over again for a betterscore. I kept telling myself “one more time!” But one more time kept becomingtwo, then three – all in search of that perfect score. As you play, you’lllearn different cues. Ghosts go invisible before they get hit. Big bosses needto be repeatedly struck. You can jump over saws, or hold on long notes.

The soundtrack is fantastic, and filled with high-energytracks that should keep any player engaged and excited, and the base versionfor $2.99 has plenty to keep you playing. As you continue, you’ll unlockcharacters and sidekicks, and there are leaderboards available if you’refeeling competitive. You’ll unlock songs over time by leveling up, and theamount of content is actually pretty incredible for the price. I haven’t triedthe DLC yet, which I assume has much more at its pricetag of $29.99.

Before we finish, let’s take a second to talk about the onebig issue with Muse Dash. At times, the character selection screen could be alittle… unnecessary. I actually loved so many of the character designs – they werecute and fun, for sure – but occasionally there was a little too much of anattempt to be super-sexy. In a game with cutesy bear enemies, girls ridingkiddy toys, and adorable sidekicks, is the audience really looking for pantyshots and bouncing boobs? Maybe, I suppose… but it was so over the top I foundit more annoying and obnoxious than waifu material. It’s not the end of theworld – nor was it a dealbreaker for the game – but I was not really a fan. Otherwise,the designs for both enemies and player characters was really lovely and quirky.

Altogether, Muse Dash makes for a really solid rhythm game experience. You know what you’re getting, and you get a little extra along the way. It’s a great way to spend some time, and should give anyone with a love of music a fun way to play along.

Ready to check it out? Muse Dash is available for Switch or Steam! At $2.99 you cant go wrong - give it a shot!