As the year nears its end, it’s normal to begin to look back at your favorite games of the year that you spent time with. It almost seems disingenuous, or even hyperbolic, to call a demo for an upcoming game one of the year's best titles, yet that’s the case when it comes to the [white label] demo for the upcoming rhythm adventure game UNBEATABLE. Some might say putting a demo in your Game of the Year list would be like putting a trailer for a film on a top 10 list, but does that really matter when it's one of the products that you got the most enjoyment out of?
The truth is that the demo for the upcoming game remains one of the most exciting gaming experiences this year. The title launched as a Kickstarter project earlier this year and would end up meeting its goal in 15 hours. Soon after, the team at D-CELL GAMES would put out a stellar demo. Offering a free slice of their rhythm game, the Kickstarter outlines the demo perfectly, as you're part of a band that's living in a world “where music is illegal and you do crimes.”
The first thing you’ll notice in the demo is the jaw-dropping art style, as you launch the game and are greeted with a gorgeous pastel color palette. It's so effective in its presentation that at times you’ll feel like you’re walking through a comic book or anime. Easy comparisons to draw for those that are familiar with the properties is the work of anime juggernaut Studio Trigger, recalling past titles like Kill La Kill, or even Gainax and Production I.G’s work on FLCL.
For a demo, UNBEATABLE has a lot of variation for fans of rhythm games, and it seems that the team behind the title was well aware of the audience that they were most likely going to be catering to. As of now, the demo has 12 songs to choose from. What’s great about this demo is that you get a clear sense of what’s to come, simply by the inclusion of the part of the demo that isn't the music sections. In between many of the songs, you’ll be greeted with absolutely gorgeous interludes.
You’ll see right from the start that this isn’t your typical rhythm title, as you aren’t even thrown into a song when you start the tutorial. Instead, you’ll get a feel for the sections that take up the other portion of the demo, which have a more central focus on the story and its characters, namely Beat, the demo’s protagonist. During this time you'll be able to run around and explore beautifully drawn locations.
As you go about exploring these areas, you’ll also have the chance to interact with a number of different items in the environment. When you do this, a lot of the time Beat will be able to choose from various topics to talk about. An example of this is when you stumble across a pamphlet stand, which will allow you to read up on tarantula cafes or the oddly named “Bone Camp”. A standout location in the demo is a calming train station, which happens to share a familiar name with a town in a popular JRPG franchise. The inclusions of these areas are also a great way to break up the static nature of the backgrounds that come with the rhythm sections.
Unlike many other rhythm games, it appears to be setting a large emphasis on the story, with the music playing a vital role in the overall elements of the plot. These story beats are peppered throughout the demo as you jump between various addicting songs. The demo is excellent in that it leaves you wanting more, while also showcasing the stellar foundation that the team has already built up. It's one of the biggest surprises of the year, and with it being free, it should be at the top of many gamers’ "must try" lists.
The trailer explains the gameplay best, in that it’s a really simple game to pick up and play. There are two buttons that you’ll primarily use in the game, as you attempt to time your button presses to two separate lanes, in which you’ll see various flying objects that you need to match up with. Not to be outdone by its visual style, the soundtrack is thankfully able to match the quality of the rest of the game. You’ll be humming these songs long after your initial playthrough.
The demo does a great job of mixing up the actual rhythm gameplay as well, as it’s not just regular notes that you’ll be focusing on in each lane. If you’re accustomed to the genre, there are various different kinds of notes that will appear as you play. There’s your typical press and hold inputs, but also fun variations like jumping notes that move from lane to lane, which requires you to keep your eyes steady on both areas of the screen.
For those that find rhythm games frustrating to pick up, you’ll be happy to see that the demo for UNBEATABLE offers a wide variety of difficulty options. The tutorial does a great job of slowing things down a bit and allowing you to understand how the demo plays. Slowly but surely you'll get a better handle on the demo, as you can start with Beginner and slowly crank up the difficulty to whatever you like as you progress through the songs.
As of now, the UNBEATABLE [white label] demo is only available on PC, but it can be had for free on Steam and itch.io. It also seems like the perfect type of game to check out on the upcoming Steam Deck. Even the support behind the demo over the past couple of months has been fantastic, as many quality of life improvements and fixes have been made. The team at D-CELL GAMES is continuing to update the demo, and a new song and stage are even coming soon as a collaboration with the game No Straight Roads.
Though the game’s Kickstarter is complete, currently it has a Slacker Backer page up for those wishing to support the title. With the strong community that the rhythm game genre generates, and the absolute passion that can be felt in every single area of this demo, here’s hoping that as time progresses UNBEATABLE will continue to find a larger audience. The [white label] demo for UNBEATABLE is truly one of the standout achievements of this year, and any fans looking for a unique take on a familiar genre owe it themselves to give it a try.
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November 11, 2021 at 12:45AM
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UNBEATABLE [white label] Demo Is One of the Best Video Game of the Year - Collider.com
"Demo" - Google News
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