Hsieh

Unfortunately, Brawlout isn't even a good Smash clone. Despite having Juan and the Drifter, this game is even less inspired than PlayStation All-Stars, which is saying something. A dearth of interesting moves, lackluster music and super poor balance -- not to mention the odd omission of sound effects other than the usual "hitting" sounds, which makes the game feel lifeless -- round out a game that had a cheat sheet, and yet failed the test.

Although the game's music fills a niche that barely any other rhythm games fill-- barring, of course, Guitar Hero Live's incredible roster-- Loud on Planet X ultimately falls short. It's novel to see CHVRCHES, Tegan & Sara and Purity Ring on screen, and the material design on the sprites is definitely a nice touch, but unfortunately gameplay comes down to repetitively tapping buttons to the beat. There's no "gimmick" here-- no circle-tapping 'round the screen as in Ouendan, no Final Fantasy-esque fights as in Theatrhythm, not even music videos as in Guitar Hero Live. The gimmick is the indie-esque music itself, and even that starts to wear thin when all you're doing is tapping a button tediously to the beat. (Not to mention the button-pushing is incredibly unforgiving. Unlike most rhythm games, there's no point deduction for early or late presses. It's just a miss.) What Loud on Planet X eventually comes down to is an intense misunderstanding of what people want from a rhythm game. They don't just want good music-- they want engaging mechanics, with just the right amount of forgiveness, that keeps people wanting more. When the visuals and the mechanics are boring, even good music can't save the game.