It’s pretty clear that we’ll never hit the music game heyday that existed in the late 2000’s with such games as Rock Band, Guitar Hero, Just Dance, and even subsequent ripoffs, spinoffs, and motion peripheral cheapshots. But just because a certain market crashed, doesn’t mean the audience died out, and with a more recent example (in the case of Loud on Planet X) raising $53,000 CAD on a crowdfunded campaign, I was curious to see where the future of this unusual yet always gratifying genre could go. But as always, it seems the more recent years have played missteps in the wake of potential.
Gameplay:
As someone who’s gotten really into indie music lately, I was looking forward to Loud on Planet X as a venture into new and great songs I had not yet listened to, supplemented by addicting supporting gameplay chops. But only half of this vision came true, and it happened to be the first. There’s no denying that the genre, song, and band lineup in Loud on Planet X is something to laud, but the gameplay is so unbalanced that it’s hard to go for both sides here. (in this case buying the game) A quick example of this is how the game expects you to do all of these minitasks at once, while staying on beat. This wouldn’t be an issue if the way this wasn’t so represented wasn’t so flawed (you can barely notice how is all I’m saying) Overall, the gameplay in Loud on Planet X isn’t one wrong note, but rather a straining falsetto.
Story/ Design:
Loud on Planet X doesn’t have much of a plot, (a simple non-cutscene alien invasion is all you’ll be getting) which isn’t a problem because of how robust the game’s music tendencies are. You’ll go from rap to some electronica, and then maybe something resembling tones of hardcore punk (Fucked Up fans, anyone?) This is probably the best selling point of Loud on Planet X. You might be disappointed by the gameplay, but there isn’t a beat in this game that everyone can’t dance to.
Presentation/ Visuals & Audio:
Another slight positive in Loud on Planet X’s notesheet are the visuals and of course audio. I really enjoy the vibrant enemy designs, and the models for each different band in the game seem like they were done painstakingly but for good impression. If you’ve got a favorite band in here, you’ll recognize them in a heartbeat, something I find to be a pretty cool feature.
Conclusion:
In the words of Tegan and Sara, “Everything is Awesome”. This might be the case for the music catalog in Loud on Planet X, but it becomes pretty noticeable that the gameplay is on a far different tune. If you’re a casual indie music fan, I’d say wait for a major sale, but any junkies should definitely dive right in. (Just be wary of the flaws) You might find a new favorite song, just like I did.
Loud on Planet X gets a 6/10 (Limited Appeal)
We’d like to thank Pop Sandbox for sending us a code!
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