Orgarhythm

It's messy in places, but Orgarhythm is a compelling mixture of strategy and rhythm that you won't see anywhere else.

Orgarhythm is overflowing with interesting ideas that never quite come together. It's a real-time strategy game that steals mechanics from the rhythm genre. Too bad the gameplay is busted and the single-player story is so short.

Despite a fairly serious issue – the aforementioned troop misbehavior – I think it's absolutely worth playing. The theme is a lot of fun, the gameplay is unique, the music is masterful, and the boss fights can be truly spectacular.

When the elements of Orgarhythm come together, it's transcendent-raging music fills the ears, the tapping gives a tangible connection to what's happening onscreen, and watching the multi-colored army dominate the opposition is a singular experience. That said, the small amount of content, low production qualities and general lack of polish make Orgarhythm come off more like a proof-of-concept demo. I absolutely love what it does when it pops, but there's more work to be done here.

For all of its novelty value, there's no chance of it leaving your feet on fire. [Apr 2013, p.119]

On one hand it’s a wonderful conceptual take on rhythm action, blending in elements of RTS and score attack along with a thumping soundtrack. Its problem is that on the other hand it’s a flawed delivery, a game where the overriding artistic concept and desire to produce something different has resulted in a game that far too often isn’t actually fun to play.

The title is certainly fun, with a catchy soundtrack and a nice level of depth to its gameplay, but its short length and unusual premise make it difficult to recommend. Still, if rhythm games are your thing, Orgarhythm is a unique take on the style that will prove to be entertaining in spite of its shortcomings.

It's messy, and it gets repetitive too. For some, it'll just be headache-inducing. But for those who yearn for quirkiness, this could become a cult hit. [Issue#229, p.82]

It's a messy and repetitive interface. [Apr 2013, p.86]

While Orgarhythm's overall idea is great, all too often the positives are hidden in the mix by flaws that make it much more of a hassle than it should be. There are moments of excellence that occasionally blare out front and centre and hint at what could have been, but that quality is sadly not as consistent throughout as its stomping drum beats.