Rhythm News, Tips, Tricks & Ideas

Over four months after Fortnite Festival was released, Harmonix and Epic Games announced that the rhythm game now supports Rock Band 4 plastic guitar controllers.

Fortnite Festival should feel even more like Rock Band today, as guitar controller support is finally added to the game mode. Only certain controllers are compatible, but it at least makes it possible for some of us to recreate the good ol' days of rhythm games being playable with big plastic controllers, even if not all the instruments are available right now.

In a game of exceedingly well-written characters like Baldur's Gate 3, the sadistic and sexually suggestive vampire spawn Astarion manages to stand out. But despite developer Larian Studios clearly signalling that it is moving on from the game and away from the series, Astarion actor Neil Newbon isn't quite ready to follow suit.

Publisher indienova, and publisher and developer 7th Beat Games will release one-button rhythm game A Dance of Fire and Ice for Switch, the companies announced.

Last month, Larian Studios broke the hearts of every Baldur's Gate fan across the globe by announcing that they have no plans to work with the Dungeons & Dragons license moving forward, and that the studio will instead move onto something new rather than stick around and make Baldur's Gate 4. It was a hammer blow to the hopes and dreams of everyone that fell in love with the characters that Larian created, but it doesn't mean that they're gone forever.

Crypt of the Necrodancer just won’t die — and that’s a good thing. The nearly decade-old roguelike rhythm game received new content on Thursday, bringing virtual pop star Hatsune Miku into the fold as a playable character.

When I first saw Quantic Dream’s Dustborn, its comic book art style had me expecting some kind of superhero game. It technically is, but I soon learned that its dystopian “Divided States of America” setting pointed toward a more personal story that mirrors reality. As I played through the 30-minute demo, I absorbed the road stops and memories of an action-packed narrative that seemed to dig deeper into the game’s colorful cast of characters. It stood out enough to make it one of our favorite games of PAX East 2024– and for good reason.

Rhythm shooter Metal: Hellsinger has you circle-strafing Quake-style level layouts at high-speed while you shoot demons to the beat. I meet the news that it's getting a VR version this year with some trepidation, therefore. Do I really want to vomit on the beat?

Roguelike rhythm first-person shooter ROBOBEAT will launch for PC via Steam and Epic Games Store on May 16, publisher Kwalee and developer Inzanity announced.

PQube will release OperaHouse-developed rhythm action idol visual novel I*CHU: Chibi Edition for Switch in the west, the publisher announced. A release date was not announced, but Amazon lists it for a September 26 release.

The Switch version of Touhou Project rhythm game Touhou Danmaku Kagura: Phantasia Lost will launch on September 5, Unknown X announced. It will feature a new mode with touchscreen support.

While there’s no shortage of ways to distract yourself while playing Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth, one of the most unexpected minigames is the surprisingly deep piano system. In most of the major hub towns you encounter across the expansive world, Cloud can find a piano to sit down at and tickle the keys. You’re free to play any song you want in free play, but you can turn this system into a full-on rhythm game, almost like Guitar Hero, by collecting sheet music of some of the game’s most iconic tracks. There’s even an NPC near each piano who will reward you if you get a high enough rank on each song. Cloud may not be the most expressive in his words, but he can sure play the piano with heart. Here is where you can find all the sheet music and what rewards await if you can master them.

There aren't a tonne of rhythm action games on PS5 — unless you happen to have PSVR2, where the genre is doing just fine — but the well-liked indie effort, Melatonin, is right around the corner. Just announced for a PS5 port, the game is heavily inspired by Nintendo's excellent Rhythm Heaven series, which is enough to have us interested.

If bopping along and timing button presses to perfection in rhythm action games like Hi-Fi Rush and Metal: Hellsinger is your type of thing, then the news that Melatonin will soon land on PS5 will be music to your ears.

Junon is dangerous territory for Cloud and his friends in Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth. The city is already one of Shinra’s major hubs, but matters are made even worse when the president himself is set to arrive to host a parade. This presents a perfect opportunity to don some disguises and hide in plain sight among the ranks, though things get a little out of control when you are recruited to lead a team of troops to perform in a rhythm minigame. You could brush this off and just get by, but where’s the honor in that? Show the president your stuff by making the best parade formation possible.

Half Asleep will release Melatonin, a rhythm game about dreams and reality merging together, for PlayStation 5 on March 12, the developer announced.

You're out for your morning jog, soaking up the early morning sun and feeling the rhythm of your steps as they hit the track, matching the beat of your favourite songs. Strapped to your wrist is your brand new Galaxy Smartwatch, which is doing more than just keeping tabs on the time and your exercise goals. This smart device also monitors your heart's vitals — heart rate, blood pressure levels and ECG.

