Soundfall

Soundfall does quite a few things right. Its loot and shoot design set to a lot of good music is commendable. The tracks included in the game are of a wide variety and even if you get through the entire game, the ability to play levels to your own favorite music is pretty great (on PC). The problem is… Soundfall’s gear and enemies just aren’t all that compelling. The music and rhythmic gameplay are good enough to carry a lot of this game, but I can’t help but wish it had a more rewarding variety of gear to look forward to and enemies that didn’t quickly end up feeling like repetitive drones. Even so, if you can get down with a good rhythm action game alone or with friends, Soundfall might be worth it whether you play to its soundtrack or bring your own.

Soundfall has an interesting premise, but it falls short of realizing its potential. Nothing in the game is overtly bad, but this isn’t a game I’ll come back to or probably even think about all that much. Soundfall is a let-down, missing just enough beats to throw off its own groove.

Soundfall’s critical mistake is that it lacks anything new and exciting past the game’s opening hours and too comfortably relies on rhythm mechanics that, while entertaining at first, grow stale in isolation. Drastic Games’ decision to give a Diablo-like spin to the rhythm game genre had potential, but its core loot-based elements are half-baked, and its level design is sorely lacking. While strong in its broad range of music and lovely art style, Soundfall is a game that needs more time to flesh out its gameplay systems before it's ready to hit the stage. Soundfall is a feast for the ears, a treat to the eyes, and an exercise in monotony.