Thanks to games such as Hi-Fi Rush and Crypt of the Necrodancer, rhythm-based games are seeing a resurgence. So it’s ironic that when I sat down to play Disco Samurai at PAX East, I was told that these two titles specifically were a big inspiration from the two-person developer team based in Poland.
Disco Samurai Will Test Your Ability to Hold a Beat
As you’d expect, your moves must align with the beat of the music. You’re able to move at will, though freely. While this seems like it makes things easier for the player, I’d argue that the opposite is true. Then again, I have no rhythm, so what do I know?
According to the representative from Games From Poland, I wasn’t the only one struggling. Disco Samurai is a challenging game that will test your musical rhythm and skill. The limited demo eased me into things by introducing enemies at an appropriate pace. As the demo progresses, the enemies can deal with more powerful attacks.
Thankfully, the same is true for the player. After starting with just a melee attack, you can also parry, dodge, shoot, and kick. Kicks specifically come in handy since you can kick enemies into objects that kill them in one shot.
It doesn’t seem like a lot of information is being thrown at you but remember: you must be performing this action along with the beat, which is indicated at the bottom of the screen. Should you fail to do so, you open yourself up to attacks. If you’re like me, you’ll die.
Disco Samurai Can Be A Challenge, But When Everything Clicks, It Works So Well
Fear not, dear reader, for this story has a happy ending. After much trial and error, everything begins to click. Everything begins to make sense. I found a way to succeed in the game, and before long, I was moving to the music.
What’s remarkable is that everyone will find their groove in different ways. For some, it will be by tapping your foot along with the music to develop a rhythm. For others, such as myself, you can move around solely through attacking because I can’t walk and chew gum simultaneously.
That’s what really stood out to me the most with Disco Samurai. There’s an obvious hook here, and the combat really shines when everything clicks. My one concern, for me anyway because, again, I am not musically inclined, is getting to that point. You better believe I’ll be trying my best, though.