Snufkin: Melody of Moominvalley, the lovely looking musical adventure based on Tove Jansson's classic series of children's stories, finally has a released date and will be launching for Switch and PC via Steam on Tuesday, 7th March.

Another Thursday, another Epic Games Store freebie to add to your ever-growing backlog, this time in the form of stylish 3D side-scroller Never Yield.

February 29 is a rare day, a perfect date to celebrate with a session of the Final Fantasy-themed musical game Theatrhythm Final Bar Line. However, I’ve got sad news for anyone attempting to celebrate today with a little Theathrythm as the rhythm game just won’t load on this day, specifically.

Blizzard has shared a summary of the class changes for Patch 1.3.3, which releases on March 5. Let's take a look at the buffs and nerfs for every class in Diablo 4. Diablo 4 Season 3 Midseason Campfire Chat Liveblog Patch 1.3.3 Releases March 5

Theatrhythm Final Bar Line players have discovered that their game isn’t working today, and the date appears to be to blame.

A fan of the Final Fantasy rhythm game, Theatrhythm, learned the hard way today that Square Enix didn't account for leap years.

The Tarisland team has a new behind the scenes video featuring award-winning composer, Russell Brower, who was announced as part of the project last fall, detailing the process of composing for Tarisland, how tailoring the music to the story matters, and creating a cohesive musical identity for the game.

Yesterday, Microsoft formally unveiled those four games that are coming to other consoles: Obsidian's Pentiment and Grounded, Rare's Sea of Thieves, and Tango's Hi-Fi Rush. While the former two games are coming to PlayStation platforms and Nintendo Switch, the latter two are only coming to PS5.

Hi-Fi Rush will skip the current Nintendo Switch and instead arrive on the console's currently-unannounced successor. That's according to a report from Insider Gaming, which states that the absence of a Switch version of the game in yesterday's Xbox multi-platform announcement was due to it launching on Nintendo Switch 2 instead.

Hi-Fi Rush is about to lose its console exclusivity, as the game is set to land on PlayStation 5 next month.

Hi-Fi Rush is a completely unique, action-packed rhythm game with quirky, fun characters, bright, flashy graphics, and witty, fun villains. It stood out when it was shadow-dropped on Xbox Game Pass and for great reason. With confirmation the title is finally coming to the PlayStation 5, a sweet surprise was that Hi-Fi Rush is also getting physical editions.

Publisher Bethesda Softworks and developer Tango Gameworks will release rhythm action game Hi-Fi RUSH for PlayStation 5 on March 19, the companies announced.

A PlayStation 5 release date for the currently-Xbox console exclusive Hi-Fi Rush has found its way onto the internet.

Microsoft and Bethesda finally confirmed that Hi-Fi Rush is going multiplatform. In particular, it was announced that the rhythm action game is coming to the PS5 next month.

If you haven’t been paying attention Fortnite is now much more than building towers and blasting humanoid bananas. Epic Games is doing what Meta wishes it could and is busy building a bona fide metaverse, with Fortnite rapidly becoming a platform for varied interactive experiences with the Battle Royale mode at its core. Over the last few months, we’ve seen ‘Rocket Racing’, the Minecraft-like ‘LEGO Fortnite’, and expansions of the Creative Modes in which players can make pretty much whatever they want.

Iconic pop sensation Lady Gaga has announced that she'll be coming to Fortnite Festival. 

It appears Lady Gaga is going to make an appearance in Fortnite Festival, as the singer is teasing an upcoming collaboration with Epic Games.

Time and again, Apple Watches have come to the rescue of their owners. The addition of atrial fibrillation (AFib) detection to the Apple Watch several years ago has proven to be a blessing for innumerable users, with its life-saving capabilities documented in multiple wonderful anecdotes. Among these stories, one stands out from the little town of Summerville, South Carolina, where Jeff and Ellen Priest's lives were forever changed by the timely intervention of their Apple Watch.

Hello! I’m Josef, one of the creators of Beat the Beats VR, coming out February 27 on PlayStation VR2. It is a rhythm VR game you play with your fists and all about learning actual boxing moves like jab, dodge, and uppercut.

Like Ikea trips before them, games like Overcookedare littered with fights between previously loving couples. Instead of coming from arguments over utensils or sectionals, these fights spur from who made the unforgivable mistake of chopping more onions instead of removing the burning meat from the frying pan. These games are more about communication and coordination than anything else, and while they can be stressful, they can also be incredibly rewarding once you get into the rhythm.

Microsoft's Xbox and PC exclusive Pentiment will make its way to PS5 and Nintendo Switch, alongside the previously-leaked Hi-Fi Rush.

Free-to-play rhythm game Love Live! School Idol Festival 2 MIRACLE LIVE! will end service on March 31 for Japan and May 31 worldwide, Bushiroad announced (2).

The Independent Games Festival awards - aka: the only awards that are actually worth paying attention to - have announced the finalists for their 2024 cohort, and wouldn't you know it, there are lots of RPS-endorsed games in there, lemme tell ya. Cooking adventure Venba leads the pack with a total of four nominations, but it's closely followed by Cocoon, A Highland Song, Mediterranea Inferno and 1000xResist, all of which have scooped three noms apiece.

A report which stated that Microsoft was set to launch an «acclaimed» first-party title on a rival console platform has sparked further suggestion that a Nintendo Switch release for rhythm brawler Hi-Fi Rush is in the works.

Metal: Hellsinger is a neat rhythm shooter, in which you blast demons in time to the beat of heavy metal. This week brought the release of new Purgatory DLC, which adds new tracks and a bow weapon, but also the launch of a free Horde mode update. The latter lets you fight escalating waves of enemies in different arenas, with between-wave powerups and permanent upgrades to unlock.

In a reminder that 2023 continues to be a rotten ol’ year for the people making games, no matter what Geoff Keighley and Gonzo might tell (or not tell) you, indie devs Triple Topping Games have laid off the entire studio’s staff after declaring bankruptcy.

Now we’re cooking. Terrific, demonic rhythm-basher THUMPER is getting a sequel of sorts called THRASHER, created by the first game's artist and composer Brian Gibson. It’s a weirdo racer in which you use gesture controls to evolve the creature you're controlling, in a “breakneck race for survival that begins at the dawn of time”. Which is certainly a concept. Will there be any flying hell triangles in this one? Will my thumbs be able to keep up, seven years after almost breaking them against the sneering face of THUMPER's world 3?

A Highland Song, Inkle's Scottish rhythm mountain climbing game, now has a release date of December 5th. I'm Scottish, I spent my childhood walking up mountains, and I'm a long-time fan of Inkle, so it's kind of them to make this game specifically for me. Hop below for a new trailer, too.

A Highland Song, the beautiful «open platforming» adventure from Heaven's Vault and 80 Days developer Inkle, is almost here and will be launching for Switch and PC on 5th December.

Taiko no Tatsujin RHYTHM CONNECT is now available for iOS via App Store and Android via Google Play in Japan, Indonesia, Thailand, Taiwan, Hong Kong, and Macau as a free-to-play title with in-app purchases.

The Switch version of rhythm game Hello Kitty and Friends: Happiness Parade will launch on October 26 for $19.99, publisher Rogue Games and developer Dabadu Games announced. It will be available at a 15 percent-off discount price for the first week of launch.

The recently revealed Fitness Boxing feat. Hatsune Miku: Isshoni Exercise will launch for Switch on March 7, 2024 in Japan for 6,980 yen, Imagineer announced. It will be available both physically and digitally.

Holy Wow Studios has released trombone-based rhythm game Trombone Champ for Switch via Nintendo eShop for $14.99.

Imagineer has announced Fitness Boxing feat. Hatsune Miku: Isshoni Exercise for Switch. It will launch in spring 2024 in Japan.

Publisher RapidEyeMovers and developer Wolf & Wood have announced the first free major content update for C-Smash VRS. It will launch on September 14.

A demo for Samba de Amigo: Party Central is now available for Switch via Nintendo eShop in North America and Japan, SEGA announced. It will launch in Europe later in August.

SEGA has announced the first details on the paid post-launch downloadable content for Samba de Amigo: Party Central.

Touhou Project rhythm game Touhou Danmaku Kagura: Phantasia Lost will launch for PC via Steam on February 8, 2024, Unknown X announced.

SEGA has released a new trailer for Samba de Amigo: Party Central introducing the game’s cast of characters.

Bandai Namco has announced Taiko no Tatsujin: Rhythm Connect for iOS and Android. It is planned for release in Japan, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Macao, and Thailand with English, Japanese, and Traditional Chinese language support. It will be available as a free-to-play title with in-app purchases. A release date was not announced.

SEGA has announced Samba de Amigo: Party-To-Go for Apple Arcade. It will launch on August 29.

The Kickstarter campaign for Ratatan, the newly announced rhythm strategy game from the creators of Patapon, is now live. It is seeking 20 million yen (approx. $141,098 USD) in funding for an initial release on PC, with a stretch goal an unknown amount beyond 50 million yen (approx. $351,672 USD) for console versions.

Ratata Arts has released the first gameplay trailer, information, and screenshots for newly announced rhythm strategy game Ratatan.